Clare having fun with language...
& the blak sale mathem was fer the reform bill lost in the howse of Lords & if they downt plase to down o there nappers & loke far it agin I wud niver to go to have prares in thet howse agin as Humfrey seys far as thoff it be ritten on a bit of parchmen no biger then your fingor it will nat tak the lukin far as the needal in the battel of hay did & so thay hav no exchuse bot to find it
yours ever to admirashun dare mat-hem exchuse hast & botherashun far Im ap to my elbos in sads & the buk thub
Och the mobs Misthress Leythess the mabs thare ane man dun morthashuns of mischeef wid a fire shovel he bite an officher of chalvery at the pint of his swurd most shamefuly & Humfrey seys no mather for that thow hees no rabel bot hee will hev it thet the kings consitushuns ar no bisnes to be pat in jeporde at the rong end of a dradm swurd to beshure Mathern its all well enuff to be at the handel, thets safe enuf for sartin bot yu no the kalverey ar gentemen & we musthent be afther kapin solders far doinin nathin thets sartin & so peceable fokes mast kape throm owt o the wey o the powther & uthe[r] dangerus mortashüns
bot wat a strange thing thet the man wid the fire showel shud cum oif the ero Mathem but lard bles yu he wor prothekted by providence & as thof he was nat doin the rite thing
A single page from the Lettys Correspondence:
'Memoirs of Uncle Barnaby'
(Arbour Editions - 2017)
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