Address:
M^rs Flinders
      Partney near Spilsby
            Lincolnshire

Annotation:
N^o 33
Feb^y 2^d 1808

Annotation:
Thrice welcome art thou dear Meƒsenger of an
unattested affection — yes I welcome thee with
many kiƒses, many tears of fond delight —

                      Wilhems Plains in the Isle of France
                                    June 30. 1807

    I wrote thee, my dearest love, on May 31 last, complaining of having received
no letter from thee since that dated October 1806; but since then I have received thy
dear letter of July 1806 accompanied with one from my brother, and one from Dr
Maskelyne. Accept my best, best thanks, my beloved, for so kind, so tender a me-
morial of thy faithful affection. It was welcome to me as the dew of Heaven to the
traveller in the parched deserts of Arabia. What thou sayest of my affairs is satis-
factory, but Standert has sent me no account, nor has he once written to me in
this island. It does not altogether appear to me safe, however, to leave my uncle
Ward's legacy in a bank at Spilsby. I would rather it was placed in the public
funds, with that of my father; but thou, being upon the spot, art a better judge
than I can be here, and I leave this affair to thy discretion and the advice of M^r
Tyler.
      Samuel mentioned to me, as thou hadst foreseen, something of a tiff be-
tween thee and him; but he gave thee all the merit of being right, except perhaps
that of too freely communicating to thy female correspondent his pecuniary af-
fairs. Thank thee, my love, for thy proposed confidence to make me acquainted
with that and several other affairs. Thou knowest, or I wish thee to know, that
I desire only to be acquainted with what thou desirest to communicate. I am
not one of those suspicious husbands that think their wives are necessarily doing
wrong whenever they have anything they desire to keep to themselves. But thou
wilt not find thy confidence ill placed; and if it is capable of increase, I
trust it will be increased when thou shalt know me thoroughly, — when thou shalt see,
that I have nothing which shall not be in common between us. There are some points
upon this subject for which I reproach myself, for not having taken thy advice, since
I am convinced how capable thou art of giving it. My confidence the most complete
and unlimited shall be thine, my best love, when the merciful God shall please
to conduct me to thy arms. There is a medium between petticoat government
and tyranny on the part of the husband, that, with thee, I think to be very
attainable; and which I consider to be the summit of happiness in the mar-
riage state. Thou wilt be to me, not only the beloved wife, but my most
dear and most intimate friend; as I hope to be to thee. If we find failings,
we will look upon them with kindness and compassion; and in each others me-
rits we will take pride, and delight to ^ ^{dwell upon} them; thus we will realize, as far as may