My dear Charley—

I was very well pleased to receive your last letter as I hope you are getting in better humour with Edinburgh now that Spring is come.— Do go some day to see Roslyn Castle, which I believe is within a few miles from Edinburgh, & it is very well worth seeing— At present they have made a Diorama of it, in London.— My reason for writing so soon is, that I have a message from Papa to give you, which I am afraid you won’t like; he desires me to say that he thinks your plan of picking & chusing what lectures you like to attend, not at all a good one; and as you cannot have enough information to know what may be of use to you, it is quite necessary for you to bear with a good deal of stupid & dry work: but if you do not discontinue your present indulgent way, your course of study will be utterly useless.— Papa was sorry to hear that you thought of coming home before the course of Lectures were finished, but hopes you will not do so.—

Erasmus has seen a great deal of Hildyard since his return. the latter dined here yesterday. he seems a very merry sort of person— Price is come to take his place of master— I fear I can give you very little School gossip. I can only inform you that I never go into town without meeting your two School Beauties (Watkins & Turner)² arm in arm parading the streets of Shrewsbury— I shall be very happy to renew my acquaintance & flirtation with Massie this summer. I wish it was in my power to do you a good turn by inviting the Miss Massies.

We have been making Erasmus very useful, taking him to Doctor all our sick poor people. he goes pretty often to visit poor M^rs. O. Jones who has been quite confined to her bed for some time. the other day when he was there, she gave him an old Guinea wrapped up, saying “she wished very much to give him his first fee, & hoped he would keep it as a love token from her”— This little mark of friendship & kind manner of doing it pleased Eras very much.

I am very glad to hear you are becoming a Politician³ & I shall be still better pleased when I hear you are studying “The Morning Chronicle” in place of odious John Bull: what is the use or pleasure of reading a paper which everybody abuses & allows to be so unfair? I cannot tell you much about M^r. Hume⁴ except what I daresay you know, that he is a Scotch Member & a great person for reforming all money abuses & taxes in Government &c.— If you can get the Edinburgh Review for last November, do read “Lord Suffield on the Game Laws” which is one of the articles in it, and which we all like extremely.—⁵

We all get up early & are good & industrious. Eras is very pleasant & affectionate. He has been staying three days at Overton, & came back very full of his little nephew’s charms, allowing that he had no idea babies ever were such nice little creatures.

We have written to invite a great many Galtons⁶ to come to see ⁠⟨⁠u⁠⟩⁠s next Month—& we are expecting Eliza & Jessie Wedgwood. I don’t know how the house will hold them all.—

Puppy gets so fat, he can niether stand or go. we had an alarm that he was poisoned last week, by some paint, as the House & premises are infested with a troop of little painters with M^r. Pierce at the head of them, who are painting the windows &c &c. Caroline scolded all the painters round & afterwards found her alarm was false.—

I am so sleepy I must wish you Good night | ever y^r affect | Susan

Remember to write slow and then you will form each letter distinctly.—

We have had a nasty East wind for the last ten days.—

Will you in your next letter answer the message about a Book & Constable⁷ which Erasmus gave you in his letter—

Don’t waste your time by going to the Play as it must prevent your getting up early, or attending to y^r studies.—

For this next month devote yrself to wisdom & you will be much happier.