Thomas Gray to William Mason, [7 September 1770]

I am very well at present, the usual effect of my summer-expeditions, & much obliged t'ye Gentlemēn, for your kind enquiry after me. I have seen Worcestershire, Gloucest:re, Monmouthsh:re, Herefordshire, Shropshire, five of the best counties this kingdom has to produce. the chief grace & ornament of my journey was the river Wye, wch I descended in a boat from Ross to Chepstow (near 40 miles) surrounded with ever-new delights, among wch were the New-Weir (see Whateley) Tinterne-Abbey, & Persfield. I say nothing of the vale of Abergavenny, Ragland-Castle, Ludlow, Malvern-hills, the Leasowes, & Hagley, &c: nor how I past two days at Oxford very agreeably. the weather was very hot, & generally serene. I envy not your Greffiers, nor your Wensle-dale & Aisgarth-forces, but did you see Winander-mere, & Grassmere, did you get to Keswick? & what do you think of the matter? I stay'd a fortnight stewing in London, & now am in the midst of this dead quiet with no body but Mr President near me, & he is not dead, but sleepeth.

The politicks of the place are that Bp Warburton will chouse Bp Keene out of Ely by the help of Ld Mansfield, who can be refused nothing at present. every one is frighted, except Tom Neville.

Palgrave, I suppose, is at Mr Weddel's, & has told you the strange casualties of his household.