Anne Steele, Broughton, to unidentified correspondent, 8 August 1761.

         Your obliging Letter, Madam, and your kind wishes for Theodosia merit her grateful acknowledgements.  May all those Blessings which you ask for her be yours!

         Will you allow a Stranger the priviledge of Friendship, writing freely?—It is certain that a real pleasure attends the being enabled to contribute in any measure to the rational entertainment of serious Minds; but who that asks “What have I that I have not received?” can have any claim to encomiums?

If ought you find in Theodosia’s Lays

To profit or to please, transfer the praise

To him whose bounty ev’ry gift bestows;

Since all unmerited that Bounty flows.

Permit me Mad.m to wish for you an increasing pleasure in your attention to sacred Poesy. I think with you, that the Muse never appears so amiable as when employ’d in the service of Religion.  Here she maintains her native dignity: for surely this gift of Heaven ought was intended to be devoted to the praise of the Almighty Donour.  There she finds the most refined pleasure  With what delight may the Mind when raised by a divine  attraction, expatiate amid the various, the boundless wonders of Creation and Providence; and adore the infinitely Powerful, Wise, Beneficent Hand which appears in all.  And let me peculiarly recommend to your Meditation the glorious, the amazing Work of Redemption!

Redemption! ’twas Creation more sublime

Redemption! ’twas the labour of the Skies

                                                                                 N. Tho’ts

This is the Song of Angels, the Theme of Eternity!—and though our highest Ideas last efforts, our most exalted Ideas sink infinitely below the sublime Subject, yet if He whose Smile inspires the harmony of Heaven, and who claims a tribute from all his Creatures, if He condescends to animate & accept our humble wishes to praise him not applauding Worlds can bestow a pleasure to be named with the hope of this divine satisfaction!—May those adorable perfections revealed in his sacred word & display’d in the glorious Works of Creation, Providence, & Redemption be ever entertaining, ever delightful to you and to Madam

                                             Your obliged Friend & Servant

                                                         A. S.

Aug.t 8. 1761

Text: Timothy Whelan, gen. ed., Nonconformist Women Writers, 1720-1840, 8 vols. (London: Pickering & Chatto, 2011), vol. 2 (ed. Julia B. Griffin), pp. 316-17 (edited version); TE 3/13/ii, Steele Collection, Angus Library, Regent's Park College, Oxford. No address page. It may be this letter is addressed to the Mrs. Lacey mentioned in the above letter by Anne Steele to Mary Wakeford, 6 February 1760.  A very rough draft of the letter may be found in STE 3/3/5, sheet 24.

Reference above to Young's Night-Thoughts, ‘Night,’ Book IV, lines 456-7.