1836.] HOME. 241 



town of Shrewsbury and its inhabitants, which, for all I can 

 see to the contrary, may go on as they now are to Doomsday. 

 I wish with all my heart I was writing to you amongst your 

 friends instead of at that horrid Plymouth. But the day will 

 soon come, and you will be as happy as I now am. I do 

 assure you I am a very great man at home ; the five years' 

 voyage has certainly raised me a hundred per cent. I fear 

 such greatness must experience a fall. 



I am thoroughly ashamed of myself in what a dead-and- 

 half-alive state I spent the few last days on board ; my only 

 excuse is that certainly I was not quite well. The first day 

 in the mail tired me, but as I drew nearer to Shrewsbury 

 everything looked more beautiful and cheerful. In passing 

 Gloucestershire and Worcestershire I wished much for you 

 to admire the fields, woods, and orchards. The stupid people 

 on the coach did not seem to think the fields one bit greener 

 than usual ; but I am sure we should have thoroughly agreed 

 that the wide world does not contain so happy a prospect 

 as the rich cultivated land of England. 



I hope you will not forget to send me a note telling me 

 how you go on. I do indeed hope all your vexations and 

 trouble with respect to our voyage, which we now know HAS 

 an end, have come to a close. If you do not receive much 

 satisfaction for all the mental and bodily energy you have 

 expended in His Majesty's service, you will be most hardly 

 treated. I put my radical sisters into an uproar at some of 

 the prudent (if they were not honest Whigs, I would say 

 shabby) proceedings of our Government. By the way, I must 

 tell you for the honour and glory of the family that my father 

 has a large engraving of King George IV. put up in his 

 sitting-room. But I am no renegade, and by the time we 

 meet my politics will be as firmly fixed and as wisely founded 

 as ever they were. 



I thought when I began this letter I would convince you 

 what a steady and sober frame of mind I was in. But I find 

 I am writing most precious nonsense. Two or three of our 

 labourers yesterday immediately set to work and got most 



