obtained fo much more of good fortune than I deserve, I will be eaty if all is not granted to me I may defire; for I have learnt the wife leffon of being contented; and think there is no virtue and praife in doing fo, in my affluence of every bleffing of this world, excepting one, and that indeed is the chief of all, living in the company of thofe, that efteem and gratitude and affection make me prefer beyond all things; whofe value for me is my honour, my merit, and my boafting and which would be, alone, the higheft reward. All here are in high health; we were, about a month fince, not a little alarmed, for the Chancellor, his cold was frightful, and Billy quite outrageous in his apprehenfions. You know the generous worthy impatience of his excellent heart, when thofe he loves are concerned. He was at once for his giving up the feals, and getting rid of the burden of bufinefs, which he feared endangered the life of the beft parent, as well as the best man, that ever lived. But fresh air, and three weeks exercife, have entirely recovered him, and he is now in as good spirits and cheerfulness of health, as I have ever remembered him.

Is it not quite difloyal in the winds and the waves to detain the monarch of the feas from his longing people, and make him do penance and keep Lent, whilft others are revelling in a carnival ? But the perverfenefs continues, and we can now no more guess when he will be fufe at St. James's, than we could thirty days ago. His late danger was as great as any man ever was in, that escaped. The calm courage of Sir C. Wager preferved him. This adventure will teach any mortal humility, and make all fenfible, that patience is a most heroic virtue, and ordained to be of fervice to a prince, as well as a plowman. The late attempt to return, which hath loft one man of war, and shattered many others, will most certainly fill every heart with the intrepidity of being calm and undifturbed in waiting until the weft winds ceafe, and the fea is complaifant to their wifhes. I hope the ftorms on the waters are not ominous of any at land; for there is a fad fpirit kindled in the nation. Never were people fo uneafy, though they have not one illegal thing to com

⚫ William, Earl Talbot,

plain of

But I hope, notwithstanding, there will be a calm and ferene feafon during the feffions of parliament.

My friend Thomfon, the poet, is bringing another untoward heroine on the ftage, and has deferred writing on the fubject you chofe for him, though he had the whole fcheme drawn out into acts and scenes, proper turns of paffion and fentiments pointed out to him, and the diftrefs made as touching and important, as new, and interefting, and regu lar, as any that was ever introduced on the ftage at Athens, for the instruction of that polite nation. But, perhaps, the delicacy of the fubject, and the judgment required in faying bold truths, whofe boldnefs fhould not make them degenerate into offenfiveness, deterred him. His prefent ftory is the death of Agamemnon t. An adultrefs, who murders her husband, is but an odd example to be prefented before, and admonish the beauties of Great-Britain. However, if he will be advifed, it fhall not be a fhocking, though it cannot be a noble ftory. He will enrich it with a profufion of worthy fentiments and high poetry, but it will be written in a rough, harfh ftyle, and in numbers great, but careless. He wants that neatnefs and fimplicity of diction, which is fo natural in dialogue. He cannot throw the light of an elegant eafe on his thoughts, which will make the fublimeft turns of art appear the genuine unpremeditated dictates of the heart of the fpeaker. But with all his faults, he will have a thousand masterly ftrokes of a great genius feen in all he writes. And he will be applauded by thofe who moft cenfure him.

My defign is this: after Eafter, I will get on horfeback, and ramble to Bath, and spend a few days with the unhappy. Thence come to you, and ftay with you until Jack fhall fetch me to Barrington. This is my wife intention, but whether I fhall have courage to attempt fo heroical an enterprife, or throw myfelf into a chariot, time alone can determine. I fee what is right; but, like other weak mortals, fear I fhall not be

A tragedy by Thomson, acted at Drury. Lane, 1738. The honourable John Talbot, third fon of the Chancellor, afterwards a Wuch Judge. He died Sept. 23, 1756.

able to accomplish my difcreet refolu

tions.

My humble fervice to your neighbours. When I began my letter, I imagined I had nothing to fay, fit to be intruited to fo frail a protection, as a little fealingwax; but I find when one is in company with a perfon we value, the difficulty is not to find what to fay, but when to give over; but though my pen hath no prudence and moderation, my paper obliges me to be no longer troublefome, but fubfcribe myfelf, your, &c.

LETTER XIX.
Dr. Thomas Rundle to Mrs. Sandys.

Oh, Madam!

TH

I

Feb. 15, 1736-37. HE Chancellor, the bet man that ever breathed, the belt judge, the beft father, the best friend, is dead! What, in his providence, doth the Almighty defign to do in merited feverity to punish this nation, by removing from it the perfon, whofe wifdem and goodnefs united was able and defirous to fave it, to make it honeft and happy' dread to confider and forefee! What hath the public lot! What hath his dear deferving family! What have I! What have I not lost! I have loft him, whofe friendship to me was the only merit to which I pretended, and my higheft and trueft reward. He died yesterday morning. His illness was an inflammation on his lungs. He continued only from Thursday till Monday five in the morning. The phyficians fay, to comfort us, and excufe themfelves, or rather their ignorance, that he was worn cut in the fervice of his country, and could not have latted any time, had not this cold carried him off. He was but fifty-one; he might have bleft, and done good to his country, thirty years longer. But God Almighty knows what is beft for him, and propereft for us. May he, in his anger, remember mercy! Ali parties unite to call him the bett and greatest man that ever lived. The whole town, from the court to the city, are under the

Charles Talbot, Lord High Chancellor of England, died Feb. 14, 1736-37, univerfally lamented. He was allowed by all parties to have poffeffed the eloquence of Cicero, and the integrity of Cato. Thomfon published a poem to his memory, replete with gratitude, and a very clegant

delineation of his patron's character.

deepest aftonishment, and fhew in their countenance, that the nation is under fome dreadful and public calamity. Great as he was allowed to be in his public character, you know he was more amiable, more delightful in his dometic behaviour. Was there ever any fo reafonably beloved as himself, by all, from the higheft to the loweft, in his family? Did his children ever enjoy more eafe, more cheerfulness, more fprightly intocence, and entertaining instructive anbendings to mirth, than in his converíation and laughter? Oh, madam! what a ferics of difappointments is life! I came over to enjoy the company of the best friend that ever lived; I faw him, had daily new reafons to love and admire him, received daily new obligations, and left him for ever! I hoped, by enjoying

his wifdom and virtue for a few months, to have returned with fpirit, and fupported abfence from him by the refet tion of my having been with him, and might be with him again? Farewel all hope that my fplendid banishment from my native country fhall ever have 21 end. I must now withdraw, and figi out my few remaining years in folitude, amidit frange company, fince every place that I am hereafter to inhabit, wil be empty of all, with whom I have contracted the facred ties of friendship!My poor dear Billy! what doth he f fer! You have feen him in agonies of fear, left he fhould lofe what he loves. He now hath loft what he loves above all things upon earth united; and wh deferved his higheft, his unexampled alfection. Poor dear youth! I rejoice that I was in England when this fatal actident happened; if I can be of ary con folation, any comfort, to that ever loved youth!

be

In the fix laft years, how many friends have you and I loft in one family? Ard fuch friends, as the world cannot par rallel! The bishop of Durham, and Doctor Sayer, Mrs. Sayer, and her bro ther, and his fon! Had the poor bithop lived, as he might from age, how m ferable would this day have made him! They are happy; let us imitate them, and we shall be fo too. We shall meet them again, and enjoy a friendhip ro more to be feparated, and clouded with tears, if we deferve it. We shall enjoy their friendship again, if we delerve it,

or

Sect. II.

MODERN.

or be admitted to a degree of happiness, to which even their company, (how inconceivable muft that degree of happinefs be) to which their company can be no addition!

You, Madam, will fhare our affliction feverely, yet it is impoffible to conceal it from you; and, therefore, I thought it better you should hear it from me, than from common report; because the letter, which brings you word that you have loft one friend that loved you, will remind you that there are others which do fo too, whilft there is a Talbot left in this nation, or I am alive to fubfcribe myfelf your affectionate friend.

LETTER XX.

From the fame to the fame. Madam,

Feb. 22, 1736-37.

WHEN I wrote to you last, I was under

and

of con

fuch amazement, agony cern, that I do not know what wild and improper things I might fay to you; but be they ever fo indifcreet and unbecoming my age and station, yet you will not only excufe, but be pleafed with the fincere overlowings of an heart torn by the juleft forrow, before it had leifure to recolect and compofe itfelf to a more desert and religious expreffion of what it

felt.

563

vate, towards his friends or his enemies,
flowed from that divine principle, in
which alone we can obey that fublime
precept of our Lord (the fublimest that
can be given to men or angels), Be ye
perfect, as your Heavenly Father is perfect.
Did I name his enemies?—he had none;
he hated none but ill men; nay, even for
them he felt not hatred but pity. The
virtues, which mankind, in fpite of their
partialities and weakness, revere, and
defire fhould be everlaftingly rewarded,
must be infinitely pleafing to the Father
of Mercies. What men with, he can
beftow: and make thofe virtues live again
for ever, which (the voice of human na-
ture cries aloud) deferves never to die.
It was the love for fuch benevolent cha-
racters, which first dictated to every na-
tion the belief of the immortality of the
foul. The learned expreffed this affec-
tion by arguments, to prove the truth of
this hope, which fuch worthinefs had
lighted up in their hearts. But the ig-
norant uttered the genuine fentiments of
their nature, by worthipping these bene-
factors of mankind, as foon as they
withdrew from the earth. They judged,
that their goodnefs would fecure them
an intereft in the Governor of the world,
and recommend them to his love. What
he loves, he will reward, in the manner
which will make them moft happy.-
Enjoying the defire of the heart, is the
fincereft felicity. The defire of their fouls
was always to make others virtuous and
profperous. New abilities to ferve those
above, whom they delighted to blefs
when below, they imagined, therefore,
Hence they
the only fuitable and acceptable reward
to fuch generous natures.
concluded them appointed guardians
over their kindred people, and from
lamenting, were, by an enthufiafm of
gratitude, mifled to worship them. A
love of merit thus betrayed them into
error and fuperftition; but methinks vir-
tue herfelf will plead and obtain pardon
for fuch idolaters. It hath been ob-
ferved, that the world have feldom done
juftice to characters till after men have
been fome time dead; but it hath not
been fo now. He was dear to his prince
and the people whilft he lived, and
equally mourned by both as fcon as he
as his most faithful and zealous fervant;
is dead. He was trufted by the prince,
and regarded by the jealous nation, as

In no moment of my life fhall I be lefs fenfible of his lofs than at prefent; but though it is impoflible to be unmoved at the reflection, that we have been deprived of the nobleft happiness which Providence had bestowed on us; yet of ten meditating on his unequalled virtues, will change grief into veneration, and raite and confecrate the pious melancholy into a folemn enjoyment, to be preferred to pleasure. All parties in their public papers, are friving which fhall profefs the highest esteem and honour for him; and mention his behaviour in his great office, with the warmest gratitude and applaufe. Thefe praises, which prove the greatness of our misfortune, bring, at the fame time, a confolation with them; it gives me a lovely view of mankind, to obferve, that they all can drop their prejudices, and unite to reverence a truly great and amiable character. Nothing is univerfally popular but goodness! And every action of his life, in public or pri

002

the