Letter CXLII To Mr. o ——
July 1, 1780.
DEAR BROTHER,
Shall I rejoice or condole with you upon this new acquaintance you have made? How the devil it found you out, I cannot imagine—I suppose the father of mischief sent it to some richer neighbour at a greater house; but as Johnny O—— was a character better known, and much more esteemed, the gout thought he might as well just take a peep at F——m, liked the place, and the man of the place—and so, nestling into your shoe, quite forgot his real errand:—thy guardian angel watched the whole procedure—quoth he, “I cannot wholly avert evils—but I can turn them into blessings.—This transitory pain shall not only refine his blood, and cleanse him from other disorders—it shall also lengthen his life, and purify his heart:—the hour of affliction is the seed-time of reflection—the good shall greatly over-balance the evil.”——As I am unfortunately an adept in the gout, I ought to send you a cart-load of cautions and advice—talk nonsense about tight shoes, &c. with a farrago of stuff more teazing than the pain;—but I hear the ladies visit you—and, what’s better, friendship in the shape of Messieurs S——k and B——n were seen to enter the palace of F——. I supped last night with Dr. R——, where your health was drunk, and your gout pretty freely canvassed.
God orders all for the best.
Yours, &c.
I. SANCHO.