316 FROM MASON 21 JUNE 1777

From MASON, Saturday 21 June 1777

Printed from MS now WSL. Address: The Honourable , Arlington Street, . Postmark: ROTHERHAM 24 JU.

Aston, June 2 ist, 1777. I FOUND your favour of the 10th with the Gazettes litteraires (for both which many thanks) at Sheffeild on the 18th just after I had taken my leave of my diocesan1 at his visitation,2 who was then setting out for Wentworth Castle, on the invitation of its noble owner;3 ex­ cept from him and the Duke of Newcastle I do not find he has received any civilities hitherto on his progress. I, indeed, the day before, treated him with a stinking turbot at Aston. But I and my stinking turbot are nothing. The papers will tell you how he puffed his predecessor Robin Goodfellow4 in his charge.3 And except this, which gave great offence to everybody who knew Robin's real character,6 that is to say the whole body of the clergy who heard him, save one unprovided-for chaplain who wept bitterly—except this I say, all other matters went off quietly and dully enough in conscience. Though naturally very ungracious in his manner, dry, reserved, and absent, he put on his most benign aspect to your humble servant, and invited both me and my portmanteau to ,7 which I returned with two bows, one for my portmanteau and another for myself .—I feel no little com­ fort in findinghi s Grace now northward of me, for almost all my time the fortnight before was taken up in parochial preparations, such as

1. The . he himself particularly felt, who had had 2. To Nottingham, where he confirmed a long and intimate acquaintance with 7000 persons (Lloyd's Evening Post 16-18 him in the early part of his life, by which June 1777, xl. 580). he had frequent opportunities of observing 3. Lord Strafford. his great virtues and abilities, both natural 4. Robert Hay Drummond (1711-76), Bp and acquired' (Lloyd's Evening Post 16-18 of St Asaph, 1748, of , 1761, Abp June 1777, xl. 580). of York 1761-76. HW describes him as 6. Some months before Archbishop 'a sensible, worldly man, but much ad­ Drummond's death Mason had written: dicted to his bottle' (Last Journals i. 593).'A s a fracas which I have just had with To Mason, who also called him 'Robin Parson Evans will, I imagine, set the Arch­ Goodfellow' in a letter to Alderson 3 June bishop and me at absolute daggers draw­ 1774, he was something less forgivable than ing, we must expect he will revenge him­ 'a knavish sprite.' self as a Christian prelate should do, on 5. 'His Grace went to the chancel, and everybody that I am a friend to' (Mason to after the clergy were called over, addressed Alderson 6 April 1776). them in a short but pathetic charge, when 7. The Archbishop's palace, a few miles he began with lamenting the loss to the south of York. clergy in the late Archbishop, and which