e thing is done; and so now I betake myself to
a Boat, whether on this River here, or on the Sea at the Mouth of it.

Books you see I have nothing to say about. The Boy who came to read to
me made such blundering Work that I was forced to confine him to a
Newspaper, where his Blunders were often as entertaining as the Text
which he mistook. We had 'hangarues' in the French Assembly, and, on one
occasion, 'ironclad Laughter from the Extreme Left.' Once again, at the
conclusion of the London news, 'Consolations closed at 91, ex Div.'--And
so on. You know how illiterate People will jump at a Word they don't
know, and twist it in[to] some word they are familiar with. I was
telling some of these Blunders to a very quiet Clergyman here some while
ago, and he assured me that a poor Woman, reading the Bible to his
Mother, read off glibly, 'Stand at a Gate and swallow a Candle.' I
believe this was no Joke of his: whether it were or not, here you have it
for what you may think it worth.

I should be glad to hear that you think Donne looking and seeming well.
Archdeacon Groome, who saw him lately, thought he looked very jaded:
which I could not wonder at. Donne, however, writes as if in good
Spirits--brave Man as he is--and I hope you will be able to tell me that
he is not so much amiss. He said that he was to be at the Wedding.

You will tell me too how long you remain in England; I fancy, till
Winter: and then you will go to Rome again, with its new Dynasty
installed in it. I fancy I should not like that so well as the old; but
I suppose it's better for the Country.

I see my Namesake (Percy) Fitzgerald advertizes a Book about the Kembles.
That I shall manage to get sight of. He made far too long work of
Garrick. I should have thought the Booksellers did not find that pay,
judging by the price to which Garrick soon came down. Half of it would
have been enough.

Now I am going for a Sail on the famous River Deben, to pass by the same
fields of green Wheat, Barley, Rye, and Beet-root, and come back to the
same Dinner. Positively the only new thing we have in Woodbridge is a
Waxen Bust (Lady, of course) at the little Hairdresser's opposite. She
turns slowly round, to our wonder and delight; and I caught the little
Barber the other day in the very Act of winding her up to run her daily
Stage of Duty. Well; she has not got to answer Letters, as poor Mrs.
Kemble must do to hers always sincerely

E. F.G.

I