find much more matter for your pen, and also for my
entertainment.

Well, I have sold my dear little Ship, ¹ because I
could not employ my Eyes with reading in her
Cabin, where I had nothing else to do. I think
those Eyes began to get better directly I had written
to agree to the Man's proposal. Anyhow, the 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 News-
paper, where his Blunders were often as entertaining
as the Text which he mistook. We had 'hangarues'
in the French Assembly, and, on one occasion, 'iron-
clad 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 swal-
low 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

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