Chapter LIII: Letter LII: To Mr. R

September 17, 1777.

MY RESPECTED FRIEND,

I FEEL myself guilty of an unmannerly neglect, in delaying to give my good Mrs. C---- some account of the little commissions she honoured me with.--You must exert your friendly influence, in making my peace with her;--not but that I well know mercy has the blest preponderancy in her scale--nor can kindness or mercy be lodged in a fairer breast;--in faith, I am scarce half alive;--yet what really is alive about me--hungers to hear news from B----: first, how Mrs. C---- got down--and her good companion;--how her health is: tell her, I hope she left all her pains behind her;--if so, I believe I have taken possession of them all. Alas, my friend, I never was but half so bad before;--both feet knocked up at once; plenty of excruciating pains, and a great lack of patience.--Mrs. Sancho has had a blessed week of it;--for my companion did not contribute much to the sweetening my temper--it was the washing-week, which you know made it a full chance and half better.--she was forced to break sugar, and attend shop.--God bless her, and reward her!--she is good--good in heart--good in principle--good by habit--good by Heaven! God forgive me, I had almost sworn.--Tell me how the ladies got down--how they do; and what they do;--how you do;--and how ---- feels, now the broom is hung on his door top.--The certainty that B---- and his connexions are all alive and merry--will be a cure for my gout--and thou shalt be sole doctor, as well as first friend, to thy ever obliged true friend.

I. SANCHO.