London. Tuesday night
May 1800
Dear George
During the first fourteen miles of my journey I had composed a
dozen or fourteen lines on a subject which you may guess at: but it happened
that at Newmarket we took up two ladies and a child; these people put their
nursery maid outside: and it became my lott (as well from necessity as choice)
to put round her my mighty arm to keep her from falling: this, though it did not
destroy the fire of the Muse, destroyed its consistency, and method &c
&c &c. ——
She was about seventeen; and from a fancy'd similarity of manners
reminded me of Phoebe in the Tale; [1]
I was safe landed in Bishopsgate Stt — breakfasted at Newmarket
at 8, Oclock, and rode 7 hours before dinner, dining at Epping at 3, — found all
friends well
R Bloomfield
P.S.my wife says that I have
wrote the latter part of my letter backward, that the story don't go from
Epping to Bishopsgate but from Bishopsgate to Epping. You may lay it to
Phoebe if you will —