40 STAGE-COACff AXD ^fAIL IX DAYS OF YORE 



at cHM'taiii ]>tM-i()(Is tlio watm- spiirtrd up sex (>ral 

 1'cet hiii'li. It rainoil all iui>'lit aiul liath raiiunl 

 siiico diniun". But now the sun shines and I will 

 take my at'teruoou walk. It was tiercor and 

 wilder weatlun* than yesterday, yet the Captain now 

 dreams of sailinii". To say tlu^ truth Michaelmas is 

 the worst season in the year. Is this strang:e stuff ? 

 Wliy, Avhat would you liave me do r I liave writ 

 verses and ]mt d<n\ n hints till T am weary. I 

 see no ertwture. I eannot ri\ul l)y eandh^-liii'ht. 

 Sleepinu" u ill mak(^ nie siek. 1 reckon myself 

 fixed lifr(\ and havi^ a mind like Marshall Tallard 

 to take a house and g-arden. T wish you a Merry 

 Christmas and expect to see yini hy Candlemas. 

 I have walked this niorniuii: ahout 3 miles on 

 the rocks : my s'iddiness. God he thanked, is almost 

 gone and my heariuii' continui^s. I am now 

 retired to my chamber to seribbh^ or sit 

 humdrum. The nii^lit is t'air ami they iiret(Mul to 

 have some hojies of going to-morrow. 



Soptomhev "I'oth. — Thoughts ui)on being confined 

 at Holyhead, if this were to be my settlement 

 during life I could content myself a while hy 

 fmaning new conveniences to be easy, and should 

 not bi> frighten(\l either by tlu> solitude or the 

 meanness of lodging, eating or drinking. I shall 

 say nothing ahout the suspense I am in about my 

 dearest friend because that is a case extraordinary, 

 and tluM'efore by way oi comfort. 1 will sjieak as 

 if it A\ere not in my thoughts, and only as a 

 2)asseuger who is in a scurvy, unprovided com- 

 fortless place without one companion, and who 



