Arthur Dixon letters

parvum in multo. The Dog is dead. The poor little wretch was buried too last night. I dug a deep grave just before I went to bed. I laid him in and covered it over.
Tell Mr Geldart also – Lounde has got two & twenty new drawings to shew us, all which he done since we last had the pleasure of looking over his folios. [Dont laugh when you tell him. - inserted] The Academy is undergoing a thorough reform in the terms rules & regulations. I was provoked excessively yesterday. Some scarlet verbenas that I had shaded from the sun, which were blowing large & full, & of dazzling brightness & which I had apologized to Edmund with an explanation besides for not gathering them for him, which Walter had looked at wistfully & without which Miss Cotmans bouquet had been complete, to be plucked by whom do you think? – day after day I had watched them hoping their bloom might be contemporary with the geraniums. I sprinkled all others. They were protected from the heat of the [day? – word missing]. I think I swore. – You cannot imagine how fine they were, & then Charles Geldart went & gathered them, left all the others & gathered them. I dare say all you say now you are historizing [?] it, is “He was a cunning chap that!” – Those I have sent are better than you will get in London notwithstanding. – All this may be said or sung in about five minutes or less so don’t much complain of my scribbling so diffusely. – A horse backed a cart into my shop on Tuesday, smashed the windows out, woodwork & all, & did a great deal of damage. Worse than all, my most splendid branch of coral is a ruin. – A whole chapter of accidents besides have happened & I am surprized that no Catastrophe amongst them elicits even a mental ejaculation. Do not envy me my dear fellow – ‘tis a horrid purchase