“Dear Sir,—Mamma has got franks for each of us to send you a letter, and hopes you will not think us too troublesome. We are all going to-morrow to Hampstead Heath to spend a whole day, and Mr and Mrs Mulready, Mr and Miss Dawe, and Mr Linnell, are all going with us. Mr Linnell and Mr Mulready will sketch part of the time, which will be very amusing, and I hope to do something in the same way, which, when you come home, you will see. I think you have had very fine weather for your journey, which is very fortunate; and we are all thinking we shall have a rainy day for Fanny’s birthday. It has been fine weather for bathing, and I have already been into Pearly’s Pool twice, which, by the by, is now Watt’s Pool, and can swim much better than last summer, and we can subscribe monthly or quarterly. But now I should wish to know something of your journey, how you find poor grandmamma. I hope she is not worse. Pray send us word whether she knows or can converse with you. We were very much baulked at finding we did not say either our history or lecture, as we had learned it so very perfect; and as you will be home to Fanny’s birthday, on the Saturday after next, we hope to say it to you on the Sunday.
“I hope that Mr Capel Lofft and his family will be well, and that he will tell you a few odd stories to tell us. William does not talk of you and when you will come back, at which I am not a little surprised.
“Mr Mulready says that Linnell is the best painter he knows, and I asked him if he was as good as Wilkie, and he said that Wilkie painted better, but that Linnell had a great deal more taste; he says I have got a cleverer master than I think for. I think him very clever; as to his being the best painter in England, I cannot believe it.
| LAST LETTER FROM MRS GODWIN, SEN. | 169 |
“I was at Mr Mulready’s on Thursday when he told me all this, and at the same time gave me a lecture on boxing, and he says that Linnell is almost as good a boxer as himself.
“When mamma went to Mr Mulready’s to invite him, Linnell was there, and mamma, thinking it would be a civility to make him know a little more of us, asked him to be of the party, to which he answered in his bluff way, It’s too hot. Mamma then asked him to consider of it, and he said, I’m obliged to you, ma’am; I’ll go, and so it was agreed. . . .
“Farewell, dear Sir, and I still remain your ever affectionate son-in-law,
“P.S.—As we cannot all of us expect a whole letter apiece from you, you will be so good as to send a line or two to each of us in your next letter to mamma.”
