134 HISTORY OF HART1NG. 



butt I hope never to be necessitated to (part with ?) itt, 

 for I bought 'em with a design to augment the Estate 

 of the family, and I think I shall have very ill luck if 

 we get not Portion enough with a wife for my son to 

 goe clear our debts. Besides, my Lord, I have a great 

 deal of Timber upon my Estate, for 'tis well known my 

 D r - Father left me near ;6ooo worth, and I have not 

 cutt yett to value of two. 



" If I have not already tyr'd y r - Lordship with so 

 long a detail of matters, give me leave to add a word 

 or two more that I need not go about to vindicate 

 myself from any assertion of extravagance, &c., for no 

 body can accuse me of Gaming or any other Unjusti- 

 fiable Expences. The only thing that I have been att 

 that has not been precisely necessary has been Horses 

 and Hounds " (kept at Harting, also a stable at Charl- 

 ton), " w ch -' besides that they contribute both to the 

 Health as well as to the Diversion of my son and of 

 myself, perhaps might have saved us from running into 

 greater Expense in other places. I ever design'd, so* 

 soon as I had settl'd my son, to live beyond seas for 

 some years to save for younger children, and in y e 

 mean time you may please to observe that I have con- 

 stantly resided near half y e year att Grinsted as a 

 cheaper place, of less resort and thinner neighbourhood 

 than Lady Holt. 



" Here my L d - I have faithfully lay'd before you the 

 true state of my affairs : I wholly submitt itt to y r - 

 judgment ; and with all humbly beg y r - directions where 

 you think me in y e wrong either in what I have done, 



or what I design to do The Small Pox breaking 



out at Lady Holt, of which a ser. (vant) dyed, drove 



us away from here sooner than we design'd 



I must not forgett to add that if a peace come I will 

 not faile, God willing, of kissing y r - hands in person 

 soon after, and hope to find you in as good a condition 

 of health as is possible " 



This letter, a model of simple honesty, shows exactly 



