316 



nessed his eagerness and anxiety to serve me ; nor 

 can I ever forget his benevolent, unobtrusive, and 

 unostentatious hospitality, — his'hearty welcome, the 

 freedom with which he told me all his concerns, and 

 the pleasure he took in recalling the events of our 

 youth. Even on subjects of mere amusement or 

 taste we had much to say, and he had a peculiarly 

 obliging attention to pursuits that were more exclu- 

 sively my own, because they were mine. His heart 

 was in no degree worse for living in the world, but 

 in some points I have thought it improved ; this 

 might be owing to a slight cloud of ill success which 

 had but too often accompanied his path. He was 

 always more successful in serving others than him- 

 self. But I sincerely believe he had nothing to re- 

 gret on his death-bed. He never gave his friends a 

 pang while he lived ; but many a tear of the purest, 

 most disinterested affection will be shed over his 

 grave. Excuse me, my good friend, for writing you 

 so unentertaining a letter ; it is really for'my own 

 pleasure rather than yours, and yet I will not con- 

 clude it without a piece of business, about which 

 1 had it in contemplation to give you a line in a few 

 days. I forgot in my last to mention some direc- 

 tions for Mr. Shepherd your curator, when he gets 

 to London. If he will call at Sir Abraham Hume's 

 in Hill Street, Berkeley Square, I will previously 

 give Lady Hume a letter, and I doubt not she will 

 show him her plants at Wormleybury, fifteen miles 

 north of London. He will find her extremely ready 

 to give or exchange plants. He ought also to see 

 Mr. George Hibbert's garden at Clapham, and may 

 go and introduce himself there as my friend. He 



