LETTER XLII ' 77 



can dislike Honours of that sort. Miss Thomas, tho' invited, did 

 not dare to go. I expect a Letter from You very soon, I have a 

 double Claim upon You, & I have before desired a Commission 

 of some Sort or another, which You are to point out in ^the 

 manner most to your Liking. Heck and Pressy are rather in 

 the Crockery Order than otherwise ; Pressy has had very bad 

 Eyes, & Heck Colds and vapours. Ned is but poorly. Harman 

 & his Wife put in for the Flitch ; I took up my Quarters at their 

 House while I was in Town. I hope You have wrote to Mr. 

 Hubert, for I have not. I put down things as they come into 

 my Head, I am not well enough to be ingenious or Methodical. 

 Mem : I went to Town & back on Horseback thro' one Sea of 

 Mire, & thro' heavy Eains in Preference to a Coach : yet I own, 

 I was very much tired both ways. Adieu ! I am dear Gil, 



Your's Affectionately, 



J. Mulso. 



Letter 42. 



Sunbury, 



February 9, 1764. 

 Dear Gil : 



I looked at the Top of a Letter of Your's, & I see the Date 

 is Jan. 7, 1754. I don't know whether I have ever answered 

 that Letter ; I have turned it over a good many Times & yet 

 cannot be sure. However You will not take it ill that I write 

 now, let that be as it will. I have never been in Town so little 

 as this Winter ; I have as yet made but three Journies thither. 

 Heck asked me one of the Times if I had thanked You for the 

 Partridges which She received, at which I could not but stare, 

 as I had neither seen or heard of them before ; and this is an 

 Answer to your Qn : upon that Business ; I was called Monster 

 for not doing her Civilities ; You know the Women, they take 

 off their own Faults, & fling them to the first Man that stands 

 near, (like their Capuchins,) & he is to brush them over, & clean 

 them & put them by. I shall be in Town next week (if it please 

 God) & shall then hear what the Committee have squeezed out 

 of my Father, & what the Parliament has determined about 

 Him, for as yet I cannot give You an Account of it. I shall not 

 ride to Town : the extreme Severity of the weather makes it too 

 unsafe for a lame Horse & a fearfuU Eider, who dares not make 

 Expedition enough to be warm. I have been but very little on 

 Horseback of late : the Ground is covered with Ice & Snow, & 

 the air is piercing to the last Degree. Our Boats have done 

 going to Town, the Ice- Mares (so they call the Flakes of Ice 

 which are now continually falling down the River) have made 

 a stop at Fulham Bridge & the River is frozen over. Tho' I do 



