unlearned heart, the reputation of the Almighty, by abufing reafon, the gift of God to man for his conduct; throwing the blame due to their negligence on the imperfection of his imparted light, which proved an ignis fatuus to mislead, inftead of guiding them to his approbation and their duty. You fhall fee what common fenfe can do, when neither improved or fpoilt by reading. I have got a bad habit of writing long letters; but I will not make an apology when I write to you, because you have the leifure to permit me to be impertinent; and if it is no otherwife agreeable, it will ferve to give a variety to your lolitude. I am your, &c. doned, hath given thofe, y W I LETTER XII. Dr. Thomas Rundle to Mrs. Sandys. Madam, HAVE your watch, which I w to you by the first opportur I can meet with, and at the erri been of yet not be ren dear danger, will on, at reading the that I muft now fend was then, indeed, out of ut the blunders or wickedness of cian, fatally of great reputation his country, gave him that very night fent away my letter, an opiate which hath killed him. That deareft dearest creature died on Tuefday laft, lamented by all: for he was the common friend of all, the joy of all that knew him. What will be your left things affliction! what is mine! how dreadful relented, or is poor Mrs. Sayer's! I wish we may be faw them; able to carry her alive to London! How A friend in fick- can I afk you to pity us, who will equally es to him, it is, want it yourfelf; for you faw his worth kind of felfish- and loved him accordingly. The tender bether you know things he faid to me, when he feared that which prevents my his life was endangered, from our fendAt twenty-five days ing for fo many other phyficians, fhall archeroes activity, fkip- never be forgotten by me. I loved noet to avoid a coach, thing like him whilft he lived, and now er me, and I fell in he is gone, will love others in the proord I had hurt myself, portion he loved them. I knew his a firain, but it was facred friendship for you, and this 3 A shot me and patience alone of your, &c. and make me a found man a forced, to the mirth of my own fatisfaction, to mous length of a leg on be contented to be a pritax or leven weeks, bound to aviour. The pain I have comparable to the fatigue ing. if I could have been ve I love, it would have been an & coatinement, but whilst they to be at another place, it is LETTER XVI. Madam, Afhdown-park, Friday morning, 1731 THE fervant who brings you this is the perfon to whom the important trut of conducting the black colony into Wales Mr. George Sandys. Milmas his d happy that de y noble and company 50 cho every acco allcem, not as "x mile to me Milerden t fom Bath, A Bom, are neve 'I could not fuffer any h of that fa odnefs to 'er is LETTER XVII. the commands of the monarch of the to can be more charitable than your present nilo your, &c. of the heart that bears it. All and the Doctor too well, not to feel what they have felt, under the anxiety for the fufferings, and the uncertainty for the life, of fo delightful, fo valuable a relation! I am almost afraid to say that we have any affurance, even yet, of his fafety, fo many accidents difappoint the credulity of hope, and make the promifes of physicians of no more certainty than a fortune-teller's, though they often, perhaps, both contribute to bring about what they foretel, and by perfuading the imagination that it must be, make it be. They at prefent comfort us with the expectation that all danger is over, and though this gives refreshment, it cannot refore quiet to the mind immediately, which hath been terribly wounded in that part of it which is molt fenfible, friendhip. My concern hath been deeply increafed, by having been confined from him. The many, many hours, that I have spent in gloom and folitude of late, have given my thoughts opportunity to torment themielves. Imagination in abfence can augment every poffibility of danger, and by his bad magic tranfform every trifle into a moniter to terrify. Though I know I could have been of no fervice to him if prefent, yet not being prefent, makes me dread left things are worse than they are represented, or than I fhould judge them if I faw them; and if wishing to be with a friend in ficknefs is not out of kindness to him, it is, at least, out of a right kind of felfish nefs. I am uncertain whether you know the lit le misfortune which prevents my attending him about twenty-five days ago, I was, in prepofterous activity, fkipping across the trect to avoid a coach, my foot turned under me, and I fell in the kennel. I found I had hurt myfelf, but fufpected only a ftrain, but it was discovered at last, that a little bone was broken, which time and patience alone will fodd and make me a found man again; and I am forced, to the mirth of my friends, and my own fatisfaction, to flretch my enormous length of a leg on a couch, an be contented to be a prifoner for fix or feven weeks, bound to my good behaviour. The pain I have endured is not comparable to the fatigue of doing nothing. If I could have been with thofe I love, it would have been an agreeable confinement, but whilst they are obliged to be at another place, it is terrible to me to be thus from them; but I have not time for complaints. Company hath been fo good as to amufe me the greatest part of this day, and scarce left me time to fay I hope foon to have an opportunity of fending you a more agreeable letter, and to affure you, that no one is more fincerely fenfible of your goodness to him, than, Madam, your, &c. LETTER XV. Dr. Thomas Rundle to Mrs. Sandy:: T That dearcft dearest creature died on Tuesday laft, lamented by all: for he was the common friend of all, the joy of all that knew him. What will be your affliction! what is mine! how dreadful is poor Mrs. Sayer's! I wish we may be able to carry her alive to London! Her want it yourself; for you faw his worth can I afk you to pity us, who will equal and loved him accordingly. The tender things he faid to me, when he feared tha his life was endangered, from our fending for fo many other phyficians, th never be forgotten by me. I loved to thing like him whilft he lived, and now he is gone, will love others in the pr portion he loved them. I knew h facred friendship for you, and tha thought will increase towards you th of your, &c. perfon to whom the important tred HE fervant who brings you this is the of conducting the black colony into Wales Mr. George Sandys. LETTER XVIII. Dr. Thomas Rundle to Mrs. Sangs. Mrs. Talbot and my dearest Kitty will be alfo happy with having you with them, and by the pleafure you will afford them they will foon forget the lofs they have received, from the Bath's being grown empty of fo many friends, AM much concerned that the letter, I that loved and valued them. Mrs. Tal- which I fent you at Bath, did not bot herself will, this poft, tell you how come thither time encugh to preven fhe is, and that all the family in this your leaving it, in expectation of feeing place are tolerably well. Even the Chan- Mrs. Talbot and myfelf at Miferdencellor's cold is much better than we ex- because your company to the unhappy pected, confidering with what dreadful family there, muft give much great violence it feized him and frightened his pleasure than you could receive fron fons in the beginning of the winter. The wind is now turned favourable for the King, and we expect that he will be in town to-morrow, to the high joy of all that love him. He hath, they report, been calm in his being detained in a wretched fishing town. And though he could not command the winds, he could do what is much better and more difficult, command his temper! and hath given all around him the comfort and the example of a moft heroical patience. Mrs. Talbot's mother is in a very dreadful state of health, and waftes and decays daily in ftrength and flesh. Her phyficians fay that they fhall not wonder if the goes off in a few days, but fee no reafon why the may not laft fome months. If he could continue on till the weather is warm and the year advanced, I believe fhe will recover: for in people tormented with nervous illness, no diflemper, however frightful, ought to be efteemed mortal, because their recoveries are furprising and quick as their complaints were fhocking and unaccountable. I have no news to fend you which can amuse you, and we have no book published, that is important to improve, or is agreeable to entertain you. We have great expectation, that this feffion of parliament will be a very quiet and goodnatured one. The court and miniftry will prevent or discountenance and difappoint any attempts againft the clergy, and the fufpenfe of the affairs of Europe will give none the most fanguine of either fide opportunities either for praife or blame, and confequently there can be no difputes. People it is true are uneasy, but yet can form no complaints, that they would utter in the house. I long to talk with you; and thall not be at reft till I do fo; I do not think of returning till June, before which time you may depend on feeing, your, &c. us. And though there is nothing I 1⁄2 much long for, as a few hours free con verfation with you, yet I hope I never fhall be fo felfish, as to defire that yea fhould deny yourself the greatest fatisfa tion of your life, doing good; thoug is to bestow on me the trueft pleasure! know, the privilege of unburthening thoughts in all the genuine fincerity confidence of friendship, to ore wher able to correct all my mistakes, advies the most delicate difficulties, laugh a unreal fears, and chide for indulging inproper expectations, which give ra uneafinefs by peevifhnefs and unnecefan anxiety, than the ills we apprehend cold do when they happen. I do not all to any concerns of my own, in what! have mentioned. Though I am not fo vainly felf-denying, as to pretend that! am indifferent whether I am reftored: my friends, and fettled agreeably in a own country; yet I am refolved net make my abfence doubly difagreeable t repining and fretfulness. I will do afa my power to foften it, by deferving kindnefs and regard of my new countrymen, and behave in a manner that make thofe, who contribute to my return. not afhamed of their zeal for me; or friends here unwilling to receive me, I fhall be ever thought to deferve the Eyour of being recalled from my spletžal banishment. I have done all ir power, and I will not be unhappy, 2 others have it not in theirs to gratify my withes. I know the thousand accidents and rivalries that may prevent their edeavours for me; and having already Dean Swift always ufed this language in with the fame view, that of paying an obse correfpondence with his English friends, proba compliment to thofe of whofe converfation he was neceffarily deprived, rather than a reflection on the country, which certainly deferved well of him. obtained |