Manuscripts and Special Collections
Ne C 1839 : Letter from Morpheus Landlowper, Edinburgh [Scotland], to Henry Pelham; 10 Dec. 1746.
Business tho I do verily beleive they had not much more
else why should they have flung their peices immediately
upon discharging of them and run like a parcell of wild Bulls.
We indeed to nick them did the very same for we flung away
our peices and run too, But as ill Luck would have it we run
the wrong Way and they ran the right. In short we were all
Hicklety Picklety in a trice and such of us as were in the Way
got many a sad Knock o' the Pate for leaving their Swords
behind them at Sterling as I dreamt to you above which they
might have saved had they brought them along with them. In
the Hurry of my story, I had almost forgot to tell you w[ha]t I dreamt
concerning the Wisdom of our Engineers which was this that some
put in the Pouder into the Cannon but forgot the Ball while
others to make sure of the Ball put in the Ball first and the
Pouder afterwards. The noise I heard and Terrour I was in wak'd
me out of my first Sleep, When I found it was but a Dream
I turned me on my other side and fell asleep again and dreamt
another Dream like a Sequell to the former which I shall
communicate to you in my next, I am
Your most obedient H[um]ble Ser[van]t
Morpheus Landlowper
Edinburgh the 10th Dec[embe]r 1745
