520 Life of Count Rum ford. 



found that you had made the progress in it of which he thinks 

 you capable. Your father is indeed going to Munich, and talks 

 of setting out in a fortnight. I had at one time almost settled 

 to go with him, but he then proposed to stay there all this 

 winter and next summer. Two or three weeks ago, however, 

 he changed his plan, and determined to make this only a pre- 

 paratory visit, and to return hither within three months. This 

 was more hurry of travelling than I could venture to undertake, 

 especially as the journey back would be in the bad months of 

 November and December. So that I now propose to spend the 

 winter in England. For my own part I sincerely wish that he 

 had found it expedient to make a voyage to America instead of 

 this journey on the Continent. I would then certainly have 

 accompanied him across the Atlantic, notwithstanding the un- 

 settled state of affairs here. He every day talks more and more 

 coolly about going to America, and though I really think that 

 he means to make you a visit there some time or other, yet it 

 does not seem as if he promised himself much satisfaction be- 

 sides. I am persuaded that I should like it much more than he 

 would, but whether I shall ever have the resolution to set out 

 unless some particular inducement of company or objects pre- 

 sents itself, remains uncertain even to myself. There is a hint 

 in your letter about 4 seeing your European friends again, before 

 a great length of time.' To me, and I believe to all your 

 friends, the visit would afford very sincere pleasure. But before 

 you undertake it, I would advise you to be sure that the Count 

 approves of it. I have no reason to think that his regard for you 

 is lessened, but he seems to me rather more difficult to deal 

 with than formerly, and particularly more impatient if every- 

 thing be not- said and done exactly according to his liking. I 

 mentioned that you thought he did not write to you so fre- 

 quently as he used to do, and he immediately took fire ; but at 

 the same time showed me a list of thirteen or fourteen letters 

 which he had sent you in the course of this year, 1801. No 

 one could deny that it was a sufficient correspondence. As to 

 his health, it is nearly the same as usual, except that he is 

 rather thinner, having lived long upon a very spare diet. The 



