William Hone to Charles Behnes, 7 May, 1829 An Electronic Edition William Hone Kyle Grimes

For publication in the Hone Correspondence section of the William Hone BioText, http://honearchive.org. The letter is published under a Creative Commons license, details of which are accessible from the BioText homepage.

Transcribed from a high quality scan of the original in the Hone Collection, Adelphi University, Series 1A, Box 1, Folder 1.

 Began initial transcription from Adelphi scans Finished transcription; began editing and adding notes. proofed and transformed using custom xslt
William Hone to Charles Behnes, 7 May, 1829. Hone Collection, Adelphi University, Series 1A, Box 1, Folder 1. [return] — -TEI-
Newington Green
7 May 1829 Dear Charley
Come hither on Sunday, and seeGiven the layout of Hone's text in the opening words of the letter, it appears that he may have started his note in ordinary prose and then, perhaps noticing the rhythm, quickly fell into verse.[return] my wife and the children, the garden and me. Don't fail to come early — you'll sniff the fresh breeze— after 6 in the morning, as soon as you please. We've brown bread and mutton, at 1, for our feeding we've fruit trees in blossom, & rabbits a-breeding. Come, and make a long day— I say, Come!— if you don't! I'll not hear of a "cann't" Which is cant & means won't. So come, my dear Charley — and let's have a talk — I want one especially — and we can walk or sit down, as we please, within doors our out, and pull our opinions or old books about. But I wish, above all, to chat on affairs of importance to us, and becoming our years. which, you know, are by no means so long as we wish. And as, really, I'm serious, pray dont you cry pish! but Come. And, now mind, if you haven't a coat, why, just come without one. So drop me a note And say you will — if you don't I shall groan Oh Charley! — you Jack-bottom Charley, O!
HoneNote that Hone's name makes up the last rhyme in his verse letter. [return]

[addressed:] For Charles Behnes Esq.

Dean Street
Soho