LETTEB LIII 9? 



is true, that they show the Spirits of the Day. You hasten me 

 in this Lr ; I had rather have deferred it ; this is not a high 

 Day wth me ; & yet I do not know why it is not, for I have made 

 my way home from Laleham about six Miles, & my Httle jaunt 

 ended in meeting wth your Letter. Your Letter has several 

 Pieces of Intelligence which give me great Pleasure ; yet if I 

 write from the Spirits of the Day, I should tell You that I shall 

 not come to see You at Dene. 



You would see that your Letters have an immediate Effect 

 upon Me if You saw the Table on which I write, which is 

 covered wth Maps of England, Compasses &c : Tho' : I have 

 not receiv'd your Letter one Qr of an Hour, I have measured 

 the Distance between this Part of the world & Salisbury, & find 

 it amount to abouj) 70 Miles ; perhaps the Belly Ach which has 

 seized me has made me measure wrong. I hope your new 

 Situation* will answer all your Expectations ; I have heard the 

 Environs of Salisbury accounted one of the finest habitable 

 Situations in England, & my Uncle has looked hard that way 

 for a Place to put his Mitre in. Perhaps it is better being a 

 Bishop than a Curate there, but indeed I am not sure, for as a 

 Friend of minef sung, 



About Content why keep we such a Riot ? 

 'Tis here, at Cowbett, if we could be quiet — 



80, it is ye Mind & not the Place or Station ; at least I know my 

 present Ambition is to visit the Curate of Dene & not the Bishop 

 of Salisbury. , But I am discouraged at the Thoughts of long 

 Journies. I'll tell You why ; I am not a bottomless but a 

 broad Bottomed Traveller. I undertook last Fryday a bold Jaunt 

 for me ; for after Prayers & a Christ'ning, I mounted my Horse, 

 & dined wth Miss Y, who went to Dinner at half Hour after 2 ; 

 but the Clocks differed ; I was 2 Hours & 50 Minutes before I 

 alighted at Pierce Clay's Yard, I went the Kingston Way & 

 King's Bead. I returned on Saturday Morning to Sunbury ; 

 but ye Catastrophe must be usher'd wth an Alass ! I was vastly 

 bruised & tired : How then can I be bump'd for 70 Miles, who 

 cannot bear 32 in 2 Days ? Besolve me That or unyoke ; as the 

 Grave digger says. Well, but cannot You send me Word of a 

 few Days to be spent at Sunbury ? & yet it is too much to request, 

 because I know You have much Ground to go over, possibly 

 much Ground to improve, & of Course much Money to be spent. 

 I doubt I shall not see You a great while, if not here. I had 

 some thoughts of seeing our gallant Fleet at Portsmouth & of 

 surprizing You wth a Visit, but they were but Thoughts : I could 



* As Curate of West Dene, near Salisbury, 

 t The friend he was addressing. 



