Colonial Williamsburg Digital Library

MS43.04: Francis Nicholson Papers
Nicholson letter to Mrs. Burwell, 7 January 1702/3

I desire that you will be pleased to accept of my most hearty thanks for yo^r Letter of
the 5^th instant, and hope you will excuse the trouble I gave you by my three Letters, as likewise
this, but Coll^o Burwell having forbid me his house and either writing or sending to him, I am under
most unhappy circumstances in that affair of Mad^m Lucy because Bartlet comes to yo^r house once or
twice aweek to see her, & he hath likewise the opportunity of doing at Church, & and at other places I
suppose contrived on purpose, & by whom I suppose ^think is too apparent to every body who knows
anything of that affair, so that if please God he ever gets her, it must be by [deleted]er force, command
or perswasion. But I having so lately written to Coll^o Burwell reqs concerning this subject, I shall
not trouble you with a repetition of it, nor my self with more horror & confusion ab^t it: but it had
been much better for me to have given half my Estate away than I had ever courted her
having mett with so very extraordinary strange usage in all respects.

I have told M^r Robertson what he is to tell Coll^o Burwell, yo^r self & y^e young Lady
w^ch I desires you would let him do, not knowing whether it mayn't be the last time that I shall
ever trouble you again I am extraordinarily obliged to you, Madam, for yo^r generous proffer
of being ready to serve me all that lay in yo^r power, and I shall be very ambitious of
endeavouring to do myself the hon^r of retaliating but alas I'm afraid that will never be
And if I should be so fortunate, yet ^by Coll^o Burwells two lette^rs to me, forbid it me

Madam the thanks that you are pleased to return me for all favors, rec^d by myself &
yo^rs are most very acceptable to mee, but would have been much more if I could have been allowed to have
continued them for it should have been esteemed as a piece of very good fortune if I could have
been in y^e least serviceable to yo^rself or any of yo^r Relatons or friends for upon notice thereof
it it should have been cordially complyed with by him who is