“I wish to possess a castle in Bohemia. My good aunt Mary has the like desire; and as there are two castles to be had there, together with twelve villages (enough to qualify me in all conscience for a baron of the holy Roman empire), I beseech you, with as little loss of time as may be, to transmit, in such manner as Herries may best direct, the sum of two pounds to W. H. Reinganum, Banquier, No. 13. Rue Zeil, Frankfort sur Maine, to purchase one ticket in my name, and one in my aunt Mary’s, in the lottery for the seven estates in Bohemia, which are to be played for at Vienna on the 1st of next month; and I invite you, Grosvenor, to purchase a ticket also, and let us go shares in the adventure; and if we get the prize, we will make a merry and memorable journey to Prague, and you shall take your choice of seven titles for your baronship, to wit, Zieken, Wolschow, Koyschitz, Shunkau, Libietitz, Prytanitz, and Oberstankau.
“Just suppose, Grosvenor, that Fortune, in one of her freaks, was to give us
this prize, and we were to set out for the purpose of taking possession of
twelve villages, two chateaux, seven farms, and several mills and manufactures,
and valued judicially at 894,755 florins of Vienna. I suppose the inhabitants
are included. The notion, I think, will amuse you as much as it does us. So buy
the tickets, Grosvenor.
| Ætat. 47. | OF ROBERT SOUTHEY. | 95 |
“So God bless you, Grosvenor! and make us both barons, and my aunt a Bohemian baroness.
