Wensday Night, Reading, 21 Jan. 1801.

We are coming, dear Mrs. Pennington, as your good husband says, but very tardily, and much like the journey of Catherine and Petruchio; so dirty are the ways, and so many our crosses, when travelling with Rat and Mole driven by a sick coachman, who makes himself a little more sick at every stage by doing more than he is able, and by crying lest we should at length be provoked to leave him on the road. He is in no danger, poor soul! Mr. Piozzi has just sent him our chicken broth, and we wait here a day for Miss Allen to go kiss her father and mother, an errand so few folks want to go upon.... I think the beds will be aired at least, for never were so many people crowding from one city to another as now from Bath to London.

How it rejoyces my heart to hear you really like the book! and that Miss Jane Powell approves of the contrasted character visible in those excellent Roman Emperors. The other volume will be most read, and the 19th chapter of that will perhaps be most liked. I will correct the typographical errors in your book with my own hand, if you will bring it with you to Bath.... Stockdale was hurrying to drive out a new edition before we left London, and I was forced to hold him in. We shall hear all our faults, and the printer's too, when the Reviews make their appearance.... Charming Hannah More will tranquillize her mind soon, and only dislike the Established Church a little more than usual, for this ill-timed bustle some individuals have made against one of the most valuable members of Society. For as Dr. Johnson says of Watts,—Such she was that every Christian Communion must have been proud of her.

Do not fear the Northern combination: we can hurt those fellows more than they can hurt us. And as to a French invasion, it was, in my mind, never less likely, nor ever less to be feared. That Europe is running to ruin I see plain enough, and we must go after the rest, but it will be after a good many of them are gone, I think....

The combination of the Northern Powers, Russia, Sweden, and Denmark, organised by the Emperor Paul against England, was the result of the irritation caused by our insisting on the right to search even neutral vessels for enemies' goods; but was soon broken up by the battle of Copenhagen and the death of Paul.

[P.M. Bath] 31 Jan. 1801.

My dear Mrs. Pennington's is indeed a dismal letter, and our Master is truly sorry, and so am I. The amusement I get at Bath, when without your conversation, is feeling myself benefited by these darling waters, and hearing the Circulating Library men say that the book sells very well. Stockdale tells me of praises bestowed on it by the Briton, Times, and Porcupine, but I have never seen any....

Miss Jane Powell must be left, I think, to cut out her own happiness. She is very sensible, and very charming, but you may remember that Dr. Johnson says in his tale of The Fountains, "You may be lovely, but 'tis not a necessary consequence that you should therefore be beloved." We must hope she will not fling so much merit and beauty away: but if she does, let us remember she could not have been happy without changing her mode of life; and those who enter on family cares now, have need of strong affection on one side or the other, to support them thro' so rough a journey as what is left of life's road is likely to afford them. The people who are indifferent now are truly unwise to marry.

We shall look to your coming home for much chat on all subjects, and principally the book which has so long plagued your

H. L. P.

[P.M. Bath] Tuesday, 10 Feb. 1801.

... To your enquiries how things are going here, my reply is, never so bad. Fish, flesh, and fowl, all are double price, and tho' we live as retired as 'tis possible, the little red book you remember of marketing expences goes on worse and worse. Even Laura Chapel is raised one third, and the journey hither cost double what it used to do. These are facts. It is equally true indeed, that the waters do my health good, but 'tis a heavy charge, this same health, upon one's husband, though he may not say or even think so. Bachelors live at immense costs however. Mr. Roach or Roche told us yesterday that he and his son paid £200 for 5 weeks eating and sleeping at York House: his servants at board wages all the while. Tea alone stood them in six shillings o' day. Fine times! And Mrs. Mores, our next neighbours, tell me Mr. Pitt has already quitted the helm, and old Britannia is left to weather the storm how she can, without pilot, rudder, or compass; and tow a troublesome sister after her besides. God send her safe to port! He only can....

My own book, though much diffused, and rapidly sold, has not yet brought me a shilling, and it was upon that I fully depended for our reimbursement of these few weeks' charges here in Bath. Six only of those weeks yet remain: some of them I still flatter myself we shall still pass together....

After the union with Ireland, Pitt had become convinced that it was necessary to carry a measure of Catholic Emancipation; but as the King felt scruples about breaking, as he believed, his Coronation Oath, by giving his assent to such a Bill, Pitt resigned, much to George's distress, and was succeeded by Addington.

Brynbella, 5 April, 1801.

My dear Mrs. Pennington will be delighted to hear that we are got home safe, in spite of my nose, which is restor'd to its original size, colour, and shape: having transmitted all ill humour to the shoulder, more fit for carriage of a burden so oppressive.

Some heaviness has reached my heart tho', and some weight hangs on my spirits. The first intelligence that struck us upon the very confines of our Principality, smiling as it seemed with hope of future plenty, was the death of a friend. You have, I am sure, heard me mention as an agreeable acquaintance and excellent preacher, a Mr. John Mostyn, Curate of Denbigh. He perished, it seems, poor soul, in the hard weather which succeeded that day on which we dined with Dr. Randolph, walking home from his Father's house to his own:—perish'd of cold! and was buried in drifts of snow,—

How sunk his soul!

What black despair! What horrors fill'd his heart,

When round him night resistless closing fast,

And o'er his inmost vitals creeping cold,

Lay'd him on the wild Heath a stiffen'd corpse,

Far from the track and blest abode of Man.

[Thompson.]

These verses have almost haunted me ever since; so has his figure, chearful and gay, not 38 years old. But we will change the subject and the side of paper.

Tell dearest Siddons, when you see her, that her picture was the first thing we unpacked, and her handkerchief the finest thing I appeared in while at Bath: the only thing I shall wear here till—till what? I can't answer that question.

Poor Harriet Lee's lowness, the day we dined at Mrs. Stratton's, affected everybody present, and she ran home, unable to bear company. Can you tell whether the conversation of approving, nay admiring friends, has been yet able to reconcile her to past vexations, for they scarce can be accounted calamities.

We have contagion even at St. Asaph, but 'tis occasioned by want of wholesome food. When the plenty I still predict shall once arrive, there will be no distemper but ill-humour. Meanwhile some cause for that does doubtless exist, when the ports are filled with grain, and the poor perishing of hunger. Our Bishop, detained in London by illness, is much wanted, and we came home too late to save our old favourite labourer, Edward Davies, who expired eight hours before our arrival; saying that if we made haste he yet should live, because we should send him something nice from our own plates, as we did when he was sick once before. When such things present themselves to one's mind, how vain must be the hope of Reviewers and Critics to draw it on their empty abuse! I would there were no worse afflictions to lament than those created by buzzers and stingers like them. Nevertheless pray tell me how Hannah More supports her torrent of scurrility. She was a kind soul, and came to see us for five minutes before we got into the Chaise at Laura Place, looking very well, thank God! apparently not worse for her long illness and confinement. Her sister is too right tho' concerning the general distress for victuals....

I carry this letter with me to S. Asaph Cathedral, Easter Sunday, and put it in the Post Office there after service. The Ladies at Llangollen enquired much for you. They have more news and more stories than one could dream of. Their best however is concerning their own old Maid Mary, from whose character one would think Sophia Lee had pourtray'd that of Connor in her tale of the Two Emilys. Mary, seeing her Ladies' eyes fix'd, one fine night lately, upon the stars, said to Miss Ponsonby, "Ah! Madam, you once showed me a fine sight in the heavens, the Belt of O'Bryan; but I suppose we shall see it no more now, since the Union." To this nothing, sure, can be added.

(P.M. Denbigh), 26 Apr. 1801.

What a letter! What a pleasure to have such a Correspondent! You really can scarce imagine, my dear Friend, how completely your kind Frank-full set before my eyes the scenes I was so wishing to have witness'd. Peace and plenty are coming, and dear Dr. Randolph's first sermon after the Victory at Copenhaguen, must have given a foretaste of all the felicities in their train to his enraptur'd auditors, I doubt not.

The effect of national fervour and national happiness upon Sweet Siddons charmed me; and it was so nicely accompanied too by her maternal exultation. The child in your account had suffered scarce anything from ye alarming symptoms which so frighted the whole house of Belvidere....

Why, you have had a nice Holyday time indeed! And you, like the dear King, will recover by dint of good news. My rheumatism has mended ever since you said how Mr. Whalley liked Retrospection, and a kind letter from Mr. Gray, saying it was well thought of at Oxford, made me throw off a little fur tippet, which, till to-day's post, I wore to ward off these early winds. Ods Blushes and Blooms! The poor Cherry trees have dropt their pretty flow'rs in one night. A sturdy Pear tree or two resist all Northern Combinations against them: but Peaches and Nectarines we shall have none of this Summer, content to see wheat falling, Stocks rising, and damaged Rice coming in by shiploads to feed those Pigs which my friends on the South Parade so talked of.

Meantime it was well done of the wise and good men to go out and harangue the rioters; they will go underground again now, and give their instigators fresh trouble to find fresh arguments to set them on fresh mischief in due time. Well! God save great George our King! While he lives many a Laurel bush will be used to decorate our doors.... By the time this reaches your Hot Wells, good accounts may possibly arrive from Egypt. The death of Paul will sit heavy on the soul of Abdallah Menou, like the Ghost in Shakespeare's Richard, and fall his edgeless sword.[16] May he but hear that news before the battle, I'll answer for its success.

Great credit ought really to be given to that amiable creature, the Duchess of York, for being able to make everybody love her, while they naturally and necessarily abhor her brother. And it was pretty of her husband to cry at the tragedy: they very seldom do cry.

When you write tell me how Sotherby's play went off; our Newspaper never names the Theatre, so Mrs. Siddons's name reaches me only through your letters. When our Bishop returns I shall get free'd covers, and write oftener, for the sake of goading your pen to an answer.... With regard to Mr. Pennington, he hardly can come to any real harm. The complaints of gouty men are sure to end, however they may begin, in a fit of Gout; and better assurance of long life is granted to no living mortal. He will quarrel with the man, and vex about the maid, and they will leave him, and then he will get others;—all will lead uneasy lives, but no lives will be shorten'd, except your own, by fretting concerning what can neither be helped nor mended....

[16] Rich. III, V. iii, 135.

Success had attended English efforts abroad in more than one direction. The Northern Confederation having adopted an attitude of "armed neutrality," and laid an embargo on British goods, a fleet was sent to Copenhagen under Sir Hyde Parker, with Nelson as second in command. The latter grew impatient of the cautious tactics of his chief, and his daring attack on the Danish forts and fleet on April 1, resulted in the capture of the latter, and the detachment of Denmark from the League. In Russia the assassination of the Emperor Paul on March 24 (which Buonaparte in the Moniteur ascribed to the machinations of England) placed Alexander on the throne, who at once reversed his predecessor's policy, and so the Confederation collapsed. In Egypt General Menou had succeeded Kleber in command of the French army, which was unable to prevent the landing of Sir Ralph Abercromby's expedition on March 2: and though the English General fell at the battle of Alexandria, that city and Cairo fell into our hands, and it became evident that the French could not maintain their hold on the country.