Enquiry

My dear boy,

You told me to enquire about my old companions of my single days —

How is Thomas Porter — in my single days we loved books and flowers together.

And how is Tom Clare — we used to sit in the fields and sing capital songs —

”She is the darling of my life, and she lives in the alley…” —

Capital songs over a bottle of beer!

How is old Otter the Fiddler? And old John Nottingham and his

wife Sally Frisby? Henry Snow and his wife and Robin Oliver

and Jonathan Burbidge and his wife and daughter and Mary Buzley

and old Mr. Buzley if alive for many are dead and some forgotten

and Richard Royce and his wife and daughter? And Nottingham,

old John Nottingham?

There is also Will Bloodworth and Tom and Sam Ward and John Fell and

his wife and John King and Miss Large.

Mr. and Miss Bellars on the hill and John and Mrs. Bullimore

the Village Schoolmistress and how is Charles Welsh and Robin

Oliver? And John Nottingham.

And remember me kindly to all I have forgotten.