Hope of my Age, Joy of my youth,
Blest miracle of love & Truth!

By w^t words shall I make known to y^o y^e pleasure your Last
brought me? I Beg you would beleive I have y^e Highest sence of
your goodness to me & a Heart full of Gratitude, & Fondnes, to
the Dear author of all my Happiness – thou Best Lov’d angel!
Thou constant, & only Joy of my Soul! The assurances you
have Given me of a Love on w^ch more then my Life Depends (my
Peace & all that is valuable in this World) give an Ease & cheer=
=fullness to my Heart, w^ch nothing {^^Else} in this absence from y^o could
make it Feel: that you Love {^^me} is my Pride, & Happiness, y^t
you may Continue So to Bless me, is y^e Utmost Extent of my
Ambition. Fate has Distinguish’d me, I am yours, & know
yet a Superior Delight in y^e Reflection, that to your self
alone I owe y^e obligation of Being so. I am glad my Dear
Madan, y^o have a veiw of returning sooner then you propos’d
But want to know whether y^o mean Before y^e 29^th of this
month xxx {^^or} y^e 5^th of next? I still hold well, if I do so a
fortnight Longer, I Believe I shall Resolve to Leave this solitary
Dismal xxx Town, & take y^e fate many of my fellow creatures
Run, in y^e County. I cannot Lament for y^e Loss our friend
Cap^t: Hunt is about to Gain. Such Fetters are certainly Broke
without much Regret, w^th less I fancy then they are Ty’d – y^e

[f.72v]

The very Different
case y^o mention I Dare not suffer my self to foresee – I know
my own soul, w^ch too sensibly Informs me, it could leave my
Body w^th Infinitly more Ease, then be separated from you:
whenever yo see me in such a condition – Be assur’d my only
support will Be, in y^e firm belief that so Generous, so Disinterested
a Union as Ours, was never made to conclude w^th our Lives, who
cou’ld Part w^th w^t is a thousand times Dearer then Life – without
a Prospect of meeting again in a state, the happiness of which I
have y^e best Idea off, By Imagining it is to Part no more: and
& now my Dearest Creature, I will Endeavour to Lay aside all Tears,
Fears, & entertain only y^e Happy & near Prospect I have of
seeing you again, thou Blessing of my Eyes, - How Fondly will
they fix themselves on yours, & from them Inform my Heart
of all it Wishes to know. I Hope Monday will bring me
a Longer Letter, then y^r Last – I know you don’t Love writing
But, Immagine ‘tis talking to me, & think I will talk to you
again By y^e next Post: according to this notion, I fear you will think
xxx I have prated too much, & therefore I hasten to be silent &
only add, y^t I am, My Dear Dear Madan, your aff: Wife, &
most Faithfull freind

J Madan.

July y^e 24^th 1725
I hope y^o rec^d my last my mother sends
Her Love to you.

Hope of my Age, Joy of my youth,
Blest miracle of love & Truth!

By w^t words shall I make known to y^o y^e pleasure your Last
brought me? I Beg you would believe I have y^e Highest sense of
your goodness to me & a Heart full of Gratitude, & Fondness, to
the Dear author of all my Happiness – thou Best Loved angel!
Thou constant, & only Joy of my Soul! The assurances you
have Given me of a Love on w^ch more then my Life Depends (my
Peace & all that is valuable in this World) give an Ease & cheer=
=fullness to my Heart, w^ch nothing {^^Else} in this absence from y^o could
make it Feel: that you Love {^^me} is my Pride, & Happiness, y^t
you may Continue So to Bless me, is y^e Utmost Extent of my
Ambition. Fate has Distinguished me, I am yours, & know
yet a Superior Delight in y^e Reflection, that to your self
alone I owe y^e obligation of Being so. I am glad my Dear
Madan, y^o have a view of returning sooner then you proposed
But want to know whether y^o mean Before y^e 29^th of this
month xxx {^^or} y^e 5^th of next? I still hold well, if I do so a
fortnight Longer, I Believe I shall Resolve to Leave this solitary
Dismal xxx Town, & take y^e fate many of my fellow creatures
Run, in y^e County. I cannot Lament for y^e Loss our friend
Cap^t: Hunt is about to Gain. Such Fetters are certainly Broke
without much Regret, w^th less I fancy then they are Ty’d – y^e

[f.72v]

The very Different
case y^o mention I Dare not suffer my self to foresee – I know
my own soul, w^ch too sensibly Informs me, it could leave my
Body w^th Infinitely more Ease, then be separated from you:
whenever yo see me in such a condition – Be assured my only
support will Be, in y^e firm belief that so Generous, so Disinterested
a Union as Ours, was never made to conclude w^th our Lives, who
could Part w^th w^t is a thousand times Dearer then Life – without
a Prospect of meeting again in a state, the happiness of which I
have y^e best Idea off, By Imagining it is to Part no more: and
& now my Dearest Creature, I will Endeavour to Lay aside all Tears,
Fears, & entertain only y^e Happy & near Prospect I have of
seeing you again, thou Blessing of my Eyes, - How Fondly will
they fix themselves on yours, & from them Inform my Heart
of all it Wishes to know. I Hope Monday will bring me
a Longer Letter, then y^r Last – I know you don’t Love writing
But, Imagine ‘tis talking to me, & think I will talk to you
again By y^e next Post: according to this notion, I fear you will think
xxx I have prated too much, & therefore I hasten to be silent &
only add, y^t I am, My Dear Dear Madan, your affectionate Wife, &
most Faithfull friend

J Madan.

July y^e 24^th 1725
I hope y^o rec^d my last my mother sends
Her Love to you.