Chapter XXXII: 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.