Pièce 48 - Letter from Robert Pemberton Milnes to Thomas Davison Bland

2 sheets.

Fryston. - Arrival of Bland's sons. Has always experienced overcrowding on Rhine trips, but Bland has benefited from depressed state of affairs at home; unimpressed by the Rhine, which lacks fine old trees; advice as to further route. Poor weather and harvest, though gives good account of Bland's estate; economic distress caused by over-production, 'the ever-recurring concomitant of all societies complicated & artificial as ours.

Fryston full of guests: Petre 'sadly down' at times; Mexborough dreads newspaper accounts of Henry's case, his cordiality since election, when Gully's supporters assisted Pollington [his son, later 4th Earl of Mexborough] by tactical voting; huge expenses; unruly local meetings of landowners.

Family movements; might tour the Rhine with Galways - 'I expect to see your daughters' names in pencil over many a chimneypiece'; determined to winter here despite pressure to go to Italy, as he needs rest and quiet. Adds postscript: [Edward?] Beaumont has got into a financial scrape as predicted; illness of Lord Harewood; Wyvill's election prospects; news from Alleyne; Milbanke expects Bland's early return as he had only two more bottles of port left.