Colonial Williamsburg Digital Library

MS43.04: Francis Nicholson Papers
Nicholson poem to Lucy Burwell, N. D.

for I yet love you as I do my own, nay better, and therefore I think in charity you ought to forgive
me if I have or do now offer to you any thing w^ch you do not like or fancy, but I do endeavour to
discharge the office of a faithfull affectionate & passionate Lover & friend, Therefore I do ^therefore most
cordially and earnestly recommend to you to receive the most holy Sacrament God willing next Easter
(in order to which (pray be pleased to read y^e 3 bookes I herewith presume to send you) as pray in one
of them there is a prayer about marrying)

When I have been under any affliction, trouble &c or when I have undertaken any business or imployment
I endeavoured commonly received y^e most holy Communion, and I thank God that I found after I had done so
I succeeded therein, either by obtaining what I desired or being satisfied without it: God Almightly having been
pleased to give me grace often to receive it I have thereby had very great satisfaction, content, & ease & joy
And I think it an indispensible duty of all Christians to endeavour to be worthy Communicants, & one of the
best ways they have of distinguishing themselves to be of the true Church of England, as likewise of having
the mercys & favours of Heaven continued to them, of having any affliction sorrow or trouble of mind &c
removed from them, or of patiently Suffering under it in order to their eternal welfare. Pray do not
take it amiss, if I do in y^e same manner recommend to you the publick service of God Almighty either
in the Church or a family, for in this Country that sort of worship is seldome but once on y^e Sunday in
the Church, and I fear but very rare in private familys. the third thing is, that you would avoid as
much as possible that company where a great part ^{of the discourse} or at least some thereof is the censure of people,
ridiculing, & railing, naying even of telling most base false, Scandalous & malicious things of them
But I am so very well satisfied of yo^r very extraordinary great vertue, innocent & harmless Modest
behaviour & deportment, as likewise of yo^r sincere & unaffected Zeal for the Religion of the Church
of England, that they have been some of the great & weighty reasons w^ch made me

MS43.04: Francis Nicholson Papers,
Nicholson to Lucy Burwell, N. D.

I fancy the it would be very ominous to us both, if when
I saw you lately, should be our last meeting as Lovers, for you went down first the back stairs & I went
away from you very melancholy & concerned, & found by^with yo^r father a certain person whom I have reason to
fear he preferred much before my self, and if I should forbear coming to wait upon you, it may be reported
that I do it ^either out of fear or that I slight you are slighted & dispised by me, so to vindicate my honour
my honesty & my yet constancy to you, I think my self obliged to wait upon you, & may be I shall y
will do, what shall be proposed by you, thô it should be very detrimental & prejudicial to him who is
at present