301. Robert Bloomfield to Hannah
Bloomfield, 18 March 1816*
Shefford. March 18. 1816
My Dear life
Yours gave me and all of us great pleasure. I am rejoiced to find
that you are coming home, even for a little while. We will make the most of it I
warrant you, you shall go to bed every night with a sore throat from talking,
and get up in the morning and dread your days work: but how, my Soul will you
get home? how stands your cash? you cannot have enough surely to get home either
way? And it so happens that I have no supply for you, I have only a £60 Bill,
not due till the middle of the summer! unfortunate. to get ready money now seems as impossible as to dig Diamonds. But I advise
you—do not start,—to state your case, or rather mine, to Mrs Lockwood, or Mr Bird. If either will furnish you
with two or three pounds I will pay them with the first money that comes into my
hands. If you have enough to get to London with, borrow half a guinea there to
come down to Shefford with, for you may
ride to Shefford for 8s outside, as we
have extra coaches, and a grand opposition. You will see by this that I have no
hope of meeting you at Cambridge. There is a Coach lately established which runs
from Cambridge to Oxford, and passes through Bedford &c, but even with
this you must, I apprehend, sleep a night at Cambridge and be merely set down at
Bedford where somebody must meet you. You know how gladly I would meet you if I
could, but besides the complaint in my pocket, I have others which I must in
justice inform you of.
For some weeks past I had been troubled with an incessant
sickness at the stomach which would neither take or keep food, and soon after
came on an inflammation in the right leg, which completely lamed me for many
days. I applied to Gaye yesterday week, and he has cured the leg by consistent
soaking of rags dipt in a cold Lotion, it is now perfect again, only braced with
a 4 yard bandage, or roller. I have likewise taken some internal medicine which
makes me eat heartily, and I expect to be quite well very soon; yet you will see
that to ride or to walk too much just now would be imprudent, to say the least
of it. Let this likewise stand for my excuse for not visiting Bury; but how shall I sufficiently
thank Mr & Mrs Lockwood
for their kind and lasting friendship to you and myself? I hope Mr Lockwood is better than when
you wrote last. I have got into a thick correspondence occasiond by the Suffolk
Gents endeavouring to do me good, [1] but it is impossible to give you
knowledge of the matter by letter. Come and talk with me, Weston is gone, [illegible deleted
words]—Take notice, I expect a letter on Sunday morning to
say when you start for London, and all about it, be precise, but not
precipitate, in all you do; and write to Uncle Nat that they may meet you at the Bull, They live close by, and
go three nights as well as one, if you cannot appoint a certain day. I shall write to London tomorrow and will give them a
hint that you are coming &c. Ride inside if you can borrow or steal the
money, for March is not to be trusted a moment.
Health and happiness to you now and for ever.
Your Old Dad.
How is Aunt Kate?
Address: Miss Bloomfield, / Ed Lockwood's Esq, / nr Angel Hill, / Bury, / Sfk