My dear Sir

Stratton Street. May 9. 1796

If you have not quite forgot such an unhappy Parent as I am, who has lost the life and soul, of all his earthly satisfactions, permit me to tell you, that I have bought your Whiteford and Holywell, from whence I have, as usual from all your publications, reaped instruction, and much amusement. my reason for troubling you just now, is to enquire, whether you think M^r Grifyth would ornament its Margins with his pencil, as if so, I would get it hot press’d, and sent to him, by any conveyance you may recommend, and I will be content to wait for it untill my return to town next November, leaving it to him to do it in any manner he thinks best. Arms, and views I like extremely, and should there be a call for natural history of any kind, I am not a stranger to his merits in that line, and shall wish for such additions. We have pass’d a most melancholy winter, and I, for one, have scarce ever spent an evening out of my own house. my poor wretch’d daughter is, as I expected, much worse than her father, and we know not where to look for comfort. We are going soon to spend a little time at the Grove, and at other places, and then to NorthCourt, the place of all others we like best, but where we are sure of being [...] most miserable. God knows, and our hearts know, how much we lov'd our dear Relative. -

I venture to send you the enclos’d design, not for any merit it can pretend to, but for your approbation, and correction, because no man has more feeling than yourself, or hardly so much.¹ pray return it in a post or two, because the artist is now about it, and has occasion for it. don’t wait for the trumpery convenience of a frank, when you write to me upon this, or upon any other occasion. To become pulvis et umbra² has no terrors for me, all I have to wish, is to live without pain, and to die without fear. You have had more than your share of domestic misfortunes, but I hope your present family happiness has encreas’d, is encreasing, and (I am sure) ought not to be diminish’d. Rainsford sends you many good wishes. –

The field of Politic’s is too large for me to enter upon –. Some of Pitt's manœuvre’s are bad, and some of his taxes almost intollerable, but upon the whole, he has more sense, and more virtue, and much more integrity than any of his Predecessors.

The Parliament is talk’d of, as being disolved this month, but I hardly can suppose it will happen before the birth day,³ because that scheme would injure trade materially, by carring [sic] so many people from the Capital at such an expensive moment.

My poor Daughter desires me to send you all her best remembrances, and I sincerely wish you and yours all health and happiness, Stet Fortuna Domus.⁴

I am Dear Sir, yours always

Rich^d: Bull

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Editorial notes

1. The enclosure is not included with the letter. It is probably a design for some form of commemoration to Catherine Bull. See 1192. A description of the mausoleum to Catherine Bull, including quotations of poetry in English, is found in John Albin, Vectiana, or a Companion to the Isle of Wight (5th edn., Newport, Isle of Wight: J. Albin, 1806), pp. 48–50.
2. 'dust and shadow'.
3. This probably refers to the birthday of George III, on 24 May.
4. 'Let the fortune of the house stand'.