LETTER CXV 193 



Lettr & your patient acceptance of my Hint about matrimony, I 

 suspected that your Journey to London had a View to that 

 Change of your Condition ; especially as You shew an Inclination 

 to detach yourself from College by accepting of so moderate a 

 Living at Choiderton. In Town you could hear of me, & my 

 Directions are all for Selborne, so I would not write to you there, 

 especially as I have not been much in Heart for it. If you can 

 be dispenced wth for residing at Choiderton, any little thing 

 added to your own Fortune would make you comfortable. Wilts 

 is under Salisbury, & the present Bishop is a reasonable Man. 

 I hear heavy Complaints of my Lord of Exeter for obliging his 

 Clergy to reside whether they have a House or no, so I am glad 

 it is not in that Diocese. 



I had a Letter lately from my Sister Chapone, in which She 

 tells me that She has laid a little Plan wth You for a Visit this 

 Spring or Summer. I really long very much to see my Sister, as 

 well I may, it is almost a Lustrum since I left her, & many 

 interesting Circumstances have happen'd to her since that Time. 

 But yet She is not the Person that I could wish to come wth 

 You. It would be with great Difficulty that I could ever get her 

 beyond my Gates, whereas the Method in which I propose to 

 entertain you here is in being always upon the Go, to one little 

 Point of View or other. This is all I can do ; for a Journey I 

 never take on Horseback ; seldom in any Manner. At present I 

 am quite unhorsed, but I am making Enquiries about such a 

 Thing, & have a Friend to make the Purchase upon, & That is Sr 

 George Savile's Estate, for he has order'd his Steward to pay for 

 one if I can please myself in it. The Difficulty, therefore lies 

 with me, but I assure you it is no small One. I hear you are 

 not so sanguine a Horseman as You was ; you will therefore be 

 ye easier contented wth the Smallness of my Eides. 



Your old Friend will be up again before you come, & I hope 

 quite alert, & will challenge you to ye Field ; at present She is 

 very heavy, but goes on as well as we can expect, considering that 

 She has not had much Kespite these last years, & begins to think 

 that she has done enough in this way. She desires her Love to 

 you & will be glad to see you at all Times ; but You must be sure 

 to let Us know of your Designs before you come ; for when the 

 Year mends, we get out sometimes ; & have had Invitations to 

 Sr George's in Nottinghamshire ; which if repeated in a proper 

 Season we might perhaps accept, if we knew of no Company 

 coming towards Us. 



How old shall we appear to you when you see Us ! ! wth 

 Spectacles on's Nose & Pouch oji's Side &c : It is true ; we are 

 thus armed for seeing; nor can either of us do without it by 

 Candle light, except the Print is remarkeably good. The weather 

 has been of late exceedingly proper for keeping at home. The 



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