To: Henrietta St John, afterwards Lady Luxborough. La Ferté-Alais, Île-de-France. 7 April [n.s.] 1725. Text: MS, BL Add. 34196, fols 30–1.

The Marq: and y^r humble hav servant have been of late two very crazy persons. I hope ¹ that both our bodys are growing into better plight, and surely it will be time this spring to sit down some where or other with easy minds. I am extreamly oblig’d to you for y^r concern for us both, my dear Girl, and you shall never fail of finding in me y^e sincerest returns of affection. I wish with all my heart you could take a trip to y^r Barony ² once more. my project is to spend five or six weeks there this autumn with my hounds. as soon as I get back from y^e little village where I am att present to Paris, I will know of Le Brun ³ whether he can prepare a Boars head so as to be sent securely to London, and if he can do it you shall have one. I regret very heartily my Lord Carleton. ⁴ he was a very valuable man, & I had a particular regard for him. let me desire you, my dear to give the inclos’d ⁵ to M^rs Gower. it is an answer to y^t w^ch she did me y^e favour to write me some time ago. I writ to my Lord a few days ago from this place, & shall do so again before I leave it. renew y^e assurances of my duty to him, & of my respects to my Lady. I hope my Brother has rec^d mine. Adieu Dear Girl, I am ever most faithfully yours.