I hope my dear Friend that you will receive this in good Health, I persuade myself & no I tell all your Friends that your disorder was only a slight one & would soon terminate. We had the most agreable Journey you can imagine, we arrived in Calais in exactly 54 Hours, having passed one night on the Road & another in very good Beds, our Expences were, 508 Livres for our places, sans nouriture, a Louis for the Conductor & just 36 Livres for all eating sleeping &c on the road with an allowance of 65 pounds of Baggage gratis: I never travelled so free of quarrells, anxiety, or Trouble in my Life. We spent just 2 Guineas at Calais and two & a half more put us free at Dover. We had a pleasant passage of 5 Hours sailing as it were over a millpond, not a soul sick that was visible, & very genteel agreeable Company. Our Expences afterwards were in the usual Post Chaise way, & on the whole I landed Mrs Hewson at her door for exactly £30..0..8.. If we had come in the Stage without any Extraordinary she would have paid £27..5/ & according to what you told me those Extraordinarys would have amounted to at least 5 Guineas more. Indeed I have heard that persons in the 5 Guineas stage realy spent 7 & ½. so you see we united Ease & Oeconomy. I am this particular because you desired me to be so, I suppose to be able to advise Friends how to travel in the best way.—
I keep myself as little known as possible, because I find Phil Moon is expected hourly in Town & I fear he will escape me if he knows I am here. I have seen your Father who appears as young as he was when I saw him at Burlington. I told of your Illness so as not to let him have any anxiety on that account. I shall dine with him tommorrow. I have not yet seen Mr. Sargent nor sent the Letter to him for it is in the City, I fear being known for some Days. I thank you my dear Friend for the subject of that Letter, & the Doctor for writing it. I will readily do all in my Power to oblige Mr Sargent, but I am in doubt of the propriety of my undertaking the Business. I shall not do it unless after Conversation with him, I see very clearly that I can serve him effectualy & shall endeavour to execute more than I give him Reason to depend upon. Remember my most dutifully & affectionately to the Doctor, tell him I have seen Dr Price who will in a few days give me the List of Books for Franklin Township. The good man had Tears in his Eyes in telling of the Doctor, he seems afraid that the use of Solvents will eventualy do the Doctor more harm than good He fears that these Solvents having a partial Effet & only on the surface of the stone will leave it rough & thereby occasion much pain & inflamation to the Parts in contact. He thinks the use of these solvents to have been the cause of Mr Burghs (the author of Political Desgusstions) extreme Illness—By neglecting entirely all Medicine the Doctor thinks that the stone tho’ it may increase will increase equally & smoothly & consequently be less painfull. I find it is imagind here that the Seine water, deposes, & is therefore one Cause of the Gravel & stone—Whether this be only Imagination or whether it be Fact, I cannot judge but at any rate there can be no Harm in avoiding the Risque & I think it well worth while to have all the Water for the Doctors use distilled.*