Here I am after a wide circuit in which among other rememberable occurrences we overturned two men & a woman in a market cart, – & dropt a passenger from the outside, without any other harm done than leaving a law suit between the Cart & the Stage Coach. I sleep at Winchester tomorrow night & proceed to town by the day coach on Wednesday – to leave it for Norwich on Friday evening. I shall look for you on Thursday, if the day be fair & probably bring in my pocket the Dedication to the Czar

xxx in the proof sheet. You perhaps can tell me whether I have there given him his proper titles. The Book

(Laus Deo)

is finished. I put the last hand to it at Crediton, & found the last proofs here. It is I think the best chance I have yet had in the Lottery, & will go far toward my ways & means for a year or two to come. My bargain is for half the profits of the first edition, two thirds of all succeeding ones. And should it obtain a regular demand like certain histories, the eventual profit may by possibility amount to something considerable, & I may get a larger sum for the copyright some years hence than would be given me now.

I must have money from Murray as soon as it is published. But as to apply him now would be rather too much in formâ pauperis,

a matter wherein my interest is more concerned than my dignity, do you lend me 25 £ more, for my current or rather curricular expences: – I leave Norwich on the last of this month, return to London on the 6^th Feby or the 5^th if I can, go to John Mays on the 7^th to town again on Tuesday the 10^th, – & on Friday take the mail for Keswick. How glad I shall be to feel at rest!

Lightfoot & Combe desire to be remembered to you. You will be interested when I describe to you my visit to the latter,

– it would be quite worthy of a chapter in the Sketch Book.