Letter 3719

[fol. 274] Paris 11th February 1730 n.s. Sir I received the honour of your Letter of the 5th past O.S. no sooner than the 5th instant n.s., and senr the enclosed immediately to Mr Woolhouse; His answer went last night by Avison the Messenger, who was dispatched for England; but as I would not return thanks to your very kind Letter to me in such a hurry as I was in all that day, I beg leave to do it by this day’s Post. However I recommended particularly to Mr Avison to take on the road the Packet of Physical Disputations for You, which by Gollen the Messenger’s death had been so long detained with his other things, but is safe and will be delivered to by Mr Avison. As for another Packet since from Mr Woolhouse, containing a month of the Journal of Trevaux, and a Physical Treatise, I have sent it likewise some time ago by a Messenger, who being dispatched from this Exc’y Mr Walpole’s House, I do not perfectly remember his name. I think it was Mr Randal, who having been very ill soon after his arrival in England, might have neglected to, and probably has since his recovery delivered it. It is the greatest satisfaction to me to hear that my endeavours to serve You and the Royal Society have been acceptable. As I am conscious that my own stock would be too poor to supply so learned a Body, I laid hold of any thing that putt itself as it were in my way, and made use of all other Opportunitys that offered, to shew my zeal for the society’s service, in which I am greatly encouraged by the approbation You are pleased to give it. I shall think myself very happy in receiving for the future Your particular orders [fol. 275] and Directions, You being the best Judge how far and in what particular way I may be employed. I had gathered some more very curious fossils at Hautefontaine, which I left in the hands of Dr Petit at Soissons. I shall gett some of them back again, and send them by a proper Opportunity. I am with the greatest zeal and Respect Sir Your most humble and most obedient servant P.H. Zollman.