To: Henrietta St John, afterwards Lady Luxborough. n.p. 6 March [n.s.] 1721. Text: MS, BL Add. 34196, fols 16–17v.

I am very sorry to hear that you have had so long a fitt of illness, and wish a perfect recovery may have follow’d it. I have too good an opinion of you to imagine that without any reason for it you should change y^r sentiments for me. mine for you my dear Girl shall never alter. M^e de V:[illette] has been a good deal afflicted with an illness w^ch attacks her often. she sufferd very violent pain this time, but she did not suffer so long as usual. she makes you compliments herself, ¹ so that I have none to make you from her. I am glad to hear that there is so much mirth stirring in a country which seems to have so little reason for it. the Nation I am in passes for as dancing & as singing a people as any ^under y^e Sun and yet a thread of much such adventures as you have had in England has sower’d all their good humour, and Paris is become as little amusing as amsterdam. ² the project of y^e enchanted Boat is a little too wild to be entertain’d above a minute or two, & I wish the hopes of meeting in y^e country where you are may be much better founded. wherever you are, & wherever I am, I shall allways be with y^e truest affection & kindness my Dear faithfully yours.