I hope you are all well after the fatigues of London, and
enjoying the north as much as I do the west. I can conceive no greater
happiness than that of a Minister in such times escaping to his country-seat.
The discharged debtor,—the bird escaped from the cagedoor, have no feelings of
liberty which equal it. Have you any company? For your own sakes, I wish not.
You must be sick of the human countenance, and it must be a relief to you to
see a cow instead of a christian. We have had here the Morleys and Lady Davy,
and many others unknown to you. Our evils have been, want of rain, and
scarlet-fever in our village;
346 | MEMOIR OF THE REV. SYDNEY SMITH. |
The ——s are with us. Mrs. —— confined to her sofa a close prisoner. I was forced to decline seeing Malthus, who came this way. I am convinced her last accident was entirely owing to his visit.
I am so engaged in the nonsensical details of a country life, that I have hardly looked at a book; the only one I have read with pleasure is Sturt’s ‘Discoveries in New Holland.’ There must be a great degree of felony and larceny in my composition, for I have great curiosity about that country; and if Lord Grey’s friendship and kindness had left me anything to desire, I should ask to be Governor of Botany Bay.