no. iii.—to mr. benjamin carnaby, brigantine row, deptford, london.

deer bruther,

this is to acnolidge the faver of your verry hash letter as i am complld to call it, both as regard deer bob and that verry wurthy sole, pore mrs. rumsey. i am sory to find you can bare a grug so long, for i am shure she is too obleeging and civil spokin to hav disagred to your smokin in the parler if so be she had none you maid it sich a int. as for her inwigglin me into becummin a step farther to my one child watever old brut bares and cats and dogs may do, i hop my virtu will purtect me from infiddlety to a former ti. as for pore bob, he hav no more sweat toth then all boys is born with, and if he do rite with a bad hand, i nevver cud rite any grate shacks myself on an emti stummach. but that’s what you can’t or won’t inter into, no more than i can inter into cammil’s insids or hostridges eating their old shues and lether caps. in regard to yure advis thanking you all the sam, but meen to foller my hone, not but wat it ware nateral for you to recumend acording to yure

[pg 411]

one line of lif, to wom fiting and dueling is sekonand nater. as such hammer and tonges and blazin away pistles wood be quit in yure spear, but as for my wantin satisfaxion of doctor darby, and shuting his fore feet, or his hind feet ether, or inded any wares els, is moor than i coud promis tho no dout ment kindly, but i am nun of yure wingin amers. besids being agin the bibil and gospil and only fit for gentilmen born. still i tak as frendly ment, as well as yure offir to git yure nevy a siteation on bord ship witch wood be a shure way to hurry my dissent to the tom. the see always was a haw to my mind, and if it litind or a grate hevvy gal came, i shod transpire with frite; or be thinkin on fogie nites of the ship lossing her way and gittin out of her depth. howsumever i feal grateful for the horible idear, tho i cant xcept, and in meen time have rit to dr.

[pg 412]

d. to remonsterit and ask him to say candiddle wether he hav starvd deer bob and ruind his mind or no. i faver with a coppy of mine and will foreward hisn wen it cum, and as my gowt is mendin, mayhap i may go down to rumfud sum of thes days, and luck into every think with my one ize.

i am deer benjamin

yure luving bruther

john carnaby.