Sir Isaac Newton, arrives on April 2 at the Greenwich Observatory

[Henry Grey]

Written in a careful scholar's hand, with purple-black ink on pure white cotton rag paper, folded in four and sealed with grey-colored wax and the coat of arms of the Grey family.

  QUOTE

Dear Sir Isaac,

The world turns and twirls, and it's not Newton and Grey now, but Sir Isaac and Lord Grey. I now find myself in London, having been summoned to Parliament, but there are other interests I find more engaging, interests I share with you.

I am residing at the Red Lion Inn, so please reply at your convenience.

Your friend,

Henry Grey

Reginald, Henry Grey's valet, dropped the letter at the post office on April 1st as soon as they opened.

[Hope]

Isaac, like so many others, spent a great deal of the in the City  and at Whitehall, out and about 'catching up' with his sponsors.   When he returned to the Red Lion late that day, he had no idea that a letter was being rerouted to his residence. It was not until the letter was delivered the next morning (the 2nd) with his breakfast (Isaac had a standing breakfast order delivered to his room) that he loosed a surprised cry.

 

"Praise the Lord for serendipitous circumstance!" he uttered of the pleasant surprise, with his own intent to give a (hopefully) pleasant surprise back to the letters sender. But first he said grace and ate his breakfast.