affection, gives leifure for thought to look around, but alas! the more ferioufly we think, the more ftrongly we feel the calamity of his lofs; and the forrow which at first was only pafion, is now reafon. It is reafon indeed, but felfish; and that concern, which arifes from confidering it as a misfortune and distress to one's felf, though most natural to feel, it is unbecoming to acknowledge. That tender lamentation, which flows from gratitude and love of benevolence, which forgets that kindness to itfelf was the foundation of it, is that alone which vir tue will permit us to indulge; because it cherishes in the heart the fame amiable graces we melancholily commend. If thefe alone deferve our tears of fondnefs in him, thefe alone can excite the fame fentiments of elteem towards ourselves; and what man is fo mean, as not to defire to be beloved? But even this geneJous and improving grief is to be watched over and reftrained, left it foftens us too much, difables us from performing the duties of life, and destroys that meek and cheerful refignation to the nature of things, that Providence hath ordained; which alone can make us pafs through this life with comfort. That gratitude of forrow towards others is bad indeed, which makes us repine, difcontented and ungrateful, to him our fupreme Benefactor. When one is calm and alone, fuch reflections throw the mind into a melancholy compofure, and one refolves to fubmit to thofe accidents which the condition of humanity requires us to feel and submit to. But every new friend we meet, every new occafion, filences thefe whispers of religious philofophy, and the heart prevails over the understanding; grief is again awakened, and one almost thinks it right to act against reafon, and place a kind of fublime virtue in being felf-condemned. Among the many calamities which attend his death, there is one which, though it may appear trifling to vulgar minds, you will think is no fmail misfortune;-he was the centre, which drew and united together many of us into a fweet fociety of friends, where we met to enjoy the pleafures of converfation, with freedom, and that mutual goodwill and confidence, which alone makes friendship fincere; without which, it is only well-bred hypocrify, or, like e.ho, a mere found, without a fub

ftance; before him, we dared open the fentiments of our cautious hearts, and the obfervations or fufpicions of our inquiries; and though we were of opinions different from thofe he embraced, he had the greatnefs of mind not to diilike thofe he thought mistaken; and from this va riety of opinions he faw among thule whofe learning and fincerity he valued, he obtained that wifdom of charity win which fo few are ever enlightened, that our duty is to be of one heart here, and it will be time enough to be of one mind hereafter. To repair this lofs as much as we can, I refolve, when in London, to live with my friend, whofe friendap now is the chief happiness I propofe in life; but to confefs incerely, I have a fcrupulous uneafinefs at the figure I mu make to the world, in living long town from my preferment, when I have no call, but my own pleasure, to make me do fo.

Whilft my Lord lived, the duty of atending the beft benefactor, justified my abfence to the world and myself; but now, though I have no care of fools' to demand conftant attendance, yet, me thinks, people will believe it if beftowed preferment on one, who seems to have no bufinefs in life, but in the dignity a polite idleness to gratify himself. The gratification of myself, indeed, will ank from what is ever amiable, ever praiseworthy, the friendship of a man of the beft fenfe and virtue; but this cannot be feen by all, who obferve my having no thing here to do; and though it is the hardeft, yet it may be a necefiary felfdenial to refufe an indulgence of the most reasonable fatisfactions, rather than injure a reputation; when the power of doing good in life, and the honour of re ligion may in fome measure depend on it. This will certainly oblige me to spend no fmall part of the fummer in the north, which now I fear will ever be made more bleak and difagreeable to me, than the niggardlinefs of our funshine hath yet made it, by the absence of those I love. How vain are the fchemes we propoie! How did we flatter ourfelves with meeting there together next fummer, and enjoying the best pleasure of life, the con

Dr. Rundle's preferments were, a probend of Durham, and the Archdeaconry of Wilts, prior to his advancement to the mitte.

verfation

verfation of friends, whofe very trifling and unbendings are diftinguished by good fenfe, as well as their collected behaviour. I fhall never fee you there more! My unkind, though generous fortune, will oblige me to retire from those I love, in that feafon of the year, when only they will be able to have what they and I moft value, the leisure of being happy in your company.

Mrs. Talbot is ill, but bears her mif, fortune as well as could be expected or wished. I know not how, age bears affliction better than youth; paffions are not in them fo ftrong, and therefore, their lefs ftrength is fufficient to fupport them; paffion is one kind of fever, and fevers always are most dangerous in young and healthy conftitutions; the mind, as well as the body, grows callous by ufe, and as age hath been more exposed to afflictions, fo it is hardened to them, by having often endured them.

She defigns to live with her nephew Young, and hath taken a lefs, but handfomer house, than that my Lord lived in, near Grofvenor-fquare. Where we shall be thrown, is not yet determined; but wherever I am, the whole felicity I can promife myself, muft arife from loving and being beloved by those whofe virtue and right hearts, and good fenfe, make converfation an imitation of felicity, fuperior to mortality; and, whilft this is my tafte and ambition, you cannot wonder that I am defirous to fubfcribe myfelf, your, &c.

MRS Talbot hath at laft prevailed on herfelf to read your letter; and though he was overwhelmed with tendernefs and tears at your fenfe and partaking of her lofs, yet your goodnefs gave her as great pleasure as it is poffible for her to receive in her prefent condition. Nothing moft certainly can afflict any heart with greater anxiety than grief, fickness, and the perplexity of preparing for a new, and alas! different fcene of life, than that in which fhe hath fo long been happy; and all thefe unite to contribute their

fhare to fill up her diftrefs. If the refpect of those who loved my Lord can any way leffen her feeling the fad change, the will always be fecure of being treated in the best manner that the beft people in the world can think it becomes them to behave towards one for whom my Lord had the highest affection and efteem. Every day prefents us with fome new melancholy fcene, which awakens our grief, and feems to upbraid us with our lofs.

At prefent inventories of all that belonged to him are making, in order to be difpofed of; and among the reft his books must be fold; which obliges me to fay, that in a fhort time we will fend you down a catalogue of what belonged to him, among thote which were fent to you, to defire that you would read those firft, as being likely to be fooner wanted than the others. Though we may rob you of part of your entertainment, I hope we fhall always be able to fend others in the place of them; it is pity you should be deprived of that rational luxury you are fond of. The temper of your mind is most exactly defcribed in a line of Pope's, corrected and improved by Thomfon,

A friend to learned ease,
Content with science in the vale of peace.

And fince your ambition hath chosen the
better part, it is the duty of all that
be taken from you.
value you, to take care that it shall not

There is a new piece of T. Chubb's, which will be foon publifhed, containing a vindication of God's character, against those who reprefent him as approving his creatures, not in proportion to their goodness and resembling his own perfections; but requiring them to perfect thofe natural amiable graces by performances of no ufe or comeliness, but merely because they were appointed. He is infolent enough in his zeal of reason, to dare expoftulate with no lefs a perfon than the Bishop of London, for injuring, as he terms it, in the fimplicity of an

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 milead, instead of guiding them to his approbation and their duty. You fhall fee what common fenfe can do, when neither improved or spoilt 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 agreen, it will ferve to give a variety to your lolitude. your, &c.

I

LETTER XII.

I am

HAVE your watch, which I will fend to you by the first opportunity, that I can meet with, and at the fame time fend you the performance of Thomas Chubb against the Bishop of London *.

How faucy a thing is reafon, to dare infpire an illiterate fellow to attack a man of profound learning and power, a very Goliah in controverfy, and hope to deftroy him by fuch a weak arm's throwing this fmooth flone at his forehead! Fie upon the infolence of human reafon! What fuccefs he hath, or ought to have, you will know when you read him. He will be railed at by the worldly-learned, the fashionable-wife, the much commended prudent; and admired by the very few truly knowing and good, and by all the libertines. For alas! the diffolute think, pulling down any popular argument is pulling down the truth it was offered to fupport; and foolishly imagine, that deftroying the indifcreet reafoning of any writer in defence of religion, is oppofing the religion itself, and fhewing there is nothing in it. And that unhappy voluntary blunder of the aban

Entitled "A difcourfe concerning reafon with regard to religion and divine revelation: wherein is fhewn, that reafon either is, or elfe that it ought to be, a fufficient guide in matters of religion: occafioned by the Lord Bifhop of London's fecond paftoral letter. 8vo. 1730.”

doned, hath given thofe, who defend and blend their own schemes and defigns with religion, an unhappy opportunity to rail at all who do not fubmit to the whole of what they plead for, or do not approve of their treacherous manner of pleading for truth itfelf; they centre them for joining in with the enemies of religion and virtue, and by that means make the pious weak people deteft thete they fee thus mifreprefented. This is midates more cautious people (who lament fecretly the ill ufage thofe can thus make of oppofition to themfelves) from oppofing them. This hath prevented numbers from fhewing their dislike of what hath been faid to the dishonour of reafoning and fubftituting means, inftead of (what is the perfection of God binfelf) goodness. But I have no time for fuch reflections.

Mrs. Talbot is fo very ill, that Mrs. Sayer, though I do not, gives her over abfolutely as gone: I think her cafe is extremely dangerous, but not defperit. She thinks he will not live many days, nor can fhe, if the grows not better foot; fhe continually vomits and purges, voids blood, and hath kept no nourishment fince Sunday. Grief made her apply for confolation to, what fhe was never much ufed to, ftrong cordials; that treacherous flattering Syren, whom fo many ftill believe, though they daily fee the numbers it deftroys, that gave, after thort refrethment, a colic; this required larger dofes, thefe again gave vomitings, which demanded ftill larger dofes: the fhort eafe was attributed to its power; but not the increase of mifery which followed. The Doctor railed at it, his medicines came too late to overcome this evil foon; and therefore, in natural impatience of ficknefs, were defpifed; and the old fhortlived interval of eafe again defired, which still increafed the distemper and difappointed all the remedies. Yours fincerely.

fpent this Christmas in Berkshire, with Mr. Talbot and his delightful family. No man is more happy than he is, in the profpect of feeing many noble and great branches fpring from his root. Wit and fprightlinefs, when they accompany good fenfe and virtue, will recominend the more worthy qualities and make them doubly fuccefsful; and thefe are united in a sweet contraft in his fecond boy, who was this Christmas with us. There is a cheerful gravity in the next, which makes him thoughtful and induftrious, but will preferve thefe ufeful accomplishments —and that unfociable felfifhnefs which too often deforms learning. The third is all life and gaiety, good-nature and innocence, with the faireft bloffoms of reafon, which the care of Mr. Talbot, in his education, will fecure from being blasted and ripen into abundance.

from

How mean a fight is the fpring, with all its beauties, when compared to the opening of youth, with fo full a promife of every virtue, to give joy to themfelves, and happiness and ornament to their country! His eldest is at Paris, and behaves as one would with he should behave. His rough English love for liberty difdains the embroidered flavery that glitters in that trifling court. He hates chains, though made of gold; and contemns a nation, who can be mean enough to be contented and in love with wretchednefs, because it hath a painted face. With a fort of virtuous furlinefs, his good fenfe is fo much offended at their flattery of thofe that opprefs them, in that chain of mutual flaves and tyrants, that defcends from the higheft to the lowest among them, that one almoft fears he fhould, inftead of learning complaifance in that polite fchool of diffimulation, run counter to the manners he hates, and be in danger of growing in love with that plain dealing which is now no where fashionable, if his good fenfe and good-nature did not fecure him from it; the firft teaches all, that civility and obligingness is a virtue as much due, as more important branches of juftice; the other, that beneVolence in the heart, will accommodate itfelf to all, and throw light and amiablenefs over the behaviour; and he that knows this, is well bred by nature, though he makes a bow awkwardly, and never learnt to cut a caper.

To-morrow Dr. Sayer and Mrs. Sayer return to London; the first is better; but Mrs. Sayer, I think, rather worfe than ufual;-think her illness is rather troubiefome than dangerous. Mr. with his whole family are come fafe to town, and have brought'. with them, who every day grows a more delightful girl. She hath an ambition to obtain every accomplishment, and hath fenfe enough to ufe them, to purchase real efteem, not to nourish vanity. They promife to make themfelves happy in fecing Miferden this fummer in their journey from Bath. Mrs. Sandys', recommendations are never forgotten by me, though I cannot always have opportunity to fhew I take notice of them.

The boy you recommended for a fervant, I could provide for at prefent, in the best place he could defire and in the way of preferment, if his age is not an objection. I fhould be glad to receive immediately an account of his ftature, looks, age, and general character; if he hath the look of a boy, it cannot do; but if he hath a ferious and decent appearance of a man, I may perhaps get over the difficulty of his real age, on account of his right accomplishments for fuch an employment as he will be put into. He must wear a livery, and conftantly attend a man of the greatest dignity, and therefore the figure of a lad cannot be admitted. The poft is going, and I will finish at prefent, but write to you a more entertaining letter speedily. I am, &c.

AM quite aftonished, when I recollect I how long fince it was that I writ last to you, who ought to have been the last perfon in the world neglected by me. have had of late, indeed, but little heart to write to any one, much lefs to you, before whom I would never willingly appear, but with fpirit and good humour. But how could I have either, when a friend, whom I moft fincerely, moft tenderly love, hath been fo long in danger? This is the fourteenth day in which poor George Sayer hath been struggling with a violent fever. You know Mrs. Sayer