Letter 4154

Lady Garrard writes to Sloane thanking him for the favours he did to herself and her friends, including the viewing of his universally celebrated collection of curiosities and great variety of rarities. She poetically writes that she wishes “the sun might a second time remain motionless to give more leisure for contemplation as well as admiration”. This encouraged her to send him an insect found in a decayed branch of an apple tree by her gardener about three weeks ago. For that time it had lived chameleon like, not wasting or growing weak, but moves like a caterpillar. She hopes the insect will arrive alive by post and will be satisfying to Sloane. Cecillia Garrard (nee Steed) was the wife of Sir Nicholas Garrard (1665-1727), 3rd Baronet of Langford. They married in 1671 (‘Hundred of South Greenhoe: Langford’, An Essay towards a Topographical History of the County of Norfolk: volume 6 (1807), pp. 20-26. URL: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=78224).