Indeed your packet was very wel-
come; for I longed much to hear from
you after so long an Interruption of
Franks. The MusickMusic piece was im-
mediately dispatched; for I have now
no Acquaintance in that Science to gra-
tify with it; so to a Land of MusickMusic it
is gone, where, no doubt, it will
please. For the Cantata, my dear
Sir, you have my best Thanks. I
really think it an agreeable, sensi-
ble performance. If it is not al-
ready, it will be printed in one of
our daily papers, probably, in the
celebrated publickpublic Advertiser, in qchwhich
the South-Briton was published, qchwhich
made such a Noise.

Has Dr Shebbeere’s pamphlet
reached you? ‘Tis a curious per-
formance, a strange Mixture; de-
fends the Ministry both as to their
Measures with the Americans &and
the Canada-Bill: but makes very
free with the Revolution, &and the Prince
of Orange’s Character, whom he makes
a very Devil indeed.

The Countess of Galloway is really
a fine Lady, &and truly well bred; has
many Virtues, yet, I fear, will be
troublesome to you: you must be u-
pon your Guard, not to be put to In-
convenience by too great Com-
plaisance, which Ladies of Quality
do not always consider, when they
accept the kind Offices of their Friends.
The good Lady, I am apt to believe,
has been, &and is, ill used by some of
her Family, &and yet withal I fear her
Ladyship has her Failings. Pray, Sir,
with my best Respects to her Lady-
ship, be so good as to tell her, the 2086 (2086) Coachman would not abate any Thinganything
of his Bill, viz, 2:7:6. which Mr
Bond paid him, &and had his Receipt upon
the Bill, which I have somewhere miss-
laidmislaid, &and cannot lay my Hands upon it
at present.

The Account you give me of B.Bishop
Kilgour’s Absence gives me a sen-
sible Pleasure. Happy was it, you
were both of a Mind, &and that you, Sir,
stood your Ground. Permit me, Sir,
to ask, was it a pleasure of the
Primus’s?

Poor Lady Gask! I fear, her late
Voyaging &and Journeying did not
tend much to prolong her Life.
Her worthy Husband &and the Chil-
dren must suffer a great Loss, tho’though
I doubt not her Departure, to her-
self is Gain. Requiescat in Pace.
Her parting with her Husband &and
the dear Bairns, must have been
very affecting. May they all be ever in
God’s special Keeping! Pray, dear
Sir, let my affectionate Condolence
^be made to our most worthy Friend,
Gask (Whom I greatly honour for
his many Virtues) on the next Oc-
casion you have of writing. I am
glad, you have provided a Gen- 2087(2087)tleman to be in the Family in
a double Capacity. May they all
have Comfort &and Benefit in each
other!

So that infamous Woman &and her
not less infamous Companion
have had the Effrontery to appear
in Scotland together; &and what
sort of people must they be, that
would countenance such an adulte-
rous Brood! Can his Brother be
possessed of ₤1000 per Annum,
to settle upon them? It looks
much like vain Boasting, &and what
we call Bounce. I cannot credit
it. Mrs Strachan, mentioned a-
bove, is gone down to be House-
Keeper at Burnhall on my Wife’s
Recommendation, &and a very fit per-
son she appears to be. Sister Smith
has been now near three Months
near us, and, thank God, holds
pure well this rugged Season; for
it is both Frost &and Snow, which
my poor Fingers &and Writing do but
too plainly show. Sister Smith hath
given the Use of Burnhall &and all
in it to her Grandson &and his Wife till
May next. She looks to lie in about 2088 (2088) Christmas.

Having now tired your Eyes &and Pa-
tience too, perhaps, I must relieve
my good Friend, concluding myself
his ever affectionately &and faithfully