i humbly trust to your lordship’s liberality, and goodness of heart, to view the particulars of the above melancholy statement with attentive consideration. as it may occur to inquire how we have suffered so long without complaining, i beg to inform your lordship, that, being such a time of profound peace, we have lived on from year to year in the hope that no more ammunition would be required; and consequently the place would be

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come a comfortable sinecure. but it appears that spain and portugal, and other countries, have gone to war on condition of being supplied with gunpowder; and accordingly, to our bitter disappointment, the works are as vigorous as ever. your lordship will admit the hardship of such a cruel position to a man of mr. d.’s very peculiar constitution; and i do hope and trust will also regard his interests with a favourable eye, in consideration of his long-standing claims upon the country. what his friends most desire for him is, some official situation,—of course with a sufficient income to support his consequence, and a numerous family,—but without any business attached to it, or only as much as might help to amuse his mind for one or two hours in the day. such a removal, considering my husband’s unfitness for anything else, could occasion no sort of injury to the public service; particularly as his vacancy would be so easy to fill up. there are hundreds and thousands of land and sea officers on half pay, who have been used to popping, and banging, and blowing up rockets and bomb-shells, all their lives; and would, therefore, not object to the powder mills; especially as the salary is handsome, with a rent-free house and garden, coal and candles, and all the other little perquisites that belong to public posts. as regards ourselves on the contrary, any interest is preferable to the gunpowder interest; and i take upon myself to say, that mr. d. would be most proud and happy to receive any favour from your lordship’s administration; as well as answering for his pursuing any line of political principles, conservative or unconservative, that might be chalked out. any such act of patronage would command the eternal gratitude of mr. d., self, and family; and, repeating a thousand apologies for thus addressing, i beg leave to remain

your lordship’s most humble, obedient, and devoted servant,

lucy emily dexter.

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p.s.—since writing the above, i am sorry to inform your lordship, that we have had another little blow, and mr. d.’s state is indescribable. he is more shaken than ever, and particularly through going all down the stairs in three jumps. he was sitting reading at the time, and, as he thinks, in his spectacles; but as they are not to be found, he is possessed that they have been driven into his head.