Dear Brother
Tho’ you are a letter in my
debt I am again sat down to write to you; I shall
not stand insist on your exactly ballancing the
account, but while Charles continued at Cambridge
I hope {^^you} will now and then let us have the
pleasure of hearing you are well. To tempt you
to do it I shall frequently inform you of all our
proceedings. We last week return’d from Combe,
where we had been three weeks in the midst
of feasting and dancing, the whole was closed
by a play and a most magnificent ball and supper.
Lady Craven M^rs Burton, M^r Storer and M^r Poyntz
were the principal performers, the latter you
may possibly remember seeing act at Hinchingbrook
He is one of the most agreeable men I ever met
with, has been a great traveller and in a very
particular stile. Switzerland is his favorite
country, he has traversed almost every inch of
it, He takes his chaise with him as far as

[f.56v]

the roads will let him, then he proceeds with
horses and a servant as far as he can, but when
he gets farther into the country he is obliged to
leave them behind him and t^ravel on foot by
himself. He has been whole weeks amongst the
mountains quite by himself travelling from
house {^^{to house}}. He has an excellent method of describing
what he has seen, The simplicity, hospitality
and integrity of there poor mountaineers & the
uncommon beauty of the country they inhabit
has made me more desirous of seeing
Switzerland than any other kingdom in the
world. I have said the more about it as I
know you once intended paying it a visit.
I hope My little Girl continues very well
she was christen’d last Saturday, M^r Liddiard
stood for you, he desired me to send his Comp^s
when I wrote to you. I find Charles’s affairs
are likely to detain him at Cambridge longer
than he expected, the whole ground is to be
gone over again before his Grace of Grafton.
My Sister tells me you are become quite a
Pythagorean, and live entirely on vegetables.

[f.57]

How do you find it agree with you? If you
will give me leave I xxx may possibly make
trial of it for with you for a short time in the
spring. Flash continued very well and is a most
excellent dog. We have had the finest scating
this year I ever saw, and the frost seems as
likely to last as ever. Have you perfected your
self in the out stroke? My little Woman
is very well and desires her love to you. Is
your Garden almost completed? Adieu
dear Brother believe me with the [damaged]
affection
yours
R.A. Johnson

Kenilworth
Jany:21:^st 1774

M^rs Craven desires her best respects. I hope
you will be so good to write soon.

[f.57]

To Mail
G.W. Johnson Esq^r
Witham Hill
near Stamford
Lincolnshire

Dear Brother
Though you are a letter in my
debt I am again sat down to write to you; I shall
not stand insist on your exactly balancing the
account, but while Charles continued at Cambridge
I hope {^^you} will now and then let us have the
pleasure of hearing you are well. To tempt you
to do it I shall frequently inform you of all our
proceedings. We last week returned from Combe,
where we had been three weeks in the midst
of feasting and dancing, the whole was closed
by a play and a most magnificent ball and supper.
Lady Craven M^rs Burton, M^r Storer and M^r Poyntz
were the principal performers, the latter you
may possibly remember seeing act at Hinchingbrook
He is one of the most agreeable men I ever met
with, has been a great traveller and in a very
particular stile. Switzerland is his favourite
country, he has traversed almost every inch of
it, He takes his chaise with him as far as

[f.56v]

the roads will let him, then he proceeds with
horses and a servant as far as he can, but when
he gets farther into the country he is obliged to
leave them behind him and t^ravel on foot by
himself. He has been whole weeks amongst the
mountains quite by himself travelling from
house {^^{to house}}. He has an excellent method of describing
what he has seen, The simplicity, hospitality
and integrity of there poor mountaineers & the
uncommon beauty of the country they inhabit
has made me more desirous of seeing
Switzerland than any other kingdom in the
world. I have said the more about it as I
know you once intended paying it a visit.
I hope My little Girl continues very well
she was christened last Saturday, M^r Liddiard
stood for you, he desired me to send his Comp^s
when I wrote to you. I find Charles’s affairs
are likely to detain him at Cambridge longer
than he expected, the whole ground is to be
gone over again before his Grace of Grafton.
My Sister tells me you are become quite a
Pythagorean, and live entirely on vegetables.

[f.57]

How do you find it agree with you? If you
will give me leave I xxx may possibly make
trial of it for with you for a short time in the
spring. Flash continued very well and is a most
excellent dog. We have had the finest skating
this year I ever saw, and the frost seems as
likely to last as ever. Have you perfected your
self in the out stroke? My little Woman
is very well and desires her love to you. Is
your Garden almost completed? Adieu
dear Brother believe me with the [damaged]
affection
yours
R.A. Johnson

Kenilworth
Jany:21:^st 1774

M^rs Craven desires her best respects. I hope
you will be so good to write soon.

[f.57]

To Mail
G.W. Johnson Esq^r
Witham Hill
near Stamford
Lincolnshire