The postmark upon your letter excited, as you supposed it would, an apprehension in me which I was truly glad to have removed by its contents. If the weather which we have had here has extended to the Lands end, you may very possibly be detained there still, for of all the seasons which we remember, this has been the worst, for continual rain & tempest. Since Harry left us,

I believe we have never had two dry days in succession.

Mrs C. & her daugher are gone upon a round of visits, the extent of which they hardly know themselves. They went first to Derby

meaning to remain there a week, – & they have staid a month. Their next move is to Clarkson’s who is living near Ipswich, – there I suppose they will be in a day or two, & may probably pass their Christmas. From thence they go to Highgate,

– lastly to Somersetshire to visit Poole, – & to Ottery

if they are invited. It may be prudent for you to manage that Saras visit to John Coleridge does not take place during a vacation; – they

can have no other opportunity of meeting; – & as matters now are, on this side at least, you may then be perfectly <at> ease. She is heartwhole, – the affair never gave her half the uneasiness it did you.

John, I dare say, will fall in at Exeter

with the son of my good friend Lightfoot. – My name will naturally draw them together. I have never <seen> young Lightfoot, but from all which I have heard of him, his sterling qualities would render him a valuable acquaintance for John, – if they should take to each other.

Adam Clark has written me a very friendly letter, which I have not answered, because I have been expecting to receive the manuscript. I shall not however delay answering it much longer in that expectation.

And now to that pleasant paragraph in your letter relating to the strong beer. Direct it to M^r Cookson, Kendal,

& put an S upon the direction, that he may know it is for me. The day that <this> your xxx intimation arrived, I drew a cork upon the strength of it, & indulged in your health. Strong beer is so good a thing, that xx even if my lot had fallen in a land flowing with milk & honey,

I should wish for a rivulet of it; – & then I would always bottle enough to be provided against a dry season.

Since I wrote to you, – or rather since Harry departed, I have been sedulously employed, tho not always productively; – about half my time having been bestowed upon a collection of papers from Frere, – which is of course preparatory work.

I finished the QR. paper upon Gregoires book,

– which is to pay my Christmas bills, – I have gone on with the B of the Church, (of which I am now composing the most important chapter, – a view of the R Catholic system)

– & I am about – invitâ Minervâ

– to compose an Ode, – an odious employment.

Your intelligence of John Coleridge is the last that I have received. It is a long while since I have had any news from London, so that I know nothing concerning Giffords state; – but if he recovers, – it must I think, still be necessary that the succession should be settled. My part is done, – both to him & to Murray

I expressed myself in strong terms; & as something was said that the successor must be a person in whom the Government could confide I wrote also to Wynn.

If the arrangement is made, I hope & believe that it will be both for the public good, & for the benefit of all parties concerned. I do not think that so proper an editor could have been found in any other person. And I believe that instead of injuring him in his profession, it will advance him in it, & save him from the necessity of drudging at it, & sacrificing himself to it, – for a miserable sacrifice it is when a man who is capable of being something better, becomes a mere lawyer. – Few things will give me more pleasure than to direct my communications to him.

We are going on well, thank God, – tho we had a frightful alarm about Cuthbert a few weeks ago. He had an attack of the spurious croup,

from which he recovered much sooner than his mother did from the effects of her anxiety. His archbishoprick (which he is still bent upon possessing) being in the future in rus,

Bedford has made him a rural Dean, – as the first step & at present his Very Reverence goes by that appellation. I have shown him pictures of Lambeth & Canterbury,

& it would amuse you to hear the gravity with which he talks of those places, – as if they were indefeasably entailed upon him.

The little girls

are very happy, – working on & getting on under their mother, Edith May & myself, – my share is confined to some of the languages. Your goddaughter is in excellent health & spirits; & yet it must needs be a disappointment that she cannot visit London this ensuing spring, Mrs C- & Sara being absent. You saw her during her grasshopper season;

but you would not be less pleased were you to see her as intent & chearful in business, as she ever was in pleasure; constantly employed, – alert & active. – Hartley is here, – he came over yesterday for a few days.

I suppose my first volume

will very shortly appear, – & am curious to see what will be said about the payment for it.

Upon that subject you shall hear from me as I know what is proposed. God bless you – present our kindest regards to Mrs May & your household – accept them yourself – especially from your god Daughter, & believe me ever truly & affectionately yours