the royal papers in the British Museum.     

       One of his valentines reads as follows:—     

     “Wilt thou be mine? dear Love, reply—       Sweetly consent or else deny. Whisper softly, none shall know, Wilt thou be mine, Love?—aye or no?      “Spite of Fortune, we may be Happy by one word from thee. Life flies swiftly—ere it go Wilt thou be mine, Love?—aye or no?”  

  

       A GIRL'S VALENTINE CHARM     

       AS TOLD BY HERSELF     

       (FROM THE CONNOISSEUR, 1775)     

       Last Friday was Valentine's Day, and I'll tell you what I did the night before. I got five bay leaves, and pinned four of them to the four corners of my pillow, and the fifth to the middle; and then if I dreamt of my sweetheart, Betty said we would be married before the year was out.     

       But to make it more sure, I boiled an egg hard, and took out the yolk, and filled it with salt, and when I went to bed ate it, shell and all, without       speaking or drinking after it.     

       We also wrote our lovers' names upon bits of paper, and rolled them up in clay and put them into water; and the first that rose up was to be our valentine. Would you think it? Mr. Blossom was my man, and I lay abed and shut my eyes all the morning, till he came to our house, for I would not have seen another man before him for all the world.     

  

       MR. PEPYS HIS VALENTINE     

       AS RELATED BY HIMSELF IN 1666     

       (ADAPTED)     

       This morning, came up to my wife's bedside, I being up dressing myself, little Will Mercer, to be her valentine; and brought her name writ upon blue paper in gold letters, done by himself, very pretty; and we were both well pleased with it.     

       But I am also this year my wife's valentine; and it will cost me five pounds; but that I must have laid out if we had not been valentines.     

       I find also that Mrs. Pierce's little girl is my valentine, she having drawn me; which I am 

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