I have many other things to say of this man of war, which I shall
communicate in a post or two; mean while, it is but reasonable
that you should be indulged with some respite from those weary
lucubrations of
Yours,
J. MELFORD
NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE, July 10.
To Sir WATKIN PHILLIPS Bart. of Jesus college, Oxon.
DEAR PHILLIPS,
In my last I treated you with a high flavoured dish, in the
character of the Scotch lieutenant, and I must present him once
more for your entertainment. It was our fortune to feed upon him
the best part of three days; and I do not doubt that he will
start again in our way before we shall have finished our northern
excursion. The day after our meeting with him at Durham proved so
tempestuous that we did not choose to proceed on our journey; and
my uncle persuaded him to stay till the weather should clear up,
giving him, at the same time, a general invitation to our mess.
The man has certainly gathered a whole budget of shrewd
observations, but he brings them forth in such an ungracious
manner as would be extremely disgusting, if it was not marked by
that characteristic oddity which never fails to attract the
attention -- He and Mr Bramble discoursed, and even disputed, on
different subjects in war, policy, the belles lettres, law, and
metaphysics; and sometimes they were warmed into such altercation
as seemed to threaten an abrupt dissolution of their society; but
Mr Bramble set a guard over his own irascibility, the more
vigilantly as the officer was his guest; and when, in spite of
all his efforts, he began to wax warm, the other prudently cooled
in the same proportion.
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