Gilbert West from Wickham, on May 23, gives the following account of
Mr. Pitt, whose health had been causing much anxiety to his friends--
“Had I answered your letter last night I should have given you
a good account of Mr. Pitt, who was yesterday in better spirits
than I have seen him in since he came hither, but I find by
inquiring after him this morning that he has had a bad, that is,
a sleepless night, which has such effect on his spirits that I
am afraid we shall see him in a very different condition to-day.
This has happened to him every other night since Friday last, so
I am persuaded there is something intermitting in his case, of
which neither the Physicians nor himself seem to be aware. I think
he ought to go to town to consult with them, but to this he has
so great an aversion that I question if he will comply with our
request. Sir George Lyttelton, who saw him on one of his bad days,
Saturday last, promised to come hither to-day, and his voice added
to ours may possibly prevail....
“Mr. Pitt express’d a due sense of your goodness in inquiring so
particularly after him, and that you may know how high you stand in
his opinion, I must inform you that in a conversation with Molly he
pronounced you the most _perfect woman_ he ever met with.”
[Page heading: MR. PITT’S INSOMNIA]
Mr. Pitt was recommended by his doctors to go to Tunbridge Wells to
drink the waters. Accompanied by Mr. West, Mrs. West, and Miss West, he
set off on May 26. West, writing to Mrs. Montagu, says--
“Tunbridge Wells, May 27, 1753.
“MY DEAREST COUSIN! MY BEST AND MOST VALUABLE
FRIEND!
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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