Samples of writing of the XIX-XX centuries. Love letters from famous people Sample letter to a girlfriend in the 19th century

With a kind permission of the author of the original posts, I begin a serie of translations about Victorian courtship, love letters and other relationships. The original post is .

The mystery of love, courtship and marriage solved - how to write a Victorian love letter

So, you are sitting with a pen in your hands and a blank valentine in front of you. But you just can't find those special words that express your true feelings for your loved one. Don't be afraid book « The mystery of love, courtship and marriage solved » [ The Mystery of Love , Courtship and Marriage Explained ], 1890, will be your savior. It's filled with great tips and sample letters to suit you and your special circumstances..

So, let's begin .

Love letters: It is almost impossible to lay down any rules for writing love letters. Some of the gentlemen show themselves in a ridiculous light with their messages. They take the issue too seriously. If you are engaged and intend to continue to marry, it is best not to be too sweet-tongued towards the lady of your heart, otherwise she may become disgusted. Until the conclusion of the engagement, she might endure a little more sweetness and pomposity, again, if not overdone. Do not use too many adjectives in your letters, trying to avoid repetitive praise. One dose of flattery at a time is enough. If the lady of your heart is a reasonable person, her face will distort with a grimace even from this. Meanwhile, the peculiarity of their sex is such that they love when they love them, but how can they know that they are loved if they are not told about it? To write a sentimental letter, you need more talent than is required to solve some extremely important philosophical problem. Lovers should not expect too much from letters to each other. Since the purpose of this treatise is to help young men in their courtship of women, we will give some examples of letters that can be written in order to bring clarity to the relationship between you and your possible lady of the heart. Also Sample answers will be given. Which young ladies would be willing to give to such letters.

The following letter may be written by a young man for a young lady, to whose company he is obviously fond, but he himself does not dare to tell her that "he adores her." If the lady accepts him after such a message, then she will consider herself engaged and continue to count on marriage.

Tuesday afternoon.

Dear Miss Thorn:

I hope you will forgive me my arrogance in writing to you without your permission, and I assure you that I took out my pen only out of the need to reveal to you my feelings and my aspirations. Believing that the attention I have given you has already to some extent prepared you for a possible similar manifestation of feelings in the future, I now throw myself at your feet, begging for love! How much I I know own own heart, it firmly tied To to you. Are you willing to answer me, and will you? I will be with you this evening and hope to be greeted with a reassuring smile. Farewell and see you soon ,

X. Seymour.

If a girl likes her boyfriend, which means she is ready to accept his feelings, there is no need to answer the letter. However, if she thinks that he is in too much of a hurry, or she is indifferent to him, or she wants to flirt a little with him, she can respond as follows:

Five o'clock in the afternoon.

Dear Mr Seymour:

Your message surprised me, and I ask your forgiveness for such a response. I don't mind having you as a friend at any appropriate time, but for now, let's not talk about getting to know each other better.

Sincerely your,

E. Thorn

The young man, who had quarreled with his beloved the night before, left in frustrated feelings, and the next morning he writes a letter to her. [ N. B . Some lovers may deliberately cause a small quarrel for this purpose.] One should not miss the opportunity to write this kind of letter, since almost any girl will enjoy such a display of feelings from her boyfriend. If the quarrel was played out on purpose, then you need to do this carefully so that she does not suspect you:

allentown, Friday

Expensive Sarah:

Forgive me for this letter. I was very annoyed when I left you last night, and now I feel guilty and ask for forgiveness. I hardly have the courage to come to you today, but in the meantime, I will be very unhappy if I do not. Oh Sarah, my love for you cannot be expressed in words. I have heard and read about female affection, and if I could only see it from you, life on earth would be heaven for me. What must I do to win your heart? I will never contradict you in anything again. My only goal will be to please you and make you happy. And maybe you could show someone a little sympathy in return? I feel like I should be rewarded with a loving smile the next time we meet. Farewell And before meetings,

George

Tuesday morning.

My dear Miss Clayton:

Feeling an interest in you that cannot be expressed in words, I resort to my pen and hope that I do not offend you with this action. None of the most sacred feelings of the human heart would cause me, under any circumstances, to impose on the attention of a young lady: and if I feel interest in you in my heart, I can in no way influence it. I would like you to understand my feelings, and I am sure you would take pity on me if I did not become your admirer. The purpose of this message is to request permission to make friendly visits to you with a possible closer acquaintance in the future, if my company will be pleasant to you. I'm not even asking for a written response, but if you don't mind writing to me, I'll certainly feel flattered. I will make it my business to pay you a visit on Thursday evening, about which I have great hopes. Sincerely yours and with great respect,

John Davis

If the lady likes this gentleman, or thinks that he can be counted on as a friend, and acquaintance with him would be acceptable, she can reply briefly to the message in the following manner:

Thursday, morning

Mister Davis:

Dear sir: I have received your letter and thank you for your frankness and your confidence. I will be glad to see you tonight, and whenever you would be so kind as to pay me a visit on another day, I will try to make you feel welcome. Sincerely your,

Letitia TO. Clayton.

The young gentleman, who for some serious reason has received a cold welcome from his lady of the heart, wishes to show his remorse and, at the same time, to flatter her a little. He might, for example, humbly write as follows:

My dear Josephine:

I still dare to address you, although my heart tells me that I no longer have either your respect for me or your trust. What I must do, to again conquer your location? Do I have to prove to you that the love I have is not a lie? Will this disgusting slander become more important than the heart over which you reign supreme? Have pity on me, Josephine, but don't neglect me. Honor mine destiny Although would attention. Let to me to know your will. To This Not was, I obey to you. Overlay on me own eternal silence! I I will accept his. Drive away me! I I swear, What I'll leave forever. In fact, I'm willing to gladly do anything you say, except to forget you, because that's impossible. Josephine , I All more Hope on forgiveness. If you are not a stranger to mercy, I beg you to cast aside this haughty coldness, which almost plunged me into despair. One kind and encouraging word would make me the happiest man in the world. You you can say his? Will you let me redeem myself? If not, I must hear my judgment from you.

Livada Julia

Creative work on the history of a 8th grade student. As one of the types of control of knowledge and skills of students, writing (for motivated students) of a historical essay is practiced. this work is a historical essay about the changes in the life of the peasants of Russia in the second half of the 19th century. The essay is interesting in that the student chose the form of writing on behalf of a peasant, successfully conveyed the linguistic style of that time and skillfully selected certain historical facts and introduced them into the text.

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Creative work on the history of Russia in the second half of the 19th century

Yulia Livada, student of 8 B class

Consultant teacher: Pimenova Oksana Aleksandrovna

LETTER FROM THE 19TH CENTURY

Good afternoon or evening, my dear little brother Ivan Matveyevich. I congratulate you on Christmas and wish you everything from the Lord our God. Today I missed my soulmate and decided to describe to you my life after we got out of serfdom.

A lot has changed in our lives. Our master, give, Lord, to him for long years life and good health, after the release of the Manifesto of Tsar Alexander the Father, he went abroad with his entire family, where he remains to this day. Under the master, I served as the headman in our village, so I managed to save some money little by little. So I was able to redeem my five acres of mother land. And I wasn't the only one who did it. And those who did not redeem soon received it for free, but only a quarter of it was put on.

Dear brother, our life has become wonderful, a lot has appeared in our village. Build all the wooden huts, but there are plenty of villagers that the roofs are not covered with straw, but with tiles. Their houses have become a bit like your house on the outskirts of the city. At Christmas, I made my boots, on holidays I put them on or when it's cold, otherwise it hurts chilly in bast shoes. My grandmother, Matrena Savelyevna, is in good health, they also bought her chintz and a little silk to decorate the outfit. It will not show off in a sundress! Movo's neighbor, Nikitka Kozlov, got kerosene lamps and even a watch. The whole village went to look at such a miracle. And we eat less and less from wooden dishes, more and more from painted and earthenware. Guys and girls walk around caroling, and afterward they gather at some young widow's, sing songs, fervent ditties, dance round dances.

Dear brother, Ivan Matveyevich, do God's favor, come and visit, look at our new life and tell us about yours, in your cities, probably, a lot of wonderful things have also appeared. I bow at your feet and will forever pray to God for your health and your family. I remain your brother, Semyon Matveyevich Samosadov.

Lesson Objectives:

• to acquaint students with the features of the epistolary genre of the first half of the 19th century
• to deepen the personal characteristics of the main characters of A.S. Pushkin's novel "Eugene Onegin" by analyzing their letters
• develop analytical skills, creative imagination

Progress

Introduction:

“Letters, in the exact sense of the word, are conversations or conversations with those who are absent. They take the place of oral conversation, but contain the speeches of only one person. This is how the concept of writing was defined in the ancient rhetoric of Grech (1819). Letters, as a series of prose works, were placed in it as the first of seven classes of works in prose, and the following features were attributed to them: “oral conversation has the properties of an unprepared, unconstrained, artless composition, and these same qualities make it necessary to belong to any good letter. When composing letters, one should follow the rule: I write as I would speak in this case, but speak correctly, coherently and pleasantly.

More than 100 years ago, these provisions determined the high importance of letters - indicators of the time and the persons who wrote them.

The topic of our lesson is “Letters from the first half of the 19th century”, or rather letters from A.S. Pushkin, his contemporaries and his heroes. And we will start with the famous letter of Tatyana Larina to Onegin. This letter is a declaration of love. Listen to him. (Reading aloud by the teacher of the letter of Tatyana Larina).

Conversation:

Tell me what is strange in this letter, in your opinion? What do you not understand about it?

Teacher's word:

The most interesting thing in this letter is the so-called “Pushkin paradox”. It consists in the fact that brilliant Russian poems turn out to be just a “pale list” from the French message of a young lady in love. Pushkin divided Tatyana's own process of expression in her proposed text into the poetic expression of this expression in the text of the novel (Pushkin's "translation"). According to Vyazemsky, “the author said that for a long time he could not decide how to make Tatyana write without violating the female personality and plausibility in style: for fear of straying into academic prose, he thought to write a letter in prose, even thought to write it in French. But, finally, “happy inspiration came at the right time and the woman’s heart easily and freely spoke Russian: it left Tatishchev’s dictionary and Memorsky’s grammar aside.” V. Vinogradov remarked about this mystification of Pushkin: “After all, the language of Tatiana's writing, contrary to the author's preliminary apologies, is Russian, untranslatable. It does not imply a French text behind it.” Therefore, that letter of Tatiana is called “a lyrical translation from the “wonderful original” – Tatiana's heart.

But the choice of language (French) is also remarkable for the era of the first half of the 19th century. Let us give an example from another work - “Anna Karenina” by L. N. Tolstoy. At the moment when the feelings of the heroes had already cleared up for them, but the relationship had not yet fully developed, it became impossible for Anna and Vronsky to speak Russian among themselves: the Russian “you” was too cold, and “you” meant dangerous closeness. The French language gave the conversation a neutral small talk, it could be interpreted in different ways, depending on the gesture, smile or intonation.

Another feature characteristic of the French letters of Russian nobles is the extensive use of quotations. The quotation made it possible to impart semantic uncertainty to the text. Pushkin makes extensive use of the stylistic possibilities of writing.

Work with text

:

- Find literary quotations in the text of Tatyana's letter.

- But why: "I'm writing to you - what more?". What is disturbing in such a phrase?

Teacher's word:

To explain what is the matter, I will read an excerpt from the book "Life in the Light, at Home and at Court", published in 1890, from the chapter "Rules for Writing a Letter". In this chapter some details of correspondence are revealed, namely, the timing of answers, the feelings that are allowed to be expressed in letters, and the decorum that must be observed in them. The chapter reads: “A young girl never writes to a man, even on behalf of her parents, best of all, not a line written by her in the hands of a man who is not related to her or who is not yet a perfect old man.” That is why a letter to Onegin for Tatyana meant “I freeze with shame and fear”, even if some unreprehensible trifles were written there, the very fact of the correspondence - “what more?” - could become dear to the honor and good name of Tatyana.

Conversation:

So, having learned about everything related to Tatyana's letter to Onegin, what new can you say about the heroes of the novel by A.S. Pushkin? What complements this in their character? How can you look at their actions in a new way?

Teacher's word:

Tatyana's letter is permeated with a tremendous feeling, despite this it is expressed in book quotations: “an unfortunate fate”, “an inexperienced soul is agitated”, “it is destined for advice in the highest”, “until the grave you are my keeper”, “you appeared to me in dreams”, “ who are you, my guardian angel, or an insidious tempter. Moreover, there are places in the letter that are directly borrowed from Tatyana's favorite books. No wonder she wanders through the forests, “imagining the heroine of her beloved creators”, and “in oblivion” whispered “by heart a letter for a dear hero”. But the fact of the matter is that Pushkin was able to show how real feeling lives behind book words. Tatyana understands perfectly well that her act is indecent from the point of view of the usual morality of the people around her: “Now, I know, it is in your will to punish me with contempt.” Any young man Tatyana knew would despise her for being the first to write him a letter. Anyone but Onegin! The inexperienced Tatyana understands people better with her feelings than with her mind, she knows: Onegin is not like everyone else, the laws of the world do not matter to him, he will not condemn, will not despise her "- after all, this very singularity of Onegin attracted her to him. Letter Tatyana - impulse, confusion, passion, longing, dream.But at the same time it is all "authentic, it was written by a Russian girl, well-read and inexperienced, tender and lonely, sensitive and shy."

Conversation:

The book “Life in the Light, at Home and at Court” says: “Handwriting, the folding of the letter, the shape, quality and type of paper - all these little things determine the age, position and character of the writer. The syllable testifies to his tact and secularity.”

In the key of this provision, read aloud Onegin's letter to Tatyana.

- What can you say about the character, "tact and secularity" of Eugene Onegin, judging by his letter?

Now read the letters of A. Pushkin himself and the heroes of other works. (Group work)

We continue the conversation about the style of letters. What can you say, based on this rule, about Pushkin and his heroes, judging by their letters.

Conversation:

The following rule for writing letters reads: “In correspondence, witticisms and ambiguities should be avoided, expressions should be very softened. Written transmission of thoughts has a great disadvantage, not having the property of conveying the tone of voice and facial expression of the writer. Why is there harshness in Dubrovsky's letter to Troekurov, while in Pushkin's letter to Bestuzhev the author is not afraid of witticisms?

When setting off on a journey, the one who left writes first, the one who remains answers without postponing it for a long time. With regard to close friends, higher in social position and older, the same rules are followed in correspondence as for visits, that is, the letter is sent at the same time as the visit was to be made. It is indecent in a letter to express intimacy that does not exist in personal relationships. The letter begins with a reply to the letter received, and if there was none, then a few words relating to the subsequent meeting of the corresponding persons. You should write about the person to whom the letter is intended, and about subjects that may interest him. Then you can already tell about yourself, describe your situation and pastime, in conclusion, turn again to the personality of the correspondent, ask about various circumstances related to him, and then express a desire to see you soon, guided by the desire to talk as little as possible about yourself, one should not, however, go to extremes, and, as many do, fill the letter with mere repetitions of the letter of his correspondent. There are letters of the highest degree worthy of people containing approximately the following: “In your last letter, you announce your departure to N..., where, apparently, you spent a very pleasant time. You enjoyed such and such pleasures there, and say that you are leaving this place with regret, because you are afraid of feeling too lonely on sea baths in N .... and so on ”In a word, this is an exact copy of the letter received, warns book "Life in the light, at home and at court"

Let us turn to Sasha's letter from A.S. Pushkin.

Now let's talk about official letters. An official document must necessarily be a “clean and clear text”, without spelling errors, where no postscripts were allowed. Which of the following letters can be classified as official - business?

Let's pay attention to the appeals and signatures in the letters. How do they differ from those that we use now in letters? (In the first half of the 19th century, appeals and signatures were frozen formulas transferred from one letter to another: “Dear Sir”, “Dear Friend”, “Your Most Obedient Servant”, “Highest Servant”).

Teacher's word:

As for official letters (especially among military people), the forms of letters here clearly differ from “junior” to “senior” in rank and from “senior” to “junior”: rank and surname, he signs with his own hand only his surname; when the younger one writes to the elder, he himself signs the rank, rank and surname. So, if in a letter from a junior rank to a senior with his own hand, and not by the hand of a clerk, only the surname turns out to be signed, then this is a gross violation of the rules, this is an insult., Which can end in a scandal. In the same way, the place where the date of the letter should be put was significant: the boss put the number on top, the subordinate on the bottom, and if the subordinate violated this rule, he was in trouble. Also in official letters it was necessary to strictly observe the form of addressing persons of different ranks in accordance with their class.

Game task:

Before you are cards, on one side of which is the name of the rank or rank, and on the other side - appeals. Choose the appropriate address for each rank.

- His Imperial Majesty the Sovereign	- king to emperor
- Your Excellency	- commander-in-chief of the army
- Your Excellency	- top military officials
Your honor	- university rector - foreman class
- Your Highness	- staff officers
- your honor	- any noble
- Your Eminence, His Eminence Vladyka	- Metropolitan and Archbishop
- Your Eminence, His Grace Vladyka	- bishop
- Your Reverence	- archimandrite and abbot
- Your Reverence	- priest

Teacher's word:

In general, etiquette in letters had to be observed with great accuracy. There is a known case when a senator, who came with a revision, in an address to the governor (and the governor was from the Mamonov counts and was famous for his pride) instead of the usual: “Dear sir” used: “My gracious sir!”, angrily emphasizing the inappropriateness of the possessive “mine” in the official conversion, was stripped of his rank.

Homework:

So, you got acquainted with the rules for writing letters that existed in the first half of the 19th century. In order to check how much you have mastered the material of this lesson, I will ask you to write letters yourself in the style of the era we are interested in, while observing all the rules of writing.

(Having completed the task, the students draw up a newspaper, which includes letters from Pushkin, his heroes and their own letters)

Letters used in class:

Tatyana's letter to Onegin.

I am writing to you - what more?
What else can I say?
Now I know in your will
Punish me with contempt.
but you, to my unfortunate share
Though a drop of pity keeping,
You won't leave me
At first I wanted to be silent;
Believe me: my shame
You would never know
When I had hope
Rarely, at least once a week
To see you in our village
Just to hear your words
You say a word, and then
All think, think of one
And day and night until a new meeting.
But, they say, you are unsociable;
In the wilderness, in the village, everything is boring for you,
And we ... we do not shine with anything.
Even though you are welcome.

Why did you visit us?
In the wilderness of a forgotten village
I would never know you
I would not know the bitter torment
Souls of inexperienced excitement
Reconciled with time (who knows?),
By heart I would find a friend,
Would be a faithful wife
And a good mother.

Another!... No, no one in the world
I wouldn't give my heart!
It is in the council that is ordained from above,
That is the will of heaven: I am yours;
My whole life has been a pledge
Faithful goodbye to you;
I know you were sent to me by God
Until the grave you are my keeper ...
You appeared to me in dreams
Invisible, you were already sweet to me,
Your wonderful look tormented me,
Your voice resounded in my soul
For a long time ... no, it was not a dream!
You just entered, I instantly found out
All numb, blazed
And in her thoughts she said: here he is!
Isn't it true, is it? I heard you
You spoke to me in silence
When I helped the poor
Or comforted by prayer
The anguish of an agitated soul?
And at this very moment
Aren't you, sweet vision,
Flickered in the transparent darkness,
Crouched quietly to the headboard?
Is it not you, with joy and love,
Whispered words of hope to me?
Who are you, my guardian angel
Or an insidious tempter:
Resolve my doubts.
Maybe it's all empty
Deception of an inexperienced soul!
And something completely different is destined ...
But so be it! my fate
From now on, I give you
I shed tears in front of you.
I beg your protection...
Imagine I'm here alone
Nobody understands me,
My mind is failing
And I must die silently
I'm waiting for you: with a single look
Revive the hopes of the heart
Or break a heavy dream,
Alas, a well-deserved reproach!
I'm cumming! Scary to read...
With shame, I freeze with fear ...
But your honor is my guarantee,
And I boldly entrust myself to her ...

Love letters!

Sheets of paper, squiggles, black-and-white strings of pages collected in a little book. But if you open the book and read it carefully, the paper becomes hot from the blaze of passion, the black lines cast a scarlet glow, like flocks of fire-winged firebirds soaring into the sky ... As if a nun from Portugal wrote her crazy love messages with liquid fire. In the letters of Eloise, the blood of her heart is reddening. And the French king Henry III, while still heir to the throne, wrote love letters to the Duchess of Conde with real blood. He beat with the tips of his fingers on a small pillow studded with needles, and then moistened the pen with drops of blood. What the awakened imagination will not see in these messages! He will see the tears of Anne Boleyn, which almost washed away the trembling letters scrawled on the prison walls. He will see the face of another prisoner, Mirabeau, frozen over a piece of paper, distorted by voluptuousness. He will not only see, but also hear: in Napoleon’s short, wayward messages, he will hear drumming, the inviting voice of war horns ... Let’s not look for all this in Hungarian love letters, from the old days we have preserved for the most part only news to a husband or wife, bride or groom.

Let's start with the 16th century. This is what a husband writes to his wife. On the outside of the letter:

“For the transfer to my beloved wife, Mrs. Clara Shoos, in the own hands of my kind wife.

Errishten (Nitra county)”. Inside:

“My beloved Clara! Write to me about your health, how you are alive. Further, my dear wife, I sent you all kinds of birds, I sent a thrush, you can keep him alive; He also sent two wives. He also sent cucumbers, and sent daisies, and sent marigolds, in addition, he sent pink marshmallow, now pink marshmallow is enough for you. Write to me: if I type more, should I send it further? In addition, my beloved wife, I can tell you that I arrived here in Ugrots on Sunday afternoon, but have not yet met my stepmother. There are also your ducks, chickens, as well as geese, with them I will send my mother to you at once. I can't give you any news other than Mrs. Zai. In the morning the Turks seized Gergei, so Mrs. Zai - I know for sure - is terribly killed about him. Dearest wife, take my shoes, which you ordered from the shoemaker, from this man. Do not leave the hawks (birds of prey), but entrust them to Mihok so that he gives them food, I would deal with them if the female is quiet. Also, dear wife, I sent you nutmeg pears, pick ripe ones and dry them; take care of yourself, you won’t eat anything more than aspiration, otherwise you will fall ill.

On that, may the almighty Lord be with you, dear wife. Don't leave the hawks. Written in Ugrots, on the fifth day of the month of St. James. Anno 1575 (Anno - in a year, in summer (lat.)).

Your beloved husband Petrush Zai tr.” (M. R. (motu proprio) - hereinafter - in person (lat.))

Apparently, in the 16th century, the same unspoken agreement existed between spouses as now: the husband gives gifts, the wife accepts, and both of them rejoice. In the same way, all kinds of “commissions” to husbands were popular, as can be seen from Anna Bakic’s letter to her husband Mihai Revai:

“Having expressed my readiness to serve Your mercy in every possible way, my dear lord, it would be heartfelt for me to hear whether the Almighty Lord delivered your mercy safely to Pozhon, I, thank God, reached the house in one piece. Didn't send anything new to Your Grace, except that I sent two goose eggs to Your Grace. Also, my dear sir, I ask your grace to buy me thirty tiny buttons for my Spanish coat, black, otherwise I would be ready, but behind them there is a wire. I beg your grace, my dearest husband, to send me pearls, but do not forget green silk. May the Lord keep your mercy in good health and may it send good luck to your mercy, my beloved husband. Written at Holich on Monday, anno 1556. Your Grace's daughter Anna Bakic

P.S. If it is written with errors, I beg your mercy's forgiveness, for I wrote in the evening in a fair hurry.

This letter contains everything that has long been called “eternally feminine”. Coquettish tenderness (Anna calls herself her husband's daughter), instructions about buttons, pearls, a date with a flaw - because without a month, hints of frugality and homeliness - goose eggs turned up very opportunely. Truly love letters were written by Kata Zrini to her absent husband Imre Forgach. They show that the pen loving woman barely kept up with the outburst of feelings. Here is one of them:

“Until my death, I give myself to the service of your grace, just as I give my loving heart to my dear master; I ask our Father Almighty for your mercy an inexpressible multitude of blessings for our body and our soul, for they are one with us, my dear beloved master; may the Almighty grant your mercy many good years, let us pray to the Lord in the name of the purity of his holy name and our salvation.

I ask, my heart, my beloved lord, that your mercy hasten home; I expect your grace for tomorrow, if you cannot arrive, I will be in bitter anguish. Therefore, I place myself at the complete disposal of your mercy until my death, and my sincere love for your mercy, as well as my loving heart, I give to the beloved master of my soul. Give, Lord, your mercy, my beloved and dear master, to quickly get home in good health and give me, Lord, to see your mercy, beloved and dear master of my soul, in that good health and happiness in which we will live many prosperous years we are by the grace of the lord of heaven and earth. Written in Bih, Thursday evening at about 5 o'clock. 1572. Daughter and wife of Kata Zrini, obedient to your grace.” This letter contains almost no information, it is entirely a heap of tender and loving words. The month, of course, is not indicated here either ...

XVII CENTURY

Bride's letter to groom. Calm, restrained phrases. The appeal is no less characteristic: the groom is still only “dear sir”. On the outside of the letter:

"Written to the gracious Mr. Miklos Bethlen, my dear sovereign." Inside:

“Respecting you as my sovereign, I am ready to serve your mercy with humility, may the Lord bless your mercy with all spiritual and bodily well-being.

I can not miss the opportunity not to write to your mercy, I ask the Lord that my letter find your mercy in the hour of good health, truly, I was very sad about the poor state of your mercy, we are now, thank God, in vigor, her mercy, dear empress mother is also cheerful, and, thank God, I am healthy, God forbid that your mercy be in good health. I sent your grace, dear sir, a good shirt, God grant that your grace wear it in good health.

I therefore commit myself to your mercy under the protection of God's providence. Written in Al Dede April 4, anno 1668. Your Grace's humble servant Ilona Kun tr.

P.S. The Empress Matushka is ready to serve your Grace with love.”

"For the transfer of my beloved betrothed, the noble Ilona Kuhn."

“My beloved heart. ... As long as I, my dear, still cannot appear before your eyes, and the day of our joy is approaching, I want to admonish you through a letter, believe me, my soul, under such circumstances, the intrigues of the devil, and human gossip, and sometimes the overtaking right hand of the almighty Lord, but the cure for all this is only a sincere and zealous prayer to the one God, and on our part - complete repose in each other and true love, and the sooner, my beloved, these feelings will grow in you, the sooner we will come fortunately. Prepare in advance also for the fact that you will appear before many eyes, several hundred people will marvel at the two of us, behave in such a way that even the most envious tongues can say the slightest bad thing, although, of course, it is impossible that people do not gossip about us at all, do not worry, my soul, do not be afraid of this. God did not leave you with many wonderful gifts, both bodily and spiritual, it will be enough if you show your piety, obedience to your parents and chaste and true love for me. Your hair, as I have said more than once to the venerable mother, if it is long, try to remove it, it is necessary to persuade the old master to agree, in a hairstyle according to the current custom, so that they don’t say that we (or you) are some kind of hillbilly. Therefore, my beloved turtle dove, dear beauty, may the Lord accompany us to all good things and crown our nobility with all grace. This is what your sincerely loving, faithful betrothed desires. My precious. May 12, 1668, Saint Miklos. Miklós Bethlen tr.

So, the bride of the seventeenth century had to be persuaded to make a fashionable hairstyle for the wedding, moreover, she had to seek the consent of her father-in-law for this.

Another nice letter from that period has survived to this day - a message in verse from the captain of the haiduks in the army of Derdy Rakoczy II, Pal Frater, to his wife, Anna Barchai. It dates from around 1660.

Address: “For transfer to dear kind wife Anna Barchai”.
I was glad to receive a lemon with an orange,
And what about you - I will never forget,
That above all I will not tire of appreciating
And I will serve you as long as I live.
I also sent a present by courier
And I will shorten my longing for you.
She, like a sentinel, screams day and night
Ile trumpets like a doe, calling a heifer.
Please, my joy, do not forget me,
Do not blame me because of sorrows,
Cleanse the dregs from my soul of despondency,
Wrap me well in your heart.
A chain with a new facet
I sent to calm my heart in exile,
To be without from "I made an effort,
God forbid, show off in it for a walk.
Hide these verses on your sweetheart's chest
And remember that you are faithful to the grave,
Come soon, swift-winged day,
When I read them with my beloved.
Wild birds flock to the rocks;
In the morning, only the sun's ray sways,
Frightening the beast that approaches the tent,
I am writing, all chilled, but my heart is toiling.
God bless you, if the poems come to your heart, hide in a chest,
if not... throw it in a latrine.

(I cannot keep silent about the fact that this time the wife received a gold chain as a gift, and the husband an orange and a lemon.)

XVIII CENTURY

A strange feeling seizes a person when he reads the love letters of the nephew of Kurutz Antal Esterhazy, the French general and governor in Rocroix Balint Esterhazy, which he wrote to his wife (Lettres du Cte Valentin Esterhazy a sa femme. Paris, 1907). He wrote in French, and, perhaps, he knew only one Hungarian word, which he constantly calls his wife - “Chere Szivem” (Chere-dear ((pp.), szivem-my heart (Hung.)). The general avoided sentiment and outpourings. The depth of the feeling of a loving husband is rather evidenced by an incredible number of letters: wherever the whirlwind of history brought him, in the very first free minute he sat down at the desk to report in detail to his wife about all the events. From multi-volume correspondence, the French bit by bit select valuable historical information about that era, we Hungarians are more interested in those few lines in which for twenty years Balint Esterházy repeated the same thought in different ways:

I love you! Here are a few examples from many thousands of letters:

1784. Versailles. “God bless you, Szivem, it hurts so much that I don’t see you, my grief is softened only by the pleasure of writing to you ...”

1784. Compiègne. “I have no other desire, chere Szivem, as soon as to be with you, I would not hesitate even a minute if I could rush to you ... Once again I embrace you from the bottom of my heart, I finish writing with pain, because at least this I abide in a way with the one who is dearer to me than all, whom I love to the point of madness ... ”

1785. Guiscard. “He was with Duke D" Aumont. He lives with one woman. All morning I thought about how different life is for a man who has a loving wife ... Always be with you, Szivem, the greatest happiness that a person can wish ... The first happy day in my life was that memorable Tuesday, the second - our wedding, the third will be the birthday of our long-awaited child ... Never before has a week lasted so endlessly, and it must always be so, while we are far from beings dear to our hearts; therefore, may the Lord bless the short days...”

1786. Lyon. “My dear, I think about you all the time and reproach myself for being involved in the pleasure that you cannot share with me ... Take care of yourself for the sake of the one who loves you more than anyone in the world and lives solely to make you happy...”

1791. Vienna. “Kiss our children for me and every minute remember what I think now about those I love ...”

1791. Saint Petervar. “God bless you, love me, think of me, kiss the children; I do not harbor sinful envy of your happiness for the fact that you can hug them, the only thing I would like is to share it and enclose their mother in my arms ... ”

To complete the picture, I cannot keep silent about the fact that at the end of a fair number of letters there is a phrase: “... mille choses tendres a maman” (“thousands of tender wishes to mother”). That is, a warrior in love for many years did not forget to convey tender greetings to his mother-in-law.

XIX CENTURY

Appears the new kind literature - scribes. In the youth of the third and fourth estates, who raise their heads, their hearts beat in exactly the same way as in the gentlemen and ladies of the past, only the pen is not obedient to them. And then they turn to sample books for help, where they find ready-made forms that can only be filled with burning feelings. The pocket book “The Brilliant Interlocutor” (“Diszes Tarsalkodo”), published in 1871 in Pest in its fourth edition, is of this kind. In the chapter on love correspondence, the anonymous author advises first of all to pay special attention to the external and internal decency of letters. As for internal decency, it can only be approved, but what the author means by external decency is not entirely clear. Maybe he hints at pink, scented paper? Or, on the contrary, does he warn against it, fearing that the youth in love will manage to smear the entire envelope? Warnings and wishes are accompanied by practical parting words, such as the fact that the author of a love letter "must be true to his nature and write as his heart tells." Immediately, as an example to follow, an example of embodied sincerity and heartfelt inspiration is given:

“Dear lady N.1 My love for you is inextinguishable. From the time I got to know you closely, I lost my peace. Your charming image does not leave me, which hovers over me with a gentle smile. From the time I met you, I walk more cheerfully through the whirlpools of life, and in my happy loneliness, tears come to my eyes, which I intend for you as a sacrifice. Oh, give love back to your faithful admirer N. N.”

Well, if such words do not touch the heart of a young lady, then nothing will touch him.

Naturally, love is competent only when it leads through the whirlpools of life to noble goals. So after the young ones found mutual language It's time to start talking about marriage. This should be done in the following way.

“Dear Minka!

This letter will fly to you on the pink wings of love to convey the feelings of my heart. Ah, if I could convince you that I love forever. Fulfill my desire, and if until now we have kept certain boundaries in our relationship, we will finally show openly that we truly love each other. Since your parents have known me for a long time, I think they will have no objections to our reunion, although they are richer than mine (!). And if you think that the auspicious moment has already arrived, I will today, without waiting tomorrow I will gladly ask for your hand. Your admirer N. is waiting for your answer.”

It didn’t even occur to the brilliant interlocutor that a poor girl could be taken as a wife, so he didn’t bother to write a letter for this occasion. Or maybe he thought that the poor girl did not need to write letters: just tell her, she will immediately run. However, he foresaw those cases when the young have not yet brought complete clarity to the matter and love each other, so to speak, at a distance. In this situation, with a marriage proposal, you need to contact your father and through him convey a message to the young lady containing a declaration of love. The young lady does not answer the letter, for so respect for her parents dictates to her. The father writes:

“Dear friend! We are flattered by the proposal of marriage from a young man of such noble aspirations, for which we have the good fortune to know you. My daughter, with the trust that comes from respect for your personal qualities, is ready to share life's joys and worries with you. We are waiting for you personally in order to express your consent. We will gladly welcome you at any time. N. N.”

It is difficult to turn the matchmaking in a more formal way. Troubles can arise only if the young lady's father has a different edition of the letter book and the answer does not match the question. Well, it doesn't matter - the form has no power over the essence: if once you have trusted the pink wings of love, you will have to share the joys of life with the better half.

XX CENTURY

Sunset of love letters. The telephone makes writing an unnecessary luxury. The generations that come after us will not be like us, drowning in the abundance of love messages of past centuries. But in return, we are provided with the richest material by newspaper headings called “Miscellaneous”. Although the announcements published in them cannot be called love letters in the full sense of the word, however, these are messages that appeal to love. Whoever has the time to carefully study these headings, cut out characteristic ads, sort them and collect them, before there will be a charming picture of the intimate life of a modern big city. So, more than three and a half centuries separate us from the love letters of Peter Zai. The language of love letters has changed and improved.

The apotheosis of development is the announcement below, which I will not comment on, I will only say that the newspaper forwarded all the myriad of answers received to the publisher. "Looking for a woman. They are not interested in hysterics, grandmothers, professional women, dyed ones, franks, football fans, avid bridge girls, admirers of film actors. I only marry a rich woman (50,000). I won't be particularly vigilant. So, it is required: pretty, with a good figure, young (20-24). WITHOUT PREJUDICES, with refined manners, personable (self-critical). Answer NON-STANDARDS to the branch of the publisher. Yes, I am 30 years old, height 165 cm, I have higher education, brown hair. There are 5 sealed teeth and a boat. I don't like writing letters, noodles and shaving. I love sincerity, emmental cheese and nature. 9527".

Beloved wife - dear sir - dear wife - chere Szivem: time passed, centuries stepped on each other's heels, the last one was so crushed by his legs that he became clubfoot.

What could be nicer than the voice of a loved one? What could be more long-awaited than his words? Now, in order to hear the object of our adoration, we just need to dial the cherished numbers ... But what about before? How did these lovers communicate, who were scattered by fate over distances? Previously, there were letters, messages and notes in which the most tender words and the most sincere confessions were hidden ...

Napoleon Bonaparte - Josephine

“There was not a day that I did not love you; there was no night that I did not squeeze you in my arms. I do not drink even a cup of tea, so as not to curse my pride and ambition, which force me to stay away from you, my soul. In the midst of my service, whether at the head of an army or checking camps, I feel that my heart is occupied only by my beloved Josephine. It deprives me of reason, fills my thoughts.

If I move away from you at the speed of the Rhone, it only means that I may soon see you. If I get up in the middle of the night to go to work, it's because this way I can bring the moment of returning to you closer, my love. In your letter dated 23 and 26 Vantoza, you address me as "you". "You" ? Ah, damn! How could you write such a thing? How cold it is!

Josephine! Josephine! Do you remember what I told you once: nature has rewarded me with a strong, unshakable soul. And she fashioned you from lace and air. Have you stopped loving me? Forgive me, love of my life, my soul is torn.

My heart, which belongs to you, is full of fear and longing...

It hurts me that you don't call me by my first name. I'll be waiting for you to write it. Goodbye! Oh, if you stopped loving me, then you never loved me! And I will have something to regret!”

Denis Diderot - Sophie Volan

“I cannot leave without saying a few words to you. So, my darling, you expect a lot of good things from me. Your happiness, even your life depends, as you say, on my love for you!

Fear nothing, my dear Sophie; my love will last forever, you will live and be happy. I have never done anything wrong and I am not going to tread on this road. I am all yours - you are everything to me. We will support each other in all the troubles that fate can send us. You will ease my suffering; I will help you with yours. I can always see you the way you were lately! As for me, you must admit that I have remained the same as you saw me on the first day of our acquaintance.

This is not only my merit, but for the sake of justice, I must tell you about it. Every day I feel more alive. I am sure of loyalty to you and appreciate your virtues more and more every day. I am confident in your constancy and appreciate it. No one's passion had a greater basis than mine.

Dear Sophie, You are very beautiful, aren't you? Watch yourself - see how it suits you to be in love; and know that I love you very much. This is a constant expression of my feelings.

Good night, my dear Sophie. I am as happy as a man can be, knowing that he is loved by the most beautiful of women.

John Keats - Fanny Brown

“My dear girl!

Nothing in the world could give me more pleasure than your letter, except perhaps yourself. I am almost tired of being amazed that my senses blissfully obey the will of that being who is now so far away from me.

Without even thinking about you, I feel your presence, and a wave of tenderness covers me. All my thoughts, all my joyless days and sleepless nights have not cured me of my love for Beauty. On the contrary, this love has become so strong that I am in despair because you are not around, and I am forced to overcome in dull patience an existence that cannot be called Life. Never before have I known that there is such love as you have given me. I didn't believe in her; I was afraid to burn in its flame. But if you love me, the fire of love will not be able to scorch us - it will be no more than we, sprinkled with the dew of Pleasure, can bear.

You mention "terrible people" and ask if they will prevent us from seeing each other again. My love, understand only one thing: you fill my heart so much that I am ready to turn into a Mentor, as soon as I notice the danger that threatens you. In your eyes I want to see only joy, on your lips - only love, in your walk - only happiness ...

Always yours, my love! John Keats"

Alexander Pushkin - Natalia Goncharova

Moscow, in March 1830 (Chernovoe, in French.)

“Today is the anniversary of the day I first saw you; this day in my life. The more I think, the more I become convinced that my existence cannot be separated from yours: I was created to love you and follow you; all my other worries are one delusion and madness.

Far from you, I am relentlessly haunted by regrets about the happiness that I did not have time to enjoy. Sooner or later, however, I will have to drop everything and fall at your feet. The thought of the day when I will be able to have a piece of land in ... only smiles at me and enlivens me in the midst of heavy anguish. There I can wander around your house, meet you, follow you ... "

Honore de Balzac - Evelina Ganskaya

“How I wish I could spend the day at your feet; laying her head on your knees, dreaming about the beautiful, sharing her thoughts with you in bliss and rapture, and sometimes not speaking at all, but pressing the edge of your dress to your lips! ..

Oh my love, Eve, the joy of my days, my light in the night, my hope, admiration, my beloved, precious, when will I see you? Or is it an illusion? Did I see you? Oh Gods! How I love your accent, barely perceptible, your kind lips, so sensual - let me tell you this, my angel of love.

I work day and night to come and stay with you for two weeks in December. On the way, I will see the Jura mountains covered with snow, and I will think about the snowy whiteness of the shoulders of my beloved. Oh! Inhaling the fragrance of hair, holding your hand, squeezing you in my arms - that's where I draw inspiration from! My friends are amazed at the invincibility of my willpower. Oh! They do not know my beloved, the one whose pure image cancels out all the chagrin of their bile attacks. One kiss, my angel, one slow kiss, and goodnight!”

Alfred de Musset - George Sand

“My dear Georges, I need to tell you something stupid and funny. I'm writing you foolishly, I don't know why, instead of telling you all this after returning from a walk. In the evening, I will fall into despair because of this. You will laugh in my face, consider me a phrase-monger. You will show me the door and start thinking that I am lying.

I'm in love with you. I fell in love with you from the first day I was with you. I thought that I would recover from this very simply, seeing you as a friend. There are many traits in your character that can heal me; I tried my best to convince myself of this. But the minutes that I spend with you cost me too much. It’s better to talk about it - I will suffer less if you show me the door now ...

But I do not want to make riddles, or create the appearance of an unreasonable quarrel. Now, Georges, you, as usual, will say: "Another annoying admirer!" .

But I beg you - if you are going to tell me that you doubt the truth of what I am writing to you, then it is better not to answer at all. I know what you think of me; saying this, I do not hope for anything. I can only lose a friend and the only pleasant hours that I spent during the last month. But I know that you are kind, that you loved, and I entrust myself to you, not as a beloved, but as a sincere and faithful comrade.

Georges, I am acting like a madman, depriving myself of the pleasure of seeing you during the short time that remains for you to spend in Paris before leaving for Italy. There we could spend delightful nights if I had more determination. But the truth is that I am suffering and I lack resolve.”

Leo Tolstoy - Sophia Burns

“Sofya Andreevna, it’s becoming unbearable for me. For three weeks I say every day: today I will say everything, and I leave with the same longing, repentance, fear and happiness in my soul. And every night, as now, I go over the past, I suffer and say: why did I not say, and how, and what would I say. I take this letter with me to give it to you, if again I can’t, or if I don’t have the courage to tell you everything.

Your family's false view of me is, I think, that I am in love with your sister Liza. It's not fair. Your story stuck in my head because, after reading it, I became convinced that I, Dublitsky, should not dream of happiness, that your excellent poetic demands of love ... that I do not envy and will not envy who do you love. It seemed to me that I could rejoice in you, as in children ...

Tell me, as an honest man, do you want to be my wife? Only if with all your heart, you can boldly say: yes, otherwise you’d better say: no, if there is a shadow of self-doubt in you. For God's sake, ask yourself well. It will be terrible for me to hear: no, but I foresee it and find the strength in myself to bear it. But if I will never be loved as a husband as I love, it will be terrible!”

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - Constanze

“Dear little wife, I have some errands for you. I beg you:

1) do not fall into melancholy,
2) take care of your health and beware of spring winds,
3) do not go for a walk alone - or even better, do not go for a walk at all,
4) be completely sure of my love. I write all the letters to you with your portrait in front of me.

5) I beg you to behave in such a way that neither your nor my good name will suffer, also watch your appearance. Do not be angry with me for such a request. You should love me even more because I care about our honor with you.
6) and in the end I ask you to write me more detailed letters.

I really want to know if brother-in-law Hofer came to visit us the day after I left? Does he come often, as he promised me? Do the Langes come in sometimes? How is the work on the portrait going? How do you live? All this, of course, is of great interest to me.

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