My dear Sir,

Stratton Street. March 8. 1793

I hope and trust you have passed a more agreeable winter than I have done, in the midst of Apozems,¹ and elmulsions [sic], which are ever my aversion, & never do good. my confinement has been perpetual; In the winter I am forced to roll myself up, like a wood:louse, and be content to remain in a torpid state, even in such days, as invite reptiles, apparently worse than myself, to crawl about; in short I am a non discript animal, that would puzzle the best naturalist of you all.

I have at last got two copies upon large paper of the new Edition of London, one of which, I shall keep till I have the pleasure of seeing you, or of receiving your directions about; the other I shall pay for, and take care it is not charged to your account; there is no reason why it should be so. Faulder, the Prince of puzzle pates, has sent the Plates quite imperfect, and two of them so torn, and rumpled, that I have sent them back to be changed, together with half a dozen sheets of the letter press, which are too dirty for our use.

The early intelligence the publishers of news:papers now contrive to procure, has completely ruin’d all private informations, which correspondents heretofore, were mutually enabled to oblige their friends with. every thing by way of news nowadays, from a private pen, comes in, lagging, like a distanc’d horse.

It is a matter of great pleasure to every body to know, that the troops are arriv’d in Holland, safe, and well – our fears about them, were by no means groundless. they sail’d in too great a hurry, and not well equip’d. one of the transports forgot to take any ballast on board; some of the cannon were intended for that purpose, but it did not arrive in time, and so they sail’d without even a gravel Ballast.

There seems but one opinion about Breda, – that it was lost by treachery.² the Riots in Paris, and Lyons, and in others of their provinces, begin to grow charmingly Lawless.³

A Seperate Peace, between the Prussians, and the French, is already talked of, but surely without foundation, tho’, I for one, have a bad opinion of Frederick.

Our best good wishes, attend you and yours, as always, and I am Dear Sir, Your oblig’d and faithful
Humble servant

R^d: Bull

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Editorial notes

1. Med. A decoction or infusion.
2. The French general Charles-François du Périer Dumouriez led an offensive into Holland in February 1793, taking Breda on 25 February. Jones, Longman Companion to the French Revolution, p. 26.
3. The Kentish Gazette, 5 March 1793, reports on the capture of Breda by French forces, on 'dreadful riots' at Lyons, and on the recent attack on 'persons at Paris selling provisions, bakers, grocers, &c . . . by a hungry and powerful mob'.