It gave us great pleasure my dear
Brother to learn from your letter to Charles that you had got
so far on your journey and passed your time so agreeably.
Paris is a gay place, but there is no place in the world where
a stranger finds so much difficulty in getting into company,
so when one has seen all the Lions, one has nothing
farther to do. Your passport will I imagine make it
equally easy for you to move from place to place. Whether
we have peace or war, but I hope on every account for
the former, and many people I have seen lately begin to
think the storm will blow over without coming to any
serious attack.
I returned from Wytham a few days ago, I should
have wrote this from thence, but as I was a good deal
hurried I deffered it till I got back again. You have
done a vast deal there indeed, since this time twelvemonth
it is really quite a different place and will be every
year improving as the plantations grow up. They seem
to thrive vastly well, very few trees in that you lately
planted but what have taken root. The two Brown
Beeches, and the Virginian scarlet Oaks, are in a very
flourishing state, but the season is so very backward, the
Ragland oaks the Turkish Oaks, and many of the later
trees had not budded. The quick you planted has taken
very well, tho’ my Lord Tom says it would have made
a fence sooner if it had been cut down. Some of the
evergreens against the new wall are dead, but I will
supply their places with fresh ones next autumn.
The Tenants came in very well to the rent day,
as you will see by the account on the other side; if
you wish to have a more particular one, I can very
easily transmit you a copy of the book I keep for
your inspection when you return to England, We dined
At Woolley’s, and John Holmes and some others as usual
got very merry, which was a little encreased by some
of the old bottled beer you left in the cellar, as it would
not keep any long, I told them to mix some of it with

[f.76v]

the common ale, and we shall do the same with the rest
in November, Pray what would you have me allow
Woolley for the expences of the rent day? by an old account
my sister shewed me when M^r Smith received the rents M^r
Goodlad had 13 shillings for dressing the dinner, a guinea for
ale, and half a crown was given to the servants, the meat
was paid for in a separate bill, and so it is at present. I
told Woolley I would refer it to you {^^{how much to allow him}} he seemed perfectly
{^^satisfied} with the &10 per annum for his other services, and I dare
say will merit it by his attention to keep things in
order. The house too, you have left in very good hands.
Betty Marvin keeps every thing vastly clean and neat.
I found every thing very comfortable whilst I was there
I am quite surprised considering how amazingly you
must have been hurried, that you was able to leave
every thing in such order, particularly your accounts,
which are uncommonly clear and intelligible. Woolley
thinks the Lownd people will join with Caulton in taking
the Tythes, and that the Tythes of Toft may be advanced to
the same sum as Lownd without risque or difficulty, this
will be settled in November. Goodlad and Spreckley brought
only half a years rent, but as I insisted on their paying
up, they Sprekcley went again to Goodlad, and got his share,
much against the grain I am told, for I did not see him
myself. But as Spreckly continues your Tenant and
seemed to think it very hard, I permitted him to keep
back £10, for which I took the {^^two} Brothers joint note of
hand to be paid in Nov:^r - Exton gave me a good
deal of trouble about his estate; he rated it at £61 a year
and asked £10000 for it. But after ma{^ⁿ} delays and put-
offs and lowering his price by twenty pound at a time,
he agreed to let me have it the morning I came away
and I purchased it for you £16,000. This I found
was the lowest he would go, and indeed nothing would
have induced him to go so low, but the inducement of
letting have £100 immediately to buy stock, which his
farm is {^^almost} totally destitute of, if we had not then agreed he
would immediately have advertised it and sold it in lotts.
I have sent £100 to M^r Torkington who is to let him have
it as soon as he can do it with safety, and the rest of the

[f.77]

money is to be paid in three months. I really think it is not
bought dear, Exton now promises to apply heartily to business, he
has taken the whole at £50 a year, except eight acres of
woodland that is to be fenced off, this and the great quantity
of buildings on the premises are at least worth the additional
£100. Exton’s rent commences from last Lady day, this was
his own proposal. I xxx am glad I was able to succeed in
this business, as on many accounts it must be an agreeable
thing to you. Their way I propose to settle it, and which
I hope will have your approbation (as in my present situa-
tion I am sure my dear Brother would not permit me to
lessen my own income on his account) is to lend you the
£1600 at 4 per cent, which is the interest I receive from
Lord Craven, and to place the rent of the estate &c to
your account, and act in every respect as if it was
your estate, which of course it shall be whenever you
wish to have it as I could have no other and but
your conveniency in making the purchase.
Spreckley’s Barn is finished, and is a very good {^^one} the old door
do again. The Baker is got into his house, which he likes,
and has opened a little shop, where Woolley formerly kept
his. Nathan Hill after threatening hard, went out without
any difficulty. Sherwood has made the wood fences pretty
secure, I have desired Woolley to see he keeps them so. You
left a considerable part of the new plantation fenced only
with posts and rails without any quick, would not you have
one set there? It is almost pity to defer it, as it must be
done some time and it will daily {^<sup>if planted} be getting a good fence.
If you approve it, I will have it done next autumn, While
I think of it two, would not it be proper to insure your
house. if it not done already? If you will inform
me what sum you would have insured on it I will
have it done immediately.
You must have heard of the Death of Ld Chatham I imagine, he is
to be buried at the public expence, and government at the desire of
the House of Commons have settled £4 {^4}000 a year on the title for
ever. The foreign Gazettes given you an account of the King
& Queen’s visit to Portsmouth, the militia are to be formed into
three encampments this summer which the King likewise mean
to visit. The Lincolnshire were received in the rent day, which

[f.77v]

was the 12th of may as the 10th was on sunday, and monday was Stamford
fair. The officers gave a public breakfast at the stand which was
attended by all the neighbourhood. Lady Sophia Neville presided. I wrote
to you from Benham about a month ago, à la poste restante à
Lyon. In future as I have since got a list of Sir Robt Herrius’s
correspondents I shall direct chez-eux. Charles wrote to you two
at Lyons, but is apprehensive his letter would not reach you.
Mr Orme is to be Master of Oakham school, Mr Turner is dismissed
xxxx
Mrs Tyson is in a
very bad way and cannot hold it long. I shall direct this
to Geneva as the most likely place to find you, whether you
accomplish your journey to Mountserrat or not. You will find
Mr Blair (who you have probably seen at Lord Burgashes) and Mr
H. Churchill, near Geneva, the latter I spent a summer with
at Combe two years ago, he is a very good humoured man.
Curtuis & webb have appeared with a whereas in the Gazette
but the latter still keeps up his spirits and is more to be
envied than pitied. – As the casks at Wytham seemed to be
decaying very fast by the dampness of the cellar, and standing
empty. I have ordered them to be well scalded and cleaned &
put in the Brewhouse.
The following is an abstract of your account. […]

[not transcribed]

[…]

I have told him not to send you any bills for it, till he has farther directions
from you or me, I hope in this and else I have done I shall have
your approbation.

[f.78]

procure you some letters of introduction – Lady Craven has
been acting a play in Berkshire a translation if her own from
the French, she calls it the sleep walker, if you wish to peruse
it in the original it is the Somnambule. The translation was
but flat but it went off pretty well in the acting. Once more
adieu may you enjoy health and happiness till we see you
again in England is the sincere wish of my dear Brother’s
truly affectionate
R. A. Johnson
Mrs Craven and Mrs Johnson desire their cordial good wishes &c

[change of orientation]

A Monsr
Monsr: Johnson
Chez messrs Lullin de Tournes & Masbou
a Geneve

[change of orientation]

The hot weather you mention to have had at Paris, we experienced in
England, we sat without fires in April, but it changed to cold wind
rain and snow in passion week, and we have since had nothing
like summer till yesterday and to day, but now the weather seems
settled and very pleasant.

[f.78v]

As I find notwithstanding my having taken a sheet of large paper that I
am obliged to make a double letter of this. I am determined not to send
you a blank cover. poor old Trim at Witham is in very good cure
though he looks quite an old Veteran, most of his senses fail him, he is
almost deaf and blind. but he has not forgot his old customs but came
every morning to scratch at my door. Charles this instant has
wrote me word he has gone through all the necessary forms and
is a Fellow on the old foundation, which though there was but
little doubt of his being elected I am sure you will be glad to
hear.
You travelled to Paris by the same route that I returned
from it, the country is pleasant but I think it still more so
in the environs of Lyons. Farther south, the sun will already
have given appearance of barrenness to the fields, you will see
few things green except the Vineyards the mulberry trees and the
dusty Olive. I am curious to know if you reach Montserrat, and to
hear what you say of the Glaciers. Mr Coxe (the member for Somersetshire)
is coming over again, to take a second trip to them. As we feel
interested on every thing that related to you, I hope my dear
Brother you will be so kind to give up ample accounts of what
= ever you meet with. And I beg you will not forget to ar[damaged]
me about the allowance for the rent day, the setting [damaged]
quick about the new plantations, and insuring your hou[damaged]
any other things you wish to have done I will as an[damaged]
able see completed.
Lord Exeter was in Town, when I was in
Lincolnshire, so I had not an opportunity of saying you called
on him, but I shall certainly mention it in Novem:{^r} when
I mean to wait on him. – I got the letter you wrote from
Calais, & Charles received one you wrote from [damaged] {^Calais} these
two are the only ones we have has, I mention this as
at a distance it is pleasant to know what letters have been
received and what {^have} miscarried. I must now bid you adieu
my dear Brother, my little folks are very well, and already
grown almost out of your knowledge. The Wadhulls are coming
to us next month, and we hope to see my sister & Charles
here before the end of the summer. I shall hope to hear from
you soon, and if you will let me know the places you
think of making any stay at in Italy, I will endeavour to</sup>

It gave us great pleasure my dear
Brother to learn from your letter to Charles that you had got
so far on your journey and passed your time so agreeably.
Paris is a gay place, but there is no place in the world where
a stranger finds so much difficulty in getting into company,
so when one has seen all the Lions, one has nothing
farther to do. Your passport will I imagine make it
equally easy for you to move from place to place. Whether
we have peace or war, but I hope on every account for
the former, and many people I have seen lately begin to
think the storm will blow over without coming to any
serious attack.
I returned from Wytham a few days ago, I should
have wrote this from thence, but as I was a good deal
hurried I deferred it till I got back again. You have
done a vast deal there indeed, since this time twelvemonth
it is really quite a different place and will be every
year improving as the plantations grow up. They seem
to thrive vastly well, very few trees in that you lately
planted but what have taken root. The two Brown
Beeches, and the Virginian scarlet Oaks, are in a very
flourishing state, but the season is so very backward, the
Ragland oaks the Turkish Oaks, and many of the later
trees had not budded. The quick you planted has taken
very well, tho’ my Lord Tom says it would have made
a fence sooner if it had been cut down. Some of the
evergreens against the new wall are dead, but I will
supply their places with fresh ones next autumn.
The Tenants came in very well to the rent day,
as you will see by the account on the other side; if
you wish to have a more particular one, I can very
easily transmit you a copy of the book I keep for
your inspection when you return to England, We dined
At Woolley’s, and John Holmes and some others as usual
got very merry, which was a little increased by some
of the old bottled beer you left in the cellar, as it would
not keep any long, I told them to mix some of it with

[f.76v]

the common ale, and we shall do the same with the rest
in November, Pray what would you have me allow
Woolley for the expenses of the rent day? by an old account
my sister shewed me when M^r Smith received the rents M^r
Goodlad had 13 shillings for dressing the dinner, a guinea for
ale, and half a crown was given to the servants, the meat
was paid for in a separate bill, and so it is at present. I
told Woolley I would refer it to you {^^{how much to allow him}} he seemed perfectly
{^^satisfied} with the &10 per annum for his other services, and I dare
say will merit it by his attention to keep things in
order. The house too, you have left in very good hands.
Betty Marvin keeps every thing vastly clean and neat.
I found every thing very comfortable whilst I was there
I am quite surprised considering how amazingly you
must have been hurried, that you was able to leave
every thing in such order, particularly your accounts,
which are uncommonly clear and intelligible. Woolley
thinks the Lownd people will join with Caulton in taking
the Tythes, and that the Tythes of Toft may be advanced to
the same sum as Lownd without risque or difficulty, this
will be settled in November. Goodlad and Spreckley brought
only half a years rent, but as I insisted on their paying
up, they Sprekcley went again to Goodlad, and got his share,
much against the grain I am told, for I did not see him
myself. But as Spreckly continues your Tenant and
seemed to think it very hard, I permitted him to keep
back £10, for which I took the {^^two} Brothers joint note of
hand to be paid in Nov:^r - Exton gave me a good
deal of trouble about his estate; he rated it at £61 a year
and asked £10000 for it. But after ma{^ⁿ} delays and put-
offs and lowering his price by twenty pound at a time,
he agreed to let me have it the morning I came away
and I purchased it for you £16,000. This I found
was the lowest he would go, and indeed nothing would
have induced him to go so low, but the inducement of
letting have £100 immediately to buy stock, which his
farm is {^^almost} totally destitute of, if we had not then agreed he
would immediately have advertised it and sold it in lotts.
I have sent £100 to M^r Torkington who is to let him have
it as soon as he can do it with safety, and the rest of the

[f.77]

money is to be paid in three months. I really think it is not
bought dear, Exton now promises to apply heartily to business, he
has taken the whole at £50 a year, except eight acres of
woodland that is to be fenced off, this and the great quantity
of buildings on the premises are at least worth the additional
£100. Exton’s rent commences from last Lady day, this was
his own proposal. I xxx am glad I was able to succeed in
this business, as on many accounts it must be an agreeable
thing to you. Their way I propose to settle it, and which
I hope will have your approbation (as in my present situa-
tion I am sure my dear Brother would not permit me to
lessen my own income on his account) is to lend you the
£1600 at 4 per cent, which is the interest I receive from
Lord Craven, and to place the rent of the estate &c to
your account, and act in every respect as if it was
your estate, which of course it shall be whenever you
wish to have it as I could have no other and but
your convenience in making the purchase.
Spreckley’s Barn is finished, and is a very good {^^one} the old door
do again. The Baker is got into his house, which he likes,
and has opened a little shop, where Woolley formerly kept
his. Nathan Hill after threatening hard, went out without
any difficulty. Sherwood has made the wood fences pretty
secure, I have desired Woolley to see he keeps them so. You
left a considerable part of the new plantation fenced only
with posts and rails without any quick, would not you have
one set there? It is almost pity to defer it, as it must be
done some time and it will daily {^<sup>if planted} be getting a good fence.
If you approve it, I will have it done next autumn, While
I think of it two, would not it be proper to insure your
house. if it not done already? If you will inform
me what sum you would have insured on it I will
have it done immediately.
You must have heard of the Death of Ld Chatham I imagine, he is
to be buried at the public expense, and government at the desire of
the House of Commons have settled £4 {^4}000 a year on the title for
ever. The foreign Gazettes given you an account of the King
& Queen’s visit to Portsmouth, the militia are to be formed into
three encampments this summer which the King likewise mean
to visit. The Lincolnshire were received in the rent day, which

[f.77v]

was the 12th of may as the 10th was on sunday, and monday was Stamford
fair. The officers gave a public breakfast at the stand which was
attended by all the neighbourhood. Lady Sophia Neville presided. I wrote
to you from Benham about a month ago, à la poste restante à
Lyon. In future as I have since got a list of Sir Robt Herrius’s
correspondents I shall direct chez-eux. Charles wrote to you two
at Lyons, but is apprehensive his letter would not reach you.
Mr Orme is to be Master of Oakham school, Mr Turner is dismissed
xxxx
Mrs Tyson is in a
very bad way and cannot hold it long. I shall direct this
to Geneva as the most likely place to find you, whether you
accomplish your journey to Mountserrat or not. You will find
Mr Blair (who you have probably seen at Lord Burgashes) and Mr
H. Churchill, near Geneva, the latter I spent a summer with
at Combe two years ago, he is a very good humoured man.
Curtuis & webb have appeared with a whereas in the Gazette
but the latter still keeps up his spirits and is more to be
envied than pitied. – As the casks at Wytham seemed to be
decaying very fast by the dampness of the cellar, and standing
empty. I have ordered them to be well scalded and cleaned &
put in the Brewhouse.
The following is an abstract of your account. […]

[not transcribed]

[…]

I have told him not to send you any bills for it, till he has farther directions
from you or me, I hope in this and else I have done I shall have
your approbation.

[f.78]

procure you some letters of introduction – Lady Craven has
been acting a play in Berkshire a translation if her own from
the French, she calls it the sleep walker, if you wish to peruse
it in the original it is the Somnambule. The translation was
but flat but it went off pretty well in the acting. Once more
adieu may you enjoy health and happiness till we see you
again in England is the sincere wish of my dear Brother’s
truly affectionate
R. A. Johnson
Mrs Craven and Mrs Johnson desire their cordial good wishes &c

[change of orientation]

A Monsr
Monsr: Johnson
Chez messrs Lullin de Tournes & Masbou
a Geneve

[change of orientation]

The hot weather you mention to have had at Paris, we experienced in
England, we sat without fires in April, but it changed to cold wind
rain and snow in passion week, and we have since had nothing
like summer till yesterday and to day, but now the weather seems
settled and very pleasant.

[f.78v]

As I find notwithstanding my having taken a sheet of large paper that I
am obliged to make a double letter of this. I am determined not to send
you a blank cover. poor old Trim at Witham is in very good cure
though he looks quite an old Veteran, most of his senses fail him, he is
almost deaf and blind. but he has not forgot his old customs but came
every morning to scratch at my door. Charles this instant has
wrote me word he has gone through all the necessary forms and
is a Fellow on the old foundation, which though there was but
little doubt of his being elected I am sure you will be glad to
hear.
You travelled to Paris by the same route that I returned
from it, the country is pleasant but I think it still more so
in the environs of Lyons. Farther south, the sun will already
have given appearance of barrenness to the fields, you will see
few things green except the Vineyards the mulberry trees and the
dusty Olive. I am curious to know if you reach Montserrat, and to
hear what you say of the Glaciers. Mr Coxe (the member for Somersetshire)
is coming over again, to take a second trip to them. As we feel
interested on every thing that related to you, I hope my dear
Brother you will be so kind to give up ample accounts of what
= ever you meet with. And I beg you will not forget to ar[damaged]
me about the allowance for the rent day, the setting [damaged]
quick about the new plantations, and insuring your hou[damaged]
any other things you wish to have done I will as an[damaged]
able see completed.
Lord Exeter was in Town, when I was in
Lincolnshire, so I had not an opportunity of saying you called
on him, but I shall certainly mention it in Novem:{^r} when
I mean to wait on him. – I got the letter you wrote from
Calais, & Charles received one you wrote from [damaged] {^Calais} these
two are the only ones we have has, I mention this as
at a distance it is pleasant to know what letters have been
received and what {^have} miscarried. I must now bid you adieu
my dear Brother, my little folks are very well, and already
grown almost out of your knowledge. The Wadhulls are coming
to us next month, and we hope to see my sister & Charles
here before the end of the summer. I shall hope to hear from
you soon, and if you will let me know the places you
think of making any stay at in Italy, I will endeavour to</sup>