263.: ricardo to mill2 - David Ricardo, The Works and Correspondence of David Ricardo, Vol. 7 Letters 1816-1818 [1816]
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The Works and Correspondence of David Ricardo, ed. Piero Sraffa with the Collaboration of M.H. Dobb (Indianapolis: Liberty Fund, 2005). Vol. 7 Letters 1816-1818.
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First published by Cambridge University Press in 1951. Copyright 1951, 1952, 1955, 1973 by the Royal Economic Society. This edition of The Works and Correspondence of David Ricardo is published by Liberty Fund, Inc., under license from the Royal Economic Society.
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263.
ricardo to mill
Gloucester 12 Augt. 1818
My dear Sir
I arrived here this morning, and have been busily engaged, ever since, in visiting the Prison, and in the other duties which my office imposes on me. I am happy to say that our Calendar is not very heavy, so that there is no doubt of my being able to return home on sunday, if not on saturday evening. I look forward with great pleasure to your visit at Gatcomb; I hope you will be ready to leave London on sunday or monday next. If you send me a line to Gatcomb to inform me by what coach you intend to travel I will take care either to meet you myself, or send some one to meet you. At the 96, or 97 miles stone, there is a public house, just before the roads part, where one goes to Chalford and Stroud, the other to Minchinhampton and Stroud. You will do well to stop at this public house, as the coach goes the Chalford road, and we cannot miss each other if we have a fixed place of meeting.
The judges will not come into Gloucester till the evening, they have sent word that they shall not have got through their business at Monmouth in time to allow them to arrive here early. I only regret this as it will make our sitting longer at the very formal dinner, at which I am called upon to preside.
The long continuance of dry weather has given a very bad complexion to our fields—we shall not appear to you in our favourable dress, and therefore to estimate the beauty of our country, you must make due allowance for the effects of this uncommonly hot season. When I left London Hyde Park appeared to look as brown as possible—it could hardly be made worse. Do you continue to cross it in your way to Kensington gardens? and does Mr. Bentham make his usual circuit?—The poor deer with their fawns must be nearly starved.
I have not yet tried what I can do in the way of composition. I have been reading part of Berkeley’s works, part of Warburtons, and Dr. Beattie’s answer to Hume and the other sceptical Philosophers.—Warburton and Beattie are both very scurrilous, and do not remove the difficulties which make the subject of metaphysics so perplexing. Indeed these cannot be removed for from the nature of the enquiry if they satisfied you on some points you would only transfer your difficulties to some other. I shall in due time make the effort to write which you recommend, but it will be after the fine weather has passed away, and I am less taken up with the subjects which now engage my attention.—
The attention of my neighbours, and of the gentlemen who are assembling in this town, has subjected me to several interruptions since I commenced this letter, for they deem it respectful to the Sheriff to call at his room.
This must be my excuse if my letter is more than usually unintelligible, and must also account for its briefness.
Very truly Yrs.
David Ricardo