258.
To J. B. Holroyd, Esq.
July 20th, 1775.
Do you believe that my inclination leads me to S. P.? If you do not, you are a D—— fool to give yourself the trouble of asking me. If you do, you may as well believe that I am giving you reasons and not pretences. I am just now in the most busy moment of my life, nor is it so small a work as you may imagine to destroy a great Empire. I do not merely mean correcting the sheets from the press: that might certainly be performed at S. P., as both Printer, Strahan,[299] and Author, an odd circumstance, are Senators. But from a natural impatience, as you well know, I have begun to print the head before the tail was quite finished; some parts must be composed, and, as I proceed in the reviewing, so many emendations and alterations occur, which require the neighbourhood of my Library, that in any other region of the Earth, I should find myself every day at a full stop. As well as I can see before me, I think that I may give you September: but I promise nothing. As soon as I find it within my power, I shall order my chaise. Therefore be silent and resigned.
General Frazer,[300] with whom I dined to-day at the British, talks of visiting you next month. Do you remember my Aunt whom you invited, and who is much disposed to accompany me? I was thinking that your mother's illness might render that less convenient. If it does you may give her a civil Epistle. You recollect de Salis; he is in town, and asked after you.—As to public affairs, we are in hourly expectation of a battle, and flying reports arrive but do not prevail. They are certainly premature. What do you think of £1700 a year for 31 years on poor Ireland to gain Flood, and to pay some of the C. F's debts without making a friend of him, but only to buy his place at an extravagant price?[301] My domestic affairs seem calm; the Wintons are quiet, and the other brute has graciously accepted the Arbitration of Palmer and will mention it to him in a few days. Booth Gray, to whom I wrote about Brown, is silent. Duane was so till this morning, when he sent me a note that he had been ill and could not visit the Tythes of Newhaven till September. Your projects are vast; but the essential thing seems to be a present decent increase of rent for Aunt Gibbon.
I approve of the fall rather than decline of the Sussex society.
E. G.