1791

Thomas Beddoes to Davies Giddy, [mid-November 1791]

My dear Friend

Of late I have been so much abroad & my head has been distracted by so great a multiplicity of ideas that instead of a theory of curled potatoes I can only now send you a promise that I will commit it to paper in a few days. It shall then be immediately dispatched by the first frank I can procure & I shall not fail to see a M.P. in the course of a week. I hope you have discovered in the decree respecting the emigrants more solid reasons for thinking well of the Assembly than in what I wrote to you. Isnard’s noble speech is a commentary upon it. A decree of equal energy will persuade the refractory priests to tolerate the laws & the constitution. The one will return to save their property – the other will feel their perturbed spirits [xxxx] <laid> to rest – But will it not drive the discontented to despair? So much the better for the nation at large. The cloud of a counterrevolution will be dashed to pieces against the solid rock of patriotism – & then for clear weather & halcyon days –

If I c^d at this moment write more largely, I w^d enter into particulars about Sadler – I can only now say that I am easy on his acct not that he is going to make a fortune, but he will if he has any prudence be better off than he has ever been – You may expect to hear from Reynolds – whom I say to day – soon – he wishes to consult you about a steam engine – I am going tomorrow with his brother to Birm^h to see a new method of making nails – I send your sister the cap by this post & wish it a good journey – It is not merely one of Mrs R’s caps but the very one you admired –

You will give me credit, with^t my mentioning it, for being above the pedantic etiquette of a regular return of letters – Indeed in communications between you & me, the reciprocity is all on my side – I cannot enter into many of your favourite ideas – You are therefore obliged to accommodate yourself to me – Do not rashly impute the relapse or rather the failure in the case of the dropsical girl to the apothecary – I impute it to the inefficacy of the medicines – I will send a new prescription next letter – I cannot at present

We are going at Ketley to fuse calcareous Earth – You w^d be astonished at Sadlers stupid stiffness in refusing to comply with the ideas of a man who has not only been extremely liberal to him in point of money, but who behaves to him with a degree of tenderness which does him still more honour – But his benefactor is sensible it is for want of knowing better – Sadler settles here immediately

I thought it w^d deserve even an [xxxx] name than incivility if I did not shew by some visible token my sense of your mother’s attention to me – You will be so good as to give her the enclosed letter – & remember me to the Justice & Doctor of Tredrea, whose own personal complaints I hope, are by this time removed – I thought to write about 6 lines & behold – I have spread my dashes over 4 pages – Farewell

Tho^s Beddoes

A MS Portion of the 1^st vol. of the Botanic Garden has been put into my hands. It may amuse <you> in a leisure moment to examine whether the author [?succeeds]

MS: Cornish Archives MS DG 41/42