Richard Steele was a journalist, writer and politician, who with his friend Joseph Addison founded the Spectator magazine. Mary Scurlock was his second wife; he met her at the funeral of his first, and courted her with a single-minded passion. The second letter here , written two weeks before their wedding, is both amusing and touching in Steele’s description of himself as a man completely distracted from day-to-day concerns by thoughts of his beloved. Richard and Mary were married in 1707, although their marriage remained secret for some time after that, perhaps for reasons of propriety – this could explain the rather mundane postscript to the third letter below: their marriage was famously happy, although sometimes tempestuous, and she remained throughout his life his ‘dear Prue’. Steele wrote his wife more than four hundred letters both before and during their marriage; she died in 1718.

To Mary Scurlock
Madam,
With what language shall I address my lovely fair to acquaint her with the sentiments of a heart she delights so torture? I have not a minute’s quiet out of your sight; and when I am with you, you use me with so much distance, that I am still in a state of absence, heightened with a view of the charms which I am denied to approach. In a word, you must give me either a fan, a mask or a glove you have worn, or I cannot live; otherwise you must expect that I’ll kiss your hand, or, when I next sit by you, steal your handkerchief. You yourself are too great a bounty to be secured at once; therefore I must be prepared by degrees, lest the mighty gift distract me with joy.
Dear Miss Scurlock, I am tired with calling you by that name; therefore, say the day in which you will take that of, Madam, your most obedient, most devoted, humble servant,
Rich.Steele

August 1707 (two weeks before their wedding)
Madam,
It is the hardest thing in the world to be in love and yet attend to business. As for me all who speak to me find me out, and I must lock myself up or other people will do it for me.
A gentleman asked me this morning, ‘What news from Lisbon?’ and I answered, ‘She is exquisitely handsome.’ Another desired to know when I had last been at Hampton court. I replied, ‘It will be on Tuesday come se’nniht.’ Pr’ythee, allow me at least to kiss your hand before that day, that my mind may be in some composure. O love!
A thousand torments dwell about me!
Yet who would live to live without thee?
Methinks I could write a volume to you; but all the language on earth would fail in saying how much and with what disinterested passion I am ever your—
Rich. Steele

7 October 1707
My Loved Creature,
I write this only to bid you good-night and assure you of my diligence in the matter I told you of.
You may assure yourself I value you according to you merit which is saying that you have my heart by all the ties of beauty, virtue, good nature and friendship I find by the progress I have made to-night, that I shall do my business effectually in two days’ time. Write me word you are in good humour which will be the highest pleasure to your obliged husband,
Rich. Steele
I shall want some linen from your house tomorrow.