954 - Martin Madan to Judith Madan, 1 April 1726
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Fuddled last night, not quite sober this
morning, stupid as Tony Warren, & sick as a breeding
Wife, I sit me down to thank you for yr constant
remembrance of me, thy many tender & kind assurances
of esteem for me, are Joys to me beyond expression,
the sincerity wth wch you tell me you love me, is too
pleasing to my Heart, not to think my self the happiest
man in Life, thou inestimable treasure, in thee I’ve
all I wish –
To show you that we are not wthout our Cloes
or swains {^not} insensible of their Charms, I send you an
extempore Copy of Verses made by a young Gentleman
upon seeing his Mistress weeping
Turn over
[f.89v]
Cloe Weeping
What nymph but Cloe thus appears
Adorn’d & beautiful in Tears?
Grief does in her so Graceful show
We gaze & are in love wth Woe
Too potent Fair, whose gentle sway
Can please alike in ev’ry way,
Whose smiles the dullest Heart can charm
Whose sighs the fiercest Rage disarm
Those Eyes tho’ swell’d wth Sorrows move
Full of Softness full of Love
Those Cheeks their Beauties yet maintain
Roses blooming in the Rain
still you all resistless are
Weeping sighing, killing Fair.
yrs Entirely
M Madan
Witham April 1st 1726.
Fuddled last night, not quite sober this
morning, stupid as Tony Warren, & sick as a breeding
Wife, I sit me down to thank you for yr constant
remembrance of me, thy many tender & kind assurances
of esteem for me, are Joys to me beyond expression,
the sincerity wth wch you tell me you love me, is too
pleasing to my Heart, not to think my self the happiest
man in Life, thou inestimable treasure, in thee I’ve
all I wish –
To show you that we are not wthout our Cloes
or swains {^not} insensible of their Charms, I send you an
extempore Copy of Verses made by a young Gentleman
upon seeing his Mistress weeping
Turn over
[f.89v]
Cloe Weeping
What nymph but Cloe thus appears
Adorned & beautiful in Tears?
Grief does in her so Graceful show
We gaze & are in love wth Woe
Too potent Fair, whose gentle sway
Can please alike in every way,
Whose smiles the dullest Heart can charm
Whose sighs the fiercest Rage disarm
Those Eyes though swelled wth Sorrows move
Full of Softness full of Love
Those Cheeks their Beauties yet maintain
Roses blooming in the Rain
still you all resistless are
Weeping sighing, killing Fair.
yrs Entirely
M Madan
Witham April 1st 1726.
Martin Madan to Judith Madan, 1 April 1726
Martin describes himself as hungover this morning – he feels stupid in the head and is ‘sick as a breeding wife’. Despite this he sits down to write to Judith, and to thank her for her expressions of love towards him, which is pleasing to his heart. He encloses a poem (written by himself it appears) on the subject of a man saddened to see his mistress crying. The protagonist is presumably an allegory for Judith, and is described in embodied language – her smile, her eyes, her cheeks, her tears.
Madan Family
Eng Letter C.284 f.89
Bodleian Libraries, University of Oxford
1726
4
1
Witham, Essex [England]
Hertingfordbury Park, Hertfordshire [England]
primary author
heart
- drinking
- sitting
- thinking
- writing
separation
unwell
- feeling
- grateful
- happy
- love (romantic)
- confused
- self
- slow of mind
marriage
primary addressee
thinking
separation
- affection
- love (romantic)
memory
marriage
To Cite this Letter
Martin Madan to Judith Madan, 1 April 1726, 141726: Bodleian Libraries, University of Oxford, Madan Family, Eng Letter C.284 f.89
To Cite this Edition
Material Identities, Social Bodies: Embodiment in British Letters c.1680-1820. Compiled by: Karen Harvey, Helen Esfandiary, Sarah Fox, Emily Vine, University of Birmingham. Project funded by the Leverhulme Trust (2021-2025, Ref. RPG-2020-163), https://socialbodies.bham.ac.uk.