reach of our ship guns, and had not been divided at home, might it not have proved the vaunt, that "Britain, unanimous, defies the world in arms?”

My having been born a soldier does not prevent my thinking that sailors are the natural and safest defenders of this island, nor my wishing the world wise enough to leave their neighbours undisturbed, and each country to cultivate its own natural products, and those which suit its climate, to the best advantage for the universal benefit. With this view I must neither cultivate your folle avoine nor your rice, as neither a dry gravelly nor a chalky soil will do for an aquatic, nor will our keen North-East breezes do for a plant which requires warmth.

I have lately been much engaged, but have caught every minute I could, to read one or other of your books, which have crowded my mind so full of subjects of admiration, that I know not where to begin to enumerate them. The result, however, is, that my spirits, which were depressed

by various untoward circumstances, are so elated with the honour of being deemed, in any respect, worthy the notice of such a man as Dr. Lettsom, that I hope it will animate me to exert my poor abilities to the utmost, upon any occasion which may ever occur, to enable me to express my gratitude, and cultivate your friendship, the indispensible condition of which you have pointed out, in your exemplary Memoirs of Dr. Fothergill, by an adage, which, having never before heard, struck me the more forcibly with its truth, that Friendship exists among the virtuous only." God, who knows my errors, knows also how sincerely I wish to become worthy of your intimacy. I look up to you as a master, and think I hear you say "Do some good to the world you live in." The endeavour to make two blades of grass grow where one grew before, is the line my situation and inclination seem to point out to me to attempt it Yours, &c. M. MARTIN.

in.

LETTER LXXX.

Dr. LETTSOM to Sir M. MARTIN, Bart.

London, Dec. 5, 1790.

Thy letter of the 20th of September fills my mind with confusion; I am so conscious how little

I merit my partial friend's partial opinion. To think favourably of others is an indication, that such a person possesses in himself a large share of virtuous affection, such as my liberal correspondent evinces: liberal in his sentiments, liberal in all his communications. Fontenelle, the French author, used to say, he thought so unfavourably of the world, that if his hands were full of truths he would not open them both at once. Sir Mordaunt possesses more ample hands and a more ample heart, as I can testify from the information I have collected by his correspondence. As soon as I finish the performance I am upon, by the 1st of January, which indeed I am writing for an honorary prize, but my name must not be known, nor my hand-writing seen, I mean to pursue another work, to be entitled "Meditations and Reflections at Grove Hill;" in which I shall make use of thy name, with acknowledgments, on various subjects in agriculture. After this I shall lay by the cestus of literature, and rest from my labours. I grow old rapidly. The sempster Time has lately worked up my thread very fast, and I want a pause between the two worlds; though I do not think happiness in the two worlds incompatible; but, on the contrary, I enjoy the one with pleasure, and contemplate the other with comfort. Adieu, my dear Friend, and believe me

Affectionately thine,

VOL. II.

D

J. C. LETTSOM.

LETTER LXXXI.

Sir M. MARTIN, Bart. to Dr. LETTSOM.

Jan. 11, 1791.

I have two triumphs to relate for the credit of Mangel Wurzel: one is, that my cows shrink of their milk upon coming to turnips; although what I fed them with last was very late sown, and of that sort which does not rise above the ground, and was moreover very small and dirty; but my turnips are very good, and drawn into a fresh grass field. The other triumph is, that my friend, Mr. Coke, of Holkham, who has hitherto laughed at Mangel Wurzel, and cannot bear the taste of beet-root, will nevertheless sow some of it in his farm next year. He has a few plants now in his garden, of which I have begged some seed. They are the most perfect I ever saw. He pulled up one of them the other day, which he expected would require all his strength; but it came up so easily that he tumbled backwards. Carrying it to his farm-yard, it made his arms ache, so much so, as to convince him there was some substance in it. His cows refused it, but the swine fought like mine for it. M. M.

LETTER LXXXII.

Dr. LETTSOM to Sir M. MARTIN, Bart.

London, Jan. 20, 1791.

*

I am glad to hear any thing favourable to Mangel Wurzel. That potatoes may be equally prolific, and perhaps a preferable vegetable, I will not dispute; but that the Mangel Wurzel is an important article in agriculture I am convinced. I have from my little farm about a ton of roots for my pigs, which thrive and eat well. These roots were principally the product of little spots of waste land, or borders, which could not well have been devoted to any thing else.

I hope ere long to get some evenings, from other avocations, to complete a volume, to be entitled "Reflections at Grove Hill," in which Mangel Wurzel shall shew its countenance. It will be in company with potatoes, and some other subjects of vegetation: but, alas!. I have been pursuing Time all my life, but never yet could get him by the forelock. I have usually 100 letters behind in my correspondence; and when I attempt to extricate myself from debt, a fresh importation involves me in renewed exertions.

I sincerely sympathize with thee in the distresses of the lower class of the community. Thy