*I wrote three folio pages to you this morning, and yet you complain. Have reason, and have mercy; consider all the excellent reasons for silence which I gave you in one of my last, and expect my arrival in Sussex, when I shall talk more in a quarter of an hour than I could write in a day. A propos of that arrival; never pretend to allure me, by painting in odious colours the dust of London. I love the dust, and whenever I move into the Wold,[238] it is to visit you and My lady, and not your Trees. About this day month I mean to give you a visitation. I leave it to Guise, Clarke, and the other light Horse, to prance down for a day or two. They all talk of mounting, but will not fix the day. Sir John [Russel], whom I salute, has brought you, I suppose, all the news of Versailles.[239] Let me only add, that the Mesdames, by attending their father, have both got the small-pox. Your Attorney has your Case. I congratulate you. I can make nothing of Lovegrove, or his Lawyer. You will swear at the shortness of this letter.—Swear.*
201.
To J. B. Holroyd, Esq.
Bentinck Street, June 4th, 1774.
I hope you, Templar, Doves, &c., got down safe. Compliments to Maria and My Lady.—I passed this morning, three horrid hours at Searle's Coffee House.[240] I was a Hero, La Brute not exceedingly clever, and M. more candid than I had yet seen him. We almost parted once in the mutual defiance. At last they consented that on Monday and Tuesday, the two Attornies should examine the Deeds at Gosling's, compare them with the Abstract and lay the whole before Duane: and likewise that they should search Offices about my title to the great Tythes without prejudice to the General Warranty which was agreed to by letter. If we coalesce at all, Arbitration; if not, Chancery. The latter I fear, and I must own that I fear it in every respect. Adieu.
E. G.