LETTER XXI 36 



I grow outrageous at the Injury or Sacriledge which is going 

 to be committed on Noar Hill ; I cannot bear an Intention of 

 profaning these venerable Shades ; and when I feel ye chilling 

 awe which You prevent me in describing, I reflect on ye wisdom 

 of the Artifice of ye old Idolatory, who placed their Altars & 

 Images in such Scenes, where the Place created the Eeverence 

 which the grotesque Figures could hardly have inspir'd. It 

 escapes my Memory, whether it was Caesar or some other 

 Commander who was forced to set ye Example, before He could 

 induce his Soldiers to cut down one of these sort of Forests, 

 whose striking Gloom seem'd to justify ye Superstition which 

 call'd it Holy. 



I am something surpriz'd to find You talk of the Sultryness of 

 the Weather ; we have had few Days which could deserve that 

 Title. But we were cut to Pieces by a long stubborn cold East 

 wind, which crumbled our Soil, and rivell'd our Fruit, so that we 

 have but a poor Prospect of any Thing. Of late we have had 

 Gluts of Kains ; & now we are returned to ye blighting East 

 wind. I gather but my third Crop of Peas to Day ; we have had 

 CoUiflowers a good while. Your Salsafi makes it's Appearance, 

 It is a root which I don't understand. Gooseberries & Currants 

 blighted to Death. The Farmers speak well of our Corn. We 

 have fine Fields of Beans, which embalm ye air, & make my 

 walks delightfull. I may say walks, — for it is now more I beleive 

 than half a Year since I have been on Horse-back, bating ye two 

 or three little Trots I took wth You, which when I began ye 

 Sentence I thought were behind that Time, So long do I think 

 it since I saw You. Miss Nanny may safely challenge me ; I 

 shall find so many more Hills in my way to go cautiously up 

 & down that She would beat me shamefully. I am sorry to hear 

 that She has had so much of the ague this Spring. I hope your 

 invisible Sister & Mr & Mrs Snooke are well. My Father & all 

 of us are much oblig'd to Mr. White for ye repeated Invitations 

 which You send us to come into Hampshire ; You don't seem to 

 consider that we should fall like a Plague of Locusts on ye 

 Country, being fruges consumere nati. But I beleive You are 

 in No great Danger ; for an Undertaking of that Sort requires 

 so many Preliminary Articles, that it is harder to bring about 

 than a general Peace. 



We have made One Party to Vaux Hall this Year, & were 

 favour'd by the Weather, but poor Miss Heck could not go ; 

 She has had a Cold most Part of this winter, & was particularly 

 bad at that Time : She has lost her Voice, & I don't know when 

 She will recover it ; But I hope She will be able to give You 

 Jordan ! Jordan ! yet this Summer. Consider we have Mr 

 Pelham's, & ye Duke's Lodge, & Cooper's Hill to see : Don't lose 

 ye Leaf. Only I would have you deferr your visit till Heck 



