Many thanks to my dear Brother
for his kind letter, which I received yesterday. I find by it
you have not heard of M^rs Johnson’s being brought to bed,
I wrote to Charles the next day, but imagining him with you
I thought it unnecessary to trouble you with two letters on
the occasion. She was taken ill on Wednesday sennight the
fifteenth and delivered of a very fine Boy about ten o clock
in the morning. She had a very favourable time and has
been ever since as well as any body can be in such a
situation, and the Boy is quite a fine fellow. We are very
much obliged to you for so readily accepting the office of
God-Father, Lord Craven is to be the other, and indeed I should
not have troubled you a second time to do this office for us,
but I know nobody I could with propriety ask to stand with
him but yourself, and M^rs Grove a Lady of this neighbour-
hood is to be Godmother. We have named him William
Augustus, and some time in the course of next month mean
to have him publicly Christened. I wish we could tempt you
to come over to us then, I know nothing that could give

[f.66v]
no greater satisfaction, so spare us one week from your
planting and levelling and let us have the pleasure of seeing
you at Kenilworth – you have given me many good
hints about a Scottish tour, and it will give me great
pleasure if I am ever able to profit by them, but whether
that will ever happen is uncertain. M^rs Johnson says you
talk with the ease of a Batchellor about such an expedition,
married men have many things to do and to settle
before they can come to putting their foot into the
strirrup. – you have been reading Thickness I guess by
your intention of bending your course to Montserrato, it
will be provoking to be obliged to come all that way back
again, so I hope you will settle all your affairs to your satis
-faction before you go. I will certainly see you first, and
if I have not that pleasure before, I will give you the
meeting in London in April next where I suppose you
will certainly spend some little time previous to your
setting {^^out} to equip yourself with for your tour. We mean
to set out for Bath as soon as M^rs Johnson is able to bear
the journey, which if no accident happens will I hope
be by the end of next month. We shall not get there ‘till
all the bustle is over, as the Master of the Ceremonies will
be chose by the middle of November. I should not dislike

[f.67]

attending the squabble and confusion of such an election, there
must be many good scenes to a stander by, who is not
enough interested to be anxious about either candidate.
My jaunt to the Leasours Hagley, and Envil was a
very agreeable one I accompanied Liddiard who was going into
Shropshire to visit his Living there, and we took these three
sweet places in our way, Hagley in my mind affords the
most polished and most pleasing scenes, the view up the Park
from the back front of the house most amazingly striking
I thought I saw the {^^an} appearance of imitation at Envil, which
rendered A less pleasing, xxx {^^but} the Leasours is the seat of
Arcadian innocence. M^r Horne has built a near house;
but a large walled garden, with hot houses &c. though tolerably
well conceald are so apposite to the stile of the place, that the
least peep of it gives an uncomfortable feel. He talks
of making more cascades, and has bolstered up another piece
of water. By the by, pieces of water in such situations
are so unnatural that I could not help thinking all the
three places in some measure hurry by attempts of that
sort. But the ground every where lies delightfully, and all the
adjacent country is most strikingly beautiful, M^rs Craven
and M^rs Johnson desire their best respects and good wishes to
you. Believe me most cordially your affectionate
R. A. Johnson
Monday 27^th Setr.

[f.67v]

Mall
G W Johnson Wsq^r
Witham Hill
Stamford
Lincolnshire

Many thanks to my dear Brother
for his kind letter, which I received yesterday. I find by it
you have not heard of M^rs Johnson’s being brought to bed,
I wrote to Charles the next day, but imagining him with you
I thought it unnecessary to trouble you with two letters on
the occasion. She was taken ill on Wednesday sennight the
fifteenth and delivered of a very fine Boy about ten o clock
in the morning. She had a very favourable time and has
been ever since as well as any body can be in such a
situation, and the Boy is quite a fine fellow. We are very
much obliged to you for so readily accepting the office of
God-Father, Lord Craven is to be the other, and indeed I should
not have troubled you a second time to do this office for us,
but I know nobody I could with propriety ask to stand with
him but yourself, and M^rs Grove a Lady of this neighbour-
hood is to be Godmother. We have named him William
Augustus, and some time in the course of next month mean
to have him publicly Christened. I wish we could tempt you
to come over to us then, I know nothing that could give

[f.66v]
no greater satisfaction, so spare us one week from your
planting and levelling and let us have the pleasure of seeing
you at Kenilworth – you have given me many good
hints about a Scottish tour, and it will give me great
pleasure if I am ever able to profit by them, but whether
that will ever happen is uncertain. M^rs Johnson says you
talk with the ease of a Bachelor about such an expedition,
married men have many things to do and to settle
before they can come to putting their foot into the
stirrup. – you have been reading Thickness I guess by
your intention of bending your course to Montserrato, it
will be provoking to be obliged to come all that way back
again, so I hope you will settle all your affairs to your satis
-faction before you go. I will certainly see you first, and
if I have not that pleasure before, I will give you the
meeting in London in April next where I suppose you
will certainly spend some little time previous to your
setting {^^out} to equip yourself with for your tour. We mean
to set out for Bath as soon as M^rs Johnson is able to bear
the journey, which if no accident happens will I hope
be by the end of next month. We shall not get there ‘till
all the bustle is over, as the Master of the Ceremonies will
be chose by the middle of November. I should not dislike

[f.67]

attending the squabble and confusion of such an election, there
must be many good scenes to a stander by, who is not
enough interested to be anxious about either candidate.
My jaunt to the Leasours Hagley, and Envil was a
very agreeable one I accompanied Liddiard who was going into
Shropshire to visit his Living there, and we took these three
sweet places in our way, Hagley in my mind affords the
most polished and most pleasing scenes, the view up the Park
from the back front of the house most amazingly striking
I thought I saw the {^^an} appearance of imitation at Envil, which
rendered A less pleasing, xxx {^^but} the Leasours is the seat of
Arcadian innocence. M^r Horne has built a near house;
but a large walled garden, with hot houses &c. though tolerably
well concealed are so apposite to the stile of the place, that the
least peep of it gives an uncomfortable feel. He talks
of making more cascades, and has bolstered up another piece
of water. By the by, pieces of water in such situations
are so unnatural that I could not help thinking all the
three places in some measure hurry by attempts of that
sort. But the ground every where lies delightfully, and all the
adjacent country is most strikingly beautiful, M^rs Craven
and M^rs Johnson desire their best respects and good wishes to
you. Believe me most cordially your affectionate
R. A. Johnson
Monday 27^th Setr.

[f.67v]

Mall
G W Johnson Wsq^r
Witham Hill
Stamford
Lincolnshire