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the Revd Mr. Bagshaw at Bromley, Kent, which, how he approves, I must patiently expect till he comes to his Living at Addington.

I have since, by reason of a flying Report, wrote the Inclosed.* I suppose it little better, if any, than a Tale of a Tub; however, if it makes you smile at my Ignorance, I hope your goodness will pardon the attempt, and my troubling you with so trivial an affair. I have nothing to add, but my duty and thanks to you, and all my Revd and worthy Benefactors. I hope Mr. Burrell is well, I have not seen him for 5 weeks, (the Times are so hard, provisions so dear, that we are almost starved for want of Sustenance and Business, and I should quite before this, if it was not for your goodness and the rest of my worthy Benefactors,) but I think to trouble him with a visit very shortly.

I am Revd. Sr.
Your most obliged,

humble Serv1.

Bucks, Apr. 6,-57.

ROBT. HILL.

No. XXXV.

FROM THE REV. MR. JONES (OF WELLWYN).

I

DEAR AND ESTEEMD SIR,

Sep. 3, 1761.

HAVE many times wondered why you never called upon us again at Wellwyn. Dr. Young, I am sure, would have been glad to have seen you, and will still be so, every time you pass through this little Hamlet. He told me lately, that if he could see you, he would, or at least can, furnish you with ample materials, nor do I doubt but they will be pertinent, relating to his late friend Mr. Richardson, the poetical prose-writer. He expected to have been called to Kew this summer, and if he had been summoned, I in

* An Enquiry into the Nature of Apparitions.

tended immediately to write to you. If her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales should still go thither, you will soon know, and may have an opportunity of conversing with him. there. He sends his Respects to You.

I have on a slip of paper noted down what occurred to me since I saw you, about your ancestor Neville; and also, what fell in my way to corroborate the account given you by Mr. Pope, relating to the case of old Noll, and the probability of his being the Person who came to inspect the corpse of Charles I. at Whitehall, and uttered, Cruel Necessity, &c. I am upon the whole inclined to think, that he must have been the Man.

If I can recover those short minutes, you shall have them on the opposite side; if not, when I shall have the pleasure of seeing you. But God knows how long I shall continue at Wellwyn: For I have still many pressing calls to return into Bedfordshire. Please to tell me privately in a Letter, if you can (upon occasion) recommend a proper Successor.-I would have sent you this free postage, but am not sure that your friend Mr. Herbert is still in Parliament.

Believe me to be, Dear Sir,

Your very respectful

and affectionate Servant,

J. JONES.

No. XXXVI.

FROM LORD MELCOMBE TO DR. YOUNG.

DEAR DR.

YOU

La Trappe, the 27th Oct. 1761.

your

'OU seem'd to like the Ode I sent for
you
Amuse-
ment; I, now, send it you, as a Present. If you

please to accept of it, and are willing that our Friendship shou'd be known, when we are gone, you will be pleas'd to

leave this, among those of your own Papers, that may, possibly, see the Light, by a Posthumous Publication.-God send us Health, while we stay, and an easy Journey.

My dear Dr. Young,

Yours, most cordially,

MELCOMBE.

LORD MELCOMBE TO HIS FRIEND, DR. YOUNG.

Kind companion of my youth,

Lov'd for Genius, Worth, and Truth,

Take what Friendship can impart,

Tribute of a feeling Heart,

Take the Muse's latest spark,
E'er we drop into the dark.

He, who Parts, and Virtue, gave,
Bade thee look beyond the grave:
Genius soars, and Virtue guides,
Where the Love of God presides.
There's a Gulph 'twixt us and God,
Let the gloomy Path be trod.

Why stand shivering on the shore?
Why not boldly venture o'er?
Where unerring Virtue guides,
Let us brave the winds, and tides;
Safe thro' Seas of Doubts, and Fears,
Rides the Bark, which Virtue steers.

ODE.

Love thy Country, wish it well,

Not with too intense a care,

'Tis enough, that when it fell,

Thou, it's ruin, didst not share.

2.

Envy's censure, Flattery's praise, With unmov'd Indifference, view; Learn to tread Life's dangerous maze, With unerring Virtue's clue.

3.

Void of strong Desires, and Fear,
Life's wide Ocean trust no more;

Strive thy little Bark to steer,
With the tide, but near the shore.

4.

Thus prepar'd, thy shorten'd sail
Shall, whene'er the winds encrease

Seizing each propitious gale,

Waft thee to the Port of Peace.

5.

Keep thy conscience from offence,
And tempestuous passions, free,
So, when thou art call'd from hence,
Easy shall thy passage be;

6.

Easy shall thy passage be,

Chearfull, thy allotted stay;

Short th' account twixt God and Thee; Hope shall meet thee, on the way;

7.

Truth shall lead thee to the gate,
Mercy's self shall let thee in;
Where, it's never-changing state
Full perfection shall begin.

DEAR SIR

TH

No. XXXVII.

FROM SIR ALEXR. DICK.

Prestonfield March 6, 1762.

`HE last year did not close, without another obliging Letter from you to me, and it came just as we were eating our Christenmas Pyes-I had then just expended all my franks and our Members were all run to town, to take care of the Nation, else you should have sooner heard, whether I was living or dead. Without saying more about myself, know, that my two little supporters and I, enjoy at present, God be thank'd for it! very good health: after having got over a pretty severe winter, we are just peeping about the Garden for flowers; and my Daughters have brought in some violets, which as they came into my Parlour gave us all the joyfull smell of the spring-and set us again looking for the first swallow, which, if we can catch we shall send off, with a most affectionate message to you to Oatlands, where, we dare say, it will find you,

—It is determin'd by my evil stars that I shall not get to town for this season to meet with you there, at Oatlands or Bifleet, these charming retirements, which naturally attract your attention; but, in the name of every thing that is good, I conjure you when you come to Durham to attend the Cathedral, (which I know is your turn this ensuing Summer,) that you proceed further north again to give us your benediction at Prestonfield; for all my people here say to one another, When shall we see again the man of God in our family? My gardener James says it always did him good to observe you take your regular walks in the garden, every day, and suggesting to me those excellent Improvements which he had often thought should be done himself; but could not tell the cause why, or ever so well express the reason of their being proper. At length he has overcome that woefull boxwood hedge which disgrac'd the little land before my house, on each side, and now my small plantations of trees are

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