LY HONOURED LADY,

A violent storm and an incessant pour of rain prevented our arriving at
Calais till this evening (where I am now writing to you), and to-morrow
at seven in the morning we cross the sea to London. I promised to write
from Brussels, but we could only stay there an hour. I am very well,
thank God! although somewhat thinner, owing to fatigue, irregular sleep,
and eating and drinking so many different things. A few days hence I
will describe the rest of my journey, but I must beg you to excuse me
for to-day. I hope to heaven that you and your husband and children are
all well.

I am, with high esteem, etc., yours,

HAYDN.

To Frau v. Genzinger.

LONDON, Jan. 8, 1791.

I thought that you had received my last letter from Calais. I ought,
indeed, according to my promise, to have sent you some tidings of myself
when I arrived in London, but I preferred waiting a few days that I
might detail various incidents to you. I must now tell you that on New
Year's Day, after attending early mass, I took ship at half-past seven
o'clock a.m., and at five o'clock in the afternoon arrived safe and well
at Dover, for which Heaven be praised! During the first four hours there
was scarcely any wind, and the vessel made so little way that in that
time we only went one English mile, there being twenty-four between
Calais and Dover. The ship's captain, in the worst possible humour,
said that if the wind did not change we should be at sea all night.
Fortunately, however, towards half-past eleven o'clock such a favourable
breeze began to blow that by four o'clock we had come twenty-two miles.
As the ebb of the tide prevented our large vessel making the pier, two
small boats were rowed out to meet us, into which we and our luggage
were transferred, and at last we landed safely, though exposed to a
sharp gale. The large vessel stood out to sea five hours longer, till
the tide carried it into the harbour. Some of the passengers, being
afraid to trust themselves in the small boats, stayed on board, but I
followed the example of the greater number. I remained on deck during
the whole passage, in order to gaze my fill at that huge monster, the
Ocean. So long as there was a calm I had no fears, but when at length
a violent wind began to blow, rising every minute, and I saw the
boisterous high waves running on, I was seized with a little alarm,
and a little indisposition likewise. But I overcame it all, and arrived
safely in ha