LETTER CIX.

To Mrs. THRAL E.

DEAREST LADY,

YOUR

June 7, 1775.

OUR letter which ought to have come on Tuesday came not till Wednesday. Well, now I know that there is no harm, I will take a chaife and march away towards my own country.

You are but, a goofe at laft. Wilton told you, that there is room for three hundred and fifty letters, which are equivalent to twelve lines. If If you reckon by lines, the infcription has seventeen: if by letters, five hundred and feventy-nine; fo that one way you must expel five lines, the other two hundred and twenty-nine letters. This will perplex us; there is little that by my own choice I should like to spare; but we must comply with the ftone. C- and I are pretty well again. I grudge the cost of going to Lichfield, Frank and I in a post-chaise; yet I think of thundering away to-morrow; fo will write your you

next dear letter to Lichfield.

1

This letter is written on Wednesday after the receipt of yours, but will not be delivered to the poft till to-morrow. I wish Ralph better, and my mafter and his boys well. I have pretty good nights.

I am, &c.

LETTER CX.

To Mrs. THRAL E.

DEAR MADAM,

June 10, 1775.

ON Thursday morning I took a post-chaise,

and intended to have paffed a day or two at Birmingham, but Hector had company in his house, and I went on to Lichfield, where I know not yet how long I shall stay, but think of going forward to Afhbourne in a fhort time.

Neither your letters nor mine feem to have kept due time; if you fee the date of the letter in which the epitaph was inclosed, you will find that it has been delayed. I fhall adjust the epitaph fome way or other. Send me your advice.

Poor

Poor Mifs Porter has been bad with the gout in her hand. She cannot yet dress herfelf.

I am glad that Ralph is gone; a new air may do him good. I hope little Mifs pro

mifes well.

I will write you a longer letter on Monday, being juft now called out according to an appointment which I had forgotten.

I am, &c.

I

Το

LETTER CXI.

Mrs. THRA L E.

DEAREST LADY,

June 11, 1775

AM forry that my mafter has undertaken an impracticable intereft; but it will be forgotten before the next election. I fuppofe he was afked at fome time when he could not well refufe.

Lady Smith is fettled at laft here, and fees company at her new houfe.-I went on Saturday. Poor Lucy Porter has her hand in a 24

bag,

bag, fo difabled by the gout that she cannot drefs herself. She does not go out. All your other friends are well.

I go every day to Stowhill: both the fifters are now at home. I fent Mrs. Afton a Taxation, and fent it nobody elfe, and Lucy borrowed it. Mrs. Afton fince that enquired by a messenger when I was expected. I can tell nothing about it, answered Lucy; when he is to be here I suppose she'll know.

Every body remembers you all. You left a good impreffion behind you. I hope you

will do the fame at **** *. Do not make them speeches. Unufual compliments, to which there is no stated and prescriptive anfwer, embarrass the feeble, who know not what to say, and difguft the wife, who knowing them to be false, suspect them to be hypocritical. Did I think when I fat down to this that I fhould write a leffon to my paper miftrefs, of whom I think with fo much admiration?

As to Mr. Carter, I am inclined to think that our project will fucceed. The ViceChancellor is really in earnest. He remarked to me how neceffary it must be to provide in places of education a fufficient variety of in

nocent

nocent amusements, to keep the young men. from pernicious pleasures.

When I did not hear from you, I thought whether it would not be proper to come back and look for you. I knew not what might have happened.

Confider the epitaph, which, you know, must be shortened, and tell what part you can best spare. Part of it, which tells the birth and marriage, is formulary, and can be expreffed only one way; the character we can make longer or fhorter; and fince it is too long, may choose what we fhall take away. You must get the dates for which you fee fpaces left.

You never told me, and I omitted to enquire, how you were entertained by Bofwell's Journal. One would think the man had been

hired to be a fpy upon me. He was very diligent, and caught opportunities of writing from time to time. You may now conceive yourfelf tolerably well acquainted with the expedition. Folks want me to go to Italy, but I fay you are not for it. However write often to, Madam,

Your, &c.