Horace Walpole to Hannah More.
March 11.
I heard at Mrs. Ord's last night that you are not well. I wou'd fain flatter myself that you had only a pain in your apprehension of the coaches full of mob that were crowding the streets, but as I do not take for granted whatever will excuse me from caring, as people that are indifferent readily do, I beg to hear from yourself how you are. I do not mean from your own hand, but lips—send me an exact message, and if it is a good one it will give real pleasure to yours most sincerely,
H. Walpole.
PS.—Mrs. Prospero, who is my Miranda, was there last night with a true blue embroidered favour, that cast a ten times more important colour on her accents and made her as potent in her own eyes as Sycorax.
To Miss More at the Adelphi.
PAGE OF DR. JOHNSON'S DIARY RECORDING HIS IMPRESSIONS OF STONEHENGE, ETC., 1783.
The value of Johnson's letters has varied very little during the past quarter of a century, an A.L.S. of exceptional interest often bringing £40 or £50. Possibly his historic letters to Macpherson and Chesterfield or his ultimatum to Mrs. Thrale would now fetch considerably more. In the Haber Sale at New York a 2 pp. 4to A.L.S. dated April 13, 1779, to Cadell brought £17. I possess several Johnson letters, many of them unpublished and written during the last year of his life. The following A.L.S. to Mr. Ryland was seemingly unknown to Dr. Birkbeck Hill:—