I. SANCHO. · Section 58

I. SANCHO.

My best respects to Mr. Y----; and my love, yea, cordial love to Nancy:--tell her--no, if I live to see her again, I will tell her myself.

Observe, we were seven in the coach;--the breath of the old lady, in her heat of passion, was not rose-scented;--add to that, the warmth naturally arising from crowd and anger--you will not wonder at S--t--’s being sick--And he, S----, wanted to be in town rather sooner.--My compliments to George.--Mr. L---- is so kind to promise to call for this scrawl:--thank him for me, as well as for thyself.--Adieu.--Mrs. S---- pretty well, the two Fanny’s and Kitty but indifferent.

[11] A Mr. Lamb.

[12] Meaning himself.

[13] Mr. M----, to whom he often gave that title.

LETTER CIII.

TO MRS. W----E.

Charles Street, Sept. 5, 1779.

DEAR MADAM,

YOUR wonder will be equal to your indignation--when--(after due apologies for the liberty of this address--and a few good-natured protestations of friendship and so forth--with an injunction to strict secresy) I inform you that it is absolutely necessary for your immediate setting out for Red-lion Court.--Your good man is only running after all the young gypsies about the neighbourhood--all colours--black or fair--are alike;--this is the effect of country air--and your nursing.--The good man made his appearance on Thursday evening last--the glow of health in his face--joy in his eyes.--“Wife, Joe, and little Frank all well, and myself never better in my life;”--a pretty girl he led by the hand--and, as if one petticoat plague was not enough, he insisted upon taking away two of mine--and carried his point against every reasonable odds: away they all went to the play--and God only knows where else--I threatened him with a modest report to Melchbourn, but he seemed to care very lightly about it;--so I humbly advise, as your best method of taming him, either to insist upon his speedily coming down to you--or else your immediate setting out for home:--at present he only attempts our daughters--but, should you be absent a month longer, I tremble for our wives;--for my part, I have some reason, for here both wife and daughters are as fond of Mr.

W----e as they dare own--Seriously, I think, you should coax him down, if only for a fortnight; for it is amazing how much better he is for the short time he was absent--and this I take to be the pleasantest and wholesomest time for the country, if the evening dews are carefully guarded against--I shall advise him strongly to take the other trip--and I trust your documents, with the innocent simplicity of all around him--fine air--exercise--new milk--and the smell of new hay--will make him ten thousand times worse than he is--you won’t like him the worse for that. My love attends cousins I---- and F----.

I am, dear Madam, most sincerely yours to command,

IGNATIUS SANCHO.

Mrs. Sancho joins me in every thing but the abuse of Mr. W----e.

LETTER CIV.

TO MR. R----.

Sept. 7, 1779.

DEAR FRIEND,

WE are all in the wrong--a _little_.--Admiral Barrington is arrived from the West India station--and brings the pleasant news, that d’Estaigne fell in with five of our ships of the line with the best part of his fleet. We fought like Englishmen, unsupported by the rest:--they fought till they were quite dismasted, and almost wrecked;--and at last gave the French enough of it, and got away all, though in plight bad enough:--but the consequence was, the immediate capture of the Grenadas.--Add to this--Sir Charles Hardy is put into Portsmouth, or Gosport;--and, although forty odd strong in line of battle ships, is obliged to give up the sovereignty of the channel to the enemy.--L--d S----h is gone to Portsmouth, to be a witness of England’s disgrace--and his own shame.--In faith, my friend, the present time is rather _comique_--Ireland almost in as true a state of rebellion as America--Admirals quarrelling in the West-Indies--and at home Admirals that do not chuse to fight--The British empire mouldering away in the West, annihilated in the North--Gibraltar going--and England fast asleep.--What says Mr. B---- to all this?--he is a ministerialist,--for my part, it’s nothing to me, as I am only a lodger, and hardly that.--Give my love and respect to the ladies--and best compliments to all the gentlemen--with respects to Mr. and Mrs. I----.

Give me a line to know how you all do.--The post is going--only time to say God bless you.--I remain

Yours affectionately,