Wesley Corpus

To Mrs. Pendarves Source: The Letters of John Wesley (1731) Author: John Wesley --- June [1731]. [The Diary shows that he was writing this letter at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.] It was not in the power of all the variety of objects that 'occurred to me in my late journeys to lessen the concern I felt at being so long cut off from the conversation of Aspasia. The impression which this had left on my mind was so far from being effaced by any succeeding pleasure that every agreeable entertainment I had recalled it to my thoughts, and made me as more sensible of my obligations to her, so more desirous again to acknowledge them. You will easily judge whether the remembrance of Aspasia: made that entertainment in particular less agreeable which I enjoyed last week [From the Diary we see that he walked from Oxford by Shipton and Stowe, reaching Stanton at eight on Saturday evening, May 22, where he stayed with Mr. Kirkham and met Varanese and Mrs. Granville. He had tea with the two ladies on Sunday. On Monday he is in V.'s arbor. He is at Buckland on Wednesday, where' he met Varanese. ' Danced ' occurs twice in the entries. On May 31 he returns by Stowe and Shipton to Oxford.] in the almost uninterrupted conversation of dear Varanese. 'On this spot she sat,' 'Along this path she walked,' 'Here she showed that lovely instance of condescension,' were reflections which, though extremely obvious, yet could not but be equally pleasing, but give a new degree of beauty to the charming arbor, the fields, the meadows, and Horrel [See letter of Aug. 14.] itself. The happy disappointment we met with here in having everything succeed beyond our expectations almost reconciled Araspes and me to our other disappointment of a less pleasing nature. And, indeed, I for my part cannot without the utmost immodesty repine at any dispensation of Providence while I am so unaccountably indulged both in the friendship of our Varanese and in calling myself dear Aspasia's Most obliged, faithful CYRUS. Araspes, too, begs leave to say that he is entirely at Aspasia's service. Adieu.