I enclose herewith the second number of my Gazette, which completes the Journal for the month of March. By the last post I sent to Hamburg a letter for my mother with the information, that on the 12th: instr: my wife was delivered of a son.1 But she was then extremely ill, & I wrote under the impression of great alarm on her account. She has since very much recovered, & as I am assured quite out of danger. I hope this will reach you at the same time with my letter to my mother, & relieve you from an interval of anxiety & suspence, which if proportioned to my distress, the three days succeeding the 12th:—must be painful in the extreme.

An armistice of fourteen weeks has been concluded between the 56 English & the Danes. It has settled nothing as to the main question between the parties, but secures to the english the free passage of the Sound, which to be sure is nothing at all, & cuts off the co-operation of Denmark to the military & naval measures of the other northern powers. The english fleet will proceed, it is said, up the Baltic, & the Swedish ports being inaccessable, & the Swedish fleet not very likely to run the risk of coming out, will direct their second visit to the port of Revel, where there are ten Russian ships of the line. They will surely however not venture this attack, after hearing of this change in Russia, without further & precise instructions from their Government. The english might perhaps have imposed more burthensome terms upon the Danes. But it is not the interest, nor the policy of England to press them too hard. The convention will apparently give the English the command of the Baltic for this season, & promote the pacific disposition of the northern powers. Perhaps even of France.2

As Nancy has vindicated her privilege of giving you the first notice that you were a Grandmamma,1 I presume I have no occasion to scruple at letting you know that last Sunday the 12th: instt: at half-past three o’clock afternoon, our dear Louisa gave you another grandson— To have been able to add that both she and her child have been ever since as well as the occasion could admit, would perhaps have been a pleasure too pure and unalloyed for mortal enjoyment— My feelings on the contrary during the greatest part of the week, have been those of strong alarm, and of deep distress— Her sufferings have been great; but she is now quite out of danger, and much better than considering the severity of her illness for three days, I could reasonably have expected—

She had never mentioned to you her expectations of this event, because her former disappointments had made us both doubtful of the issue, and her state of health during the whole period has been such as was by no means calculated to alarm remove our apprehensions.— She has indeed been able upon the whole to keep about more through the winter than any of the preceding years since her marriage, but with frequent severe turns and symptoms peculiarly unpropitious to her situation— A great and ample reward to her mind for all her sufferings has now been given her by an indulgent Providence in the birth of a charming, and apparently healthy child— I hope and pray that henceforth a turn more favourable in her health will take place, and that when she has again the happiness of embracing you, you will find her fat, and as rosy as her boy.

With my affectionate regards to Mr: Johnson, and all the family I remain, dear Madam, / faithfully your’s