The Sun.
London, England, 1823-10-03 00:00:00

LETTER. WRITING.

The following three specimens of letter•writ-
ing of the last century are curious. They are
preserved in a tract now of extreme rarity—by
that excellent and indefatigable writer, Lord
Hanes.

The first h from the Duchess Dowager o
Lenox to King James the First:—

" My Sovereign Lord, •
" According to your 51ajesty's greatest pleasure signified
unto me, I have sent a young man to attend you, accompanied
with n widow's prayers and tears, that he may wax old in your
service; and in his fidelity and affection may equal his ancei,
tors departed ; and so shall he find grace and favour in the eyes
of my .Lord the King; which will revive thee dying hopes and
raise the dejected *Titus of a comfortleas mother,--
" Your Majesty's most humble servant,
" KA. LENOX."

The following forms a good contrast to the
elegant simplicity of the former. It is addressed
to the same Sovereign by the wife of the famous
Duke of Buckingham, whose " orthograpkv," like
Lord Duberley's, was "somewhat loose," and
needed, like his, the corrective hints of a Doctor
Pangloss _

" May it please your Majestie,
" I have receved the two boxes of dr id plums and trap, and
the box of riolatt cake and chickens, for all which I meat hum. ,
bly thank your Majestic.
.c I hope my Lord Aunan has Could your Majestic that
I did mean to wens Mall very shortly. T wood not by any
warns a-don it till I had firrst made your 31ajeatie ac-
quainted with it and by reason my cousin firet't boy
has binne ill of 1011, for Are slice should gsrceoe and
spnk her milk, maks me very' desirous to scene her. And 1
think slice is wild enure, and 1 hope will endure her 'coming very
well; for I think thire was never child card less for the breast
than Are doe,- so I do intend to make trial this night how she
will endure It. _ _ . _

Tins day praying for your Majesties' health and tow life,
I humbly take my leave.—Yoar Majesties most bumble. go.
YAM,
" K. BUCKINGHAM."
The next and last is front the Duke to Kink
•
JIIIIIPS
" Dear Dad and Goisip,
" Yesterday we got hither so, early, that I had time to see
over a good part of my works here. This afterncon I will see
the rest. I protest to God the chiefest pleasure I have in them
is, that I hope they will please you, and that they have all come
by and, front, you. I tun now going to give my REDEEMER
thanks for my MAKER. Tho 'afternoon I will spend in.view.
Ing the rest. To-morrow the —.'threaten to- be arly up,
being of my mind impatient .to he with you. We shall have
no need of a roach of yours, or Habit Charks, 'to make the
way short. I could write to the • equerries to send them to
Thurlo, seven miles on this of Newmarket.; NI I will tio
beholden to none but aky kind wester and purveyor, whonaver
failed me when I had need ; theretbre bestir thee, and (here tits
two words illegible) duty. will, give ino thanks for nothing,
till I may do it on my knees ; crave your blessing, as your
Majesty's most humble slave anddog. ,e STINK:."

ALARMING Fina.--Yestp.day morning, aboul
two o'clock, flames were seen to issue from the
premises of Mr. Austin, ,a, basket-makir, Situ.
ated at the back of. V5l, High Holborn, which,
from the inflammable nature of the materials
in the place, extended with considerable rapi.
dity to the adjoining workshop of Mr. Man.
ning, a carpenter, which was soon enveloped in
flame. The houses in the vicinity were threat.
ened with speedy destruction; for so rapid was
the progress of the devouring element, that, in
the short space of half an hour, both the build.
lugs presented one immense and terrific body
of fire. The back of the house of Mr. Wells, a
mahogany dressing.case maker, was also on
fire ; but the speedy arrival of the firesenglues,
and the great exertion of the firemen, prevented
its doing much damage. A quantity of furnitnre
and wearing apparel, belonging to twit females
who were about to take a house, was destroyed
on the premises of Mr. Manning, with whom they
had deposited them, fur safety. The premises,
we believe, were insured, but it is supposed not
to the amount of the actual loss.