LETTER XXXI.
TO MR. R——.
Oct. 18, 1775.
I BEGIN to fear with you that our friend L—— is sick or married—or—what I would rather hope—is on his way to England.—Thanks to our Suffolk friends—you take care we shall not starve.—I was for five minutes, when dinner was on table, suspended, in inclination, like the ass between the two loads of hay—the turtle pulled one way, and a sweet loin of pork the other—I was obliged to attack both in pure self-defence;—Mrs. Sancho eat—and praised the pork—and praised the giver.—Let it not, my worthy R——, mortify thy pride—to be obliged to divide praise with a pig; we all echoed her—O—— and R—— were the toasts—I know not in truth two honester or better men—were your incomes as enlarged as your hearts, you would be the two greatest fortunes in Europe. But I wrote merely to thank you—and to say Mrs Sancho and Mrs. M—— are both better than when I wrote last night—in short, Mrs. M—— is quite well—I pray God to send my dear Mrs. Sancho safe down and happily up—she makes the chief ingredient of my felicity—whenever my good friend marries—I hope he will find it the same with him—My best respects to Mesdames C. and C. and take care of my brother.—I fear this will be a raking week.—Compliments to Master S—— and the noble Mr. B——.
Yours, &c.
IGN. SANCHO.
LETTER XXXII.
TO MR. L——.
Friday, Oct. 20, 1774.
IN obedience to my amiable friend’s request—I, with gratitude to the Almighty—and with pleasure to her—(I am sure I am right)—acquaint her, that my ever dear Dame Sancho was exactly at half past one this afternoon delivered of a—child.—Mrs. Sancho, my dear Miss L——, is as well as can be expected—in truth, better than I feared she would be—for indeed she has been very unwell for this month past—I feel myself a ton lighter:—In the morning I was crazy with apprehension—and now I talk nonsense through joy.—This plaguy scrawl will cost you I know not what—but it’s not my fault—’tis your foolish godson’s—who, by me, tenders his dutiful respects. I am ever yours to command, sincerely and affectionately,
I. SANCHO.