Anne Steele, Broughton, to Mrs. Martin, at Mr. Manfield’s, Ringwood, September 1757.

Dear Madam

         The Incidents which prevented my writing sooner have I doubt made me appear unfriendly, pardon the seeming negligence and give me leave now to congratulate your agreeable Prospects, and tender my sincerest wishes for your happiness. May the kind Providence from whose Bounteous Hand all our Blessings flow, favour you with Health and every desirable Satisfaction of Life! May the refined delights of Friendship be yours, and let my wishes rise still higher to the exalted Pleasure of virtue and Religion! these my dear Cousin will make you blest indeed, and a Blessing to all around you! These will sweeten those Cares, from which the highest State of Earthly Felicity is not entirely exempted, and extend your prospects of Happiness beyond the narrow bounds of this transitory Life to the blissful Regions of unmingled Joy! Joy which knows no interruption, change, or period!—Such a grave manner of writing on this occasion, would perhaps by the unreflecting Joy [sic] be tho’t unpolite & gloomy but a friendly heart dictates more than Compliment, & extends its Ideas of Happiness far beyond the present hours, and it wou’d I think, be trifling to wish you happy without adding Forever, my acquaintance with you and the amiable Character I have heard of Mr Martin, makes me hope I shall not be thought too serious, May you long be Happy in each other! may your Friends rejoice in your encreasing Felicity! among them permit me to rank  Dear Madam

                                             Your sincerely affectionate Cousin

                                                                     A Steele

Broughton Sept.r 1757

The Compliments & good Wishes of both Family’s attend you – M.rs  Steele has had Company a good while, expects more next week, and thinks she cannot have the pleasure of waiting on you at Ringwood –

To Mrs Martin

Text: Timothy Whelan, gen. ed., Nonconformist Women Writers, 1720-1840, 8 vols. (London: Pickering & Chatto, 2011), vol. 2 (ed. Julia B. Griffin), pp. 304-05 (edited version); STE 3/13/v, Steele Collection, Angus Library, Regent's Park College, Oxford. Address:  To | M.rs Martin | Miss Steele | at M.r Mansfields [sic] in Ringwood. Mrs. Martin is unidentified.