Downing Nov^r 2^d. 1783.

Dear Sir

I hope this will meet you safely returned from your terrestrial paradise – the isle of wight. you would have certainly mispent your time at Chester numerous as the meeting was & well conducted, the music.¹ M^rs Pennant & I have this summer been considerable ramblers in the visiting way: we are now settled for the winter. & I hope to fix comfortably to my studies during the cold season. But I want a M^r Bull to stimulate, to support & council [sic] me – for all our amusements are to my few neighbors, foolishness. at this time I want everything that can divert my mind from attention to a heavy loss a near frelation & true friend M^r Mytton of Halston who in the vigor of life was last week snatched from [...] us. The goodness of his heart, the finess of his understanding & the elegance of his taste was such, as to make me feel most sensibly his loss. I may say that I have lost a province for Shropshire my maternal country is now become a mere blank to me: but too much of this funebrial subject.²

I have begun by moses's help on the last part of the welsh Tour. Your copy shall by no means be neglected but you must wait with patience; especially when I assure you that you are first in my mind. I have also begun to illustrate a new copy of scotch Tours³, therefore shall be obliged to you for any trumpery. I hear that M^r Thane has done great variety of prints therefore shall be glad of his list. I understand that the heads & tombs to Rapin oct^vo are to be had. I shall be glad if you would enquire, & will chearfully [sic] pay what is reasonable. in my next you shall have Moses Griffith's head. drawn by himself as you requested.

I suppose M^r Storer has left England.⁴ if you write to him be so good as to request him to get the fr. translation of Olaffen [sic] voyage to Iceland a book I cannot do without. with you I lament the times: & the fall of the stocks⁵ having more in than I can afford to lose.

I am Dear Sir
Y^r very faithful
humble Serv^t

Tho. Pennant.

Be so good as to bearer [sic] of the inclosed⁶ & to the best of y^r power, countenance my assurance.

The Pig of Lead⁷ in my next

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Editorial notes

1. For this meeting at Chester on 16 September 1783 see 1027, n. 2.
2. A notice of the death of John Mytton of Halston, praising him for his charity to the poor, his 'affability and gentleness of manners' among his neighbours, and his service to the church, appeared in the Stamford Mercury, 13 November 1783.
3. See 1026, n. 2
4. Storer was appointed secretary of the embassy at Paris on 21 September 1783 and made minister-plenipotentiary on 13 December.
5. For a previous reference to falls in the stock market, see 1027.
6. The recipient of the enclosure is not named.
7. See A tour in Wales (2nd edn., 1784), pp. 58–60, for a discussion of 'Roman Pigs of Lead'.