this Kingdom has an higher esteem of that Sacred Order than my self But as in this I have done Justice to the Clergy of Ireland so I resolve to do some to my self and whatever Notions some YOUNG CASVISTS may have of refusing to fetch what others whom they out-bid would have honestly paid for yet they shall find I dare call a Spade a Spade if they live to read The History of my Summers Ramble c. or The Dublin-Scuffle which I finish't in this Countrey at the Barbarous Provocation of Patrick Campbel and will Publish as soon as I get to London And here Gentlemen I can't forbear telling you a second Time that notwithstanding I have with an excessive Charge brought over the best Collection of valuable Books that ever was exposed in this Kingdom and have treated both in my Catalogues and otherwise my Brethren in this City and the rest of Mankind with the greatest Respect and Civility and been so just to them as not in the least to employ any Setter in any of my Four Sales but wholly to submit my large Venture to the Mercy Candour and Generosity of the Bidders Yet after all this Fair Play for their Money I understand such hath been the Practice of some Persons from some of whom better usage might be expected considering their Character in the World as maliciously and ignorantly to discourage those Worthy Gentlemen and Clergy-men that were disposed to furnish themselves with Good Books Gentlemen this usage is unbecoming any thing of a Christian especially c. who by his setting up for a Banterer contrary to Christianity spoils his Neighbours fair Market making good what Solomon so long ago observ'd It is naught it is naught saith the Buyer but when he is gone he boasteth This is therefore to give Notice to the World That as I Act upon the Fairest and Justest Bottom that can be in this last Sale which I call the Packing Penny so I am resolved to vindicate my Proceedings and in order thereunto if I can have but good Proof that either without Doors but more especially at my Sale of any Persons that shall take the Liberty to spoil my Market I am resolved to bring Actions of Damage against those Persons that shall be guilty of such Notorious Actions Gentlemen I shall only add That as I never reflected on Patrick Campbel or any Man in my whole Life without a just Provocation as I am ready to prove whilst I am in Dublin So I must acquit all the Persons concern'd in my Auctions of having any hand in any thing I Publisht here it being as the Scuffle is writ with my own Hand and Subscribed by Gentlemen Dublin Decem. 12th 1698. Your most Obliged and very Humble Servant John Dunton All Gentlemen are desired to take Notice That what is Bought at this Sale is to be deliver'd and paid for at the same Time SIR THis Packing Penny was no sooner taken and the remaining Books Sold in the Lump to Honest Gun for about an Hundred Pound but Mr. Wilde Publisht the following Advertisement further proving my Charge against Dick and Campbel It also gives an Account of an Auction he designs on his own Account as soon as I leave Ireland Mr. Wilde's Advertisement was this viz. MY Friend Mr. Dunton's Three Auctions Farewel Sale and Packing Penny ending this Night I thought fit to give Notice to all the Lovers of Learning That I design God willing within a few Days after Mr. Dunton's departure to Expose by Auction a considerable Parcel of good Books of my own at Patt's Coffee-House in High-Street where I now am by reason of Dick the Coffee-Man's contrary to Solemn Promises before Witnesses as well as all the Bonds of Gratitude Letting the Room I had to Mr. Campbel over my Head and though Mr. Campbel thinks to excuse himself by laying the Sole Fault upon Dick yet Casuists will inform him that He who either by his Threats of taking the Great Room at the Dukes-Head Tavern or by the mighty Allurement of a Double Rate as Dick has under his Hand Asserted shall Tempt or Corrupt a Person that is not Proof against a base Temptation is as much if not more to blame than the Person so Corrupted R. Wilde Thus Sir have I sent you an Account of the Packing Penny it relating to the Dublin Scuffle and also Mr. Wilde's Opinion of Campbel and Pue on which I desire your Thoughts I formerly sent you those others Papers wherein the Scuffle 'tween Iohn Dunton and Patrick Campbel is any ways hinted at all which Papers save my Reasons for removing to Patt's were Printed in Dublin but what I have further to send you relating to this Scuffle is what the Printers of Dublin durst not meddle with but I suppose when I get to London the Printers there at Three Hundred Miles distance will be no more afraid of Patrick then I am though now on the Spot with him I have only to add that I am Your very humble Servant John Dunton Remarks on my Sixth Letter SIR I Have received yours with the Account of your Packing Penny and the Continuance of the Scuffle betwixt Patrick and you I perceive you are a couple of good Game-Cocks and know no when to give over its Pity you are not both in England the Gown-men that frequent Westminster-Hall would find a way to make a Penny of you and for any thing I know might Sell you by Auction too for I am apt to think you would weary them at last if Money did not make them Proof against the Fatigue I perceive Patricks Malice is very keen and your Resentments are not without a tollerable Edge and therefore would advise you to beware of cutting your own Fingers Be sure to summon up all your Patience for I perceive you have need on 't don't let Patrick's Injustice provoke you to indecencies of Passion for that may be a snare laid to gain an Advantage against you either by an Action at Law or blemishing your Reputation I approve your Diligence and Ingenuity in promoting the Sale of your Books but am sorry you have met with such as Buy and don 't Pay I am glad to find however that though you had so much unfair dealing from others you have found the Clergy Just in their Bargains and that you vindicate your self from having reflected upon them in your Advertisement of Iuly 9th This is a Time when every Man that has any value for the Christian Religion should be very tender in his Reflections on the Clergy and indeed rather Conceal their real Faults than proclaim them on the House-tops and much less utter groundless Suspicions against them You are oblig'd particularly both by Parentage and the Profession of Religion you make to be very careful in this Matter and therefore I am glad to find you so sensible of your Duty in this Respect The old Barbarous Verse of Presbyteri nati raro solent esse Beati is as far from Truth
as good Latin Though those who are Enemies to the Order may please themselves with the Reflection the common Experience of Mankind demonstrates the falshood of it for if the number of Clergy-mens Children be compar'd with those of others and their Morals Religion and Success in the World laid in the Ballance with those of the Children of other Ranks of Men it will appear to have been a meer Forgery of those who were against the Marriage of Priests of Old and lick'd up and improved by such who if not professed are at least Crafty under-hand Enemies to the Christian Religion I wish from my Heart that all Clergy-men themselves took more Care to obviate this Reflection by a careful looking after their own Practise and their Childrens Education and then the Injustice of it would be more apparent And I am sorry to find that tho the Irish Clergy have been just to their Bargains that yet any one of 'em should have taken indirect Measures to injure you in your Auctions but they are earthen Vessels as well as others Therefore I would advise you not to be sharp in your Resentments upon them Some of your Books might perhaps be disrelishing to them but that was their fault Your design was to serve the Interest of Learning in general and not to please every Mans humour which you knew was impossible You Vindication of those concern'd in your Auctions from having any share in what you Printed against Campbel is generous and just and no less can be said of Mr. Wilde's Advertisement ' concerning the design of an Auction of his own and publickly avowing Patrick's Injustice to you which makes it so notorious that I think there is the less need of your Printing much more about it I am SIR Your Humble Servant The Seventh Letter WEll Sir I 'll tell ye News my Adversary Campbel has now sent a Trumpeter a few equivocating Lines with a Parley or rather with Articles of Peace but I fear his Message is rather to sham off a Debt he owes me then any Design to be reconcil'd However I here send you a Copy of his Letter for I 'll keep the Original that you may the better Judge of the Proposals he makes His Letter is as follows viz. December 9th 1698. Mr. Dunton YE have begun to dun me though I find you to be in my Debt and easily able to make it appear as for any Letters ye have under my Hand I will not give you one Farthing to burn it For I will own what is Iust and Right though not under my Hand I have no mind either to Write or Print my self a Lyar as some Men has done But I shall be pleased very well to meet you either before a Magistrate or any other creditable Citizen and what is thought Iust I will perform on my Part I do not intend to render Railing for Railing and am sure have rendred you Good for Evil and shall continue to be Just to every Man and for your Iustice your self may boast of it as much as ye will but other Men must believe as they find I shall only adde Evil to them that Evil thinks Pa. Campbel My Answer to Campbel's Proposals Dublin December 10th 1698. Mr. Campbel I Received yours which is still the second Part to the same Tune for instead of being Penitent for the great Injuries you did me you do but Iustifie your self so that you are the Railer and not I neither have I Writ or Printed any thing against you but plain Matter of Fact and drest in softer Terms then you deserve And as to my being in your Debt 't is all Patrick Campbel I mean a piece of Nonsence for you are certainly in mine if Four Pound be more then Forty Shillings However I 'll meet you if you please before a Magistrate for I 'm so much for strict Iustice I would talk with you there about Hodder or where else you please I shall Name Thursday Night at seven of the Clock at the Keys in High-street and shall bring a Friend with me and I am willing you should do the like but I tell you before-hand you must resolve upon a Printed Confession of the Publick Injuries you have done me or you 'll dearly repent your abusing Iohn Dunton SIR Thus have I sent what must needs surprize ye Patricks Proposals about a Peace with my Answer to him I shall send you more of his ill Practices by next Post but at present your Thoughts upon the Parley is what is desired by Yours to Command John Dunton Remarks on my Seventh Letter SIR I Have received yours with the Copy of Mr. Campbel's Letter proposing a Meeting and Reference Sir This Proposal of Campbel's is cunning and Picquant enough and demonstrates what I always thought that he is a Crafty Intriguing Man It carries an Air of Religion and Ingenuity at first view but by the Railing mixt throughout and the Reslecting Conclusion he does not seem ever to have design'd any Meeting with you for if he had there 's Reason to think he would have propos'd it in fairer Terms and not have aggravated Matters to incense you if he had design'd an Amicable Accommodation This may partly justifie the sharpness of your Reply and serving him in his own Coin by proposing such Terms of Agreement as you might reasonably think he would never comply with For I find nothing less would serve your turn than Publick Repentance and he tells you plainly that he was not willing eitherâ— to Print or Write himself a Liar So that it was impossible to reconcile you This if Patrick be conscious of his Guilt argues an obstinacy inconsistent with Christianity Yet I cannot wholly approve your Conduct nor Policy in your Reply Had you accepted of a Meeting without any thing of ripping up Sores or telling him the Preliminaries you might possibly have had either an opportunity of bringing him to a Sense of his Fault or of having further Evidence against him and indeed I see nothing that can excuse your oversight in this Matter but that Letter to Mr. Wilde giving an Account of Patricks further ill Practises against you which you Promise to send me I am Your Hearty Friend c. The Eighth Letter SIR I Am now to acquaint ye that Campbel's Proposal about a Treaty of Peace was all Trick and Delusion for notwithstanding his seeming desire of Meeting before a Magistrate or any other creditable Citizen and my readiness to comply with his Motion herein yet he never once came to the Keys in High-street the Place appointed to Meet at but I was there my self according to Promise as Mr. Servant his own Binder and several others can testifie so that our Dublin Scuffle continues still and if Campbel remains as obstinate as he is at present for any thing I can yet see 't will be left to our Posterity to Fight it out And that as I formerly sent you the Sentiments of the Clergy of Ireland upon
Happiness of your Wife in so Chaste an Husband nor do I see how she can be quits with you by less than an Ocean of Love and Respect She had best spit in her Hand and take fast hold for if she should drop you have magnified Widdowers so much in the Person of Joseph that all the Virgins in the Town can do no less than proffer themselves to you to call out one of their number for your Third Yet I am not willing to think that any thing of this is at the bottom of your Plot I hope you are no such designing Man I shall take my leave of you and heartily Wish that every Dorinda may meet with such a Philaret And that all the good Women in the City had such Husbands as your self I am SIR Yours SOME ACCOUNT OF MY Conversation IN IRELAND In a LETTER TO AN Honourable Lady WITH Her Answer to it LONDON Printed for the Author and are to be Sold by A Baldwin near the Oxford Arms in Warwick-Lane and by the Booksellers in Dublin 1699. Some Account of my Conversation in Ireland In a Letter to an Honourable Lady c. Madam I AM extreamly satisfied to have the Honour of knowing you so well as to know that you hate to be Flatter'd and so hope you will not think me guilty of that Crime when I profess to you That I esteem the Favour of having a Correspondence with you to be One of the Chiefest Blessings of my Life And therefore I ought to take all Opportunities to shew my self worthy of it which I could not be should I suffer my Reputation to be Attack'd without Defending it And having met with some Unhandsome Treatment from a Person in Dublin to whom I never offer'd the Least Injury unless he thinks telling him the Truth to be such I am willing to have my CAVSE TRYD AT YOVR BAR who as you will not Favour the Guilty so neither will you Condemn the Innocent And whether I am such or not THE PRECEDING SCVFFLE will give you the clearest Idea But since no Man's Profession will Justifie him without a Correspondent Practice I have design'd this Letter to give you some account of my CONVERSATION or Method of Living whilst I was in Ireland The occasion of my first going into this Kingdom is so well known and manifestly lawful that I shall not so much as hint at it in this place But how my Conversation has been while I resided there is the task that lies now upon me to set forth in a true Light which I will do with such sincerity that I will even dissect my Breast to you and at the same time make not only Your Ladyship but the WHOLE WORLD my Confessor But still with this Restriction as far as my frail Nature and weak Memory will permit me and where that 's defective if any where Invention has supply'd it I hope you 'll excuse it For Madam you 'll find at least they will that are touch'd in the following Pages that Whatsoe're of â—iction I bring in 'T is so like Truth it seems at least a kin Madam this ACCOVNT OF MY CONVERSATION was all writ in hasse and most of it at Pat's Coffee-house in Dublin as People were dinning my Ears with News or some Query's about my Auction So that if neither Method nor Stile is what might be expected from me when I address to you I hope to make some amends in my Summer Ramble which I shall dedicaâ—e to your Ladyship as an acknowledgment of the Honour you did me in corresponding with me whilst in Ireland and for your attempts since to quiet my Mind upon the loss of one of my best Friends for I may call D e so 〈◊〉 high Birth Vertue Wit and Constancy can intitle to that Character But to proceed to the ACCOVNT OF MY CONVERSATION This Madam for Methods sake will best be comprehended under Two General Heads viz. Thâ— Discharge of my Duty towards God and towards Man These two contain the whole of a Christian And if â— take the Great Apostle of the Gentiles for my Guide I hope I shall not wander out of my way For he has declar'd this was his care to keep a Conscience void of offence both towards God and towards Man The first of these Heads which respects God comprehends all the Duties of Religion which is a thing in this Age admits of so many several Modes and Forms that without some further Explanation it is difficult to know what is meant by it For a Man can now no sooner speak of Religion but the next question is Pray what Religion are you of â— I need not tell you Madam That Religion in general is a sense of our Duty to God and the Wâ—rship we owe to him according to the best of our Vnderstandings in order to the obtaining of a blessed Immortality And this likewise consists in two parts First in its Principles and Secondly in putting those Principles in Practice For Principles without Practice â—each Menâ— to be Hypocrites but never make 'em Christians They may indeed by a Profession of Religion deceive others but without the Practice of it they more fatally deceive themselves I will therefore Madam in the first place shew you what my Principles are and then give you an Account of what my Practice was in Dublin If then you ask me Madam what Perswasion I 〈◊〉 of My Answer is I am that which the Disciples were called at Antioch that is I am a Christian a Follower of Christ a Servant of God the Worâ—dâ— Master and my own Man I do not think Religion to consist so much in Namâ—s as Things Christ's Church is not limited to any Nation or Party but extends to all Places is propagated in all Ages and containeth all saving Truth and in this Sâ—nce is Vniversal or Cathâ—lick and therefore I love a Good Man of whatever Profession or by what Name 〈◊〉 Title soever he 's distinguish'd A good Navigator can sail with any Wind and why shou'd not a Christian be as dextrous to improve all Opportunities that may facilitate his passage to the heavenly Caâ—â—an The various lines that are made from different parts of the Circumference may all tend to one and the same Center I have a large Charity and exercisâ— it to all in whom I see Goodness and Vertue shew it self whatever their particular Perswasions are And conformable to this Opinion was my Practice in Dublin One Sunday I heard Dr. Stern another Mr. Sinclare a third Mr. Searl a fourth Mr. Boyse a fifth Mr. Weld a sixth the Anabaptist in Francis-street And when William Penn came thither I went with the crowd to hear him For when I think of George Keith in London and William Dobbs in Dublin Two Persons of Great Sense and as strict Justice I must think that some Quakers are Christians and for ought I know we contend with 'em about Words while we think the same thing Sure I am their Celebrated Light
one of the Gentlemans Daughters who walked in her Sleep every Night which was at last discover'd by a Stranger 's having Courage enough to lie in the Room said to be haunted This naturally led us in the fourth place to talk of Apparitions and here Mr. Harman ask'd me what I thought of a Spectrum's assuming a Humane Shape I assur'd him they might and to confirm this told him the Story of one Ioseph Chambers who appeard to Mary Gossam with whom I was well acquainted in that very Night-Cap which she put upon his Head when she had laid him out This Story of Chambers appearing after his Death led Mr Larkin to tell another of an Apparision he had seen in Staffordshire in his Youth which he thought had been a living Woman till he saw it vanish adding That he look'd upon the denying of Spirits and their appearing to Persons after Death to be the next degree to Atheism After about two hours spent in such agreeable Conversation we took our leave of Mr. Harman Who is a Gentleman of a fine Presence and of a most sweet and affable Temper He is now in the Bloom and Beauty of his Youth and his great Ingenuity and close Application to his Study do justly render him the growing hopes of his Father's Family and may in time to come render him an Ornament to the College I am afraid Madam I shall tire you with this tedious Relation of my Visits but I hope your Goodness will pardon me for 't is necessary to be thus particular that I may silence the lying Tongue of Patrick Campbel who has had the Impudence to say That I kept Company in Dublin with none but a Kennel of Scoundrels Whereas you see by the Visits I made That I was not acquainted with one Scoundrel in Dublin except himself and the Brass in Copper-Allcy This naturally brings me to acquaint your Ladyship That among those I Employ'd to bind up Books for my Auction I had to do with one that I call Brass a Man poor and Proud unacquainted with Honour or good Manners to supply the want of which he is well furnished with Conceit and Impudence Being thus qualified he was look'd upon by St. Patrick as a fit Tool for him and accordly chosen for his Auctioneer though he knew not how to read the Title of a Latin Book But the Gentlemen of Dublin who had been genteely treated with Wit and Sense at my Auction by Mr. Wilde could not bear with the gross Ignorance of a Brass Hammer so that Patrick was forc'd to discard him in a Weeks time and put a better Man in his Place This Brass knowing the necessity I was under of having my Books bound in order to sale resolves to make me pay a rate for Binding not only beyond what was given in London but even beyond what was given by the Booksellers of Dublin I found Madam I was in his hands and remember'd the Proverb That he that 's in a Boat with the Devil must land where he can There was a Necessity of having my Books bound and I was forc'd to comply with his unreasonable Rates How this consisted with Iustice and Equity I leave you to judge but those were things Brass never troubled his Head about for when he brought me in his Bill he over-charg'd even his own unreasonable Agreement which I refus'd to pay but offer'd to refer it to one Mr. Servant a Binder in Golden-lane with whom I had made the same agreement as I did with him but Servant being a very honest man Brass refus'd to have the thing decided by him because then he was sure 't would go against him And therefore this Fellow who for his Impudence I call the Brass in Copper-Alley serves me with a Token from the Lord Mayor to appear before him which I accordingly did as I formerly hinted in p. 104. of the Dublin Scuffle and having told his Lordship what I had offer'd he was pleas'd to say It was a very fair Proposal I made him and so dismiss'd us both which was all he got by his Two-penny Token Having done with this Scoundrel to use St. Patrick's Phrase I will next give you an Abstract of Mr. Servant's Character who though of the same Function is the direct Antipodes to the Brass of Copper-Alley this being as eminent for Honesty fair Dealing Truth and Iustice as the other is for Pride Conceit and Ignorance But Mr. Servant's Reputation does not need a Foil to set it off For he is well known in Dublin to be all that I here say But I shall add to the good Character he has already that I never met with a more scrupuâ—ous or conscientious Man in my whole Life he 's punctual to his word in the smallest matters and one that manages all his Affairs with Discretion Courteous and affable in his Conversation and ready to do every one what good he can In short his Life is the Exemplar of a Christians Practice But leaving Thomas c. hard at work for he 's a very industrious Man My next Visit shall be to Mr. Iey and Eminent Lawyer in Dublin He was a Benefactor to my Auction and my very sincere Friend And to say the Truth whatever the Lawyers are in other Countries yet in Ireland they are the best Gentlemen and the best Christians From hence to close the Evening I went to take a Dish at Patt's who is a fair-condition'd Man and very obliging to all his Customers Loving to do business without making a noise on 't 'T was here I sometimes met with Mr. Pitts an honest and ingenious Attorney a Man of good Worth and unblemish'd in his Reputation Madam he talks finely dresses his Thoughts in curious Language and has good Nature in his very Looks he is a true lover of the present Government and a brave Assertor of English Liberties in opposition to Popery and Slavery I wou'd say more of the ingenious Pitts but that I shall meet him again in my Summer Ramble Madam just as I left Patts I met with my worthy and ingenious Friend Dr. Wood Physician in Kilkenny with whom and Dr. Smith I spent some agreeable Hours of which expect a fuller Account in the conclusion of this Letter and also in my Summer Ramble where you 'll also meet the Discourse I had with a Gentleman about the Earl of Meath's Hunting Pigg which will be very diverting And now Madam as your several Directions to me inform'd you of the changing of my Lodgings so I think it proper here to give you my Reasons for so doing My first Lodging was at a Counsellors in Wine-Tavern-street who being in some danger of overtaking the Law for he had out-ran his own Practice left his House and as 't is suppos'd the Kingdom too Yet I must say ' As to his Conversation he 's a Gentleman tho' under a Cloud and sings I 'll find out a kinder a better than she beyond any Man in Christendom
beautiful since that and soft Musick might have discompos'd your Temper for the Sermon For my part I think Womens Devotions are as much distracted with gazing at one another observing how they look and how they dress that I could wish some Habit were appointed to be worn in Religious Assemblies that would give us all the same Air that neither Beauty nor Quality could be distinguish'd I mean only those that sit in Pews and Galleries for the ordinary sort there 's less danger they 'll not make it their Pride to dress if Quality don't I easily credit you and believe 't was more then a Fancy that you saw nothing handsome in all the Female Faces I have observed in many Churches of late years the same thing and wonder for what reason all Beauty should be fled out of the World unless it be for the ill treatment it finds here and truly Women make a pretty good shift without it taking upon 'em the part that once belong'd to Men and obtain by flattery and cajoling what Beauty us'd to do by Conquest but I confess Beauty and Charming are two things with me there is a gracefulness in Meen and Motion proceeding from the Mind and makes the whole Aspect charming without the help of Complection and Feature Vertue makes the truest Beauty and the softest Charms for the best and wisest Persons I am of Opinion as you insinuate that Memory is not the chief Qualification for profitable hearing of Sermons as 't is a means God has appointed to instruct us as from himself to observe what touches us in particular is all the concern we have in it when God speaks to the Heart we can't but remember and take notice of it The Character of your Antagonist has given a very natural Description of Pride and Meanness two things nearer related then the World imagines which is often brought to the first but always takes Authority to despise and reproach the latter but Experience shews us Pride never prospers and augments so much as in Persons of mean Quality or small parts rais'd to great Honour or Riches and Sordidness often comes into the Society but serves only to make Pride the more hated no body gaining by it thus loaded with so many ill Qualities he must needs act as he did 't is the part of a generous Enemy to conceal his History and of a good Christian to let nothing provoke you to expose it unless the good of the Publick require it 'T is no surprise to hear so many of the Players in Dublin are no way inferior to those in London 't was never the temper of Ireland to let any Country out-doe 'em in Vanity and Idleness two things that will secure a Player from starving and where they find their Interest their Company is never wanted as appears in their posting to Kilkenny as it seems they did That Gentleman must needs be very soft and effeminate that must be taught Vertue and Religion so charmingly as in the Theatre but for all their constant attendance there I fear such Gentlemen are much Strangers to those Vertues they pretend to learn there and have as little use for 'em as for their time they waste and throw away with so much care and diligence I think that Gentleman had a great deal of time to spare that was so curious in his Garden 't is a very innocent delight one takes in the Products of Nature but excessive Curiosity transforms that Pleasure into a vexatious Care and Labour and had his Visiters been all of the Temper of Diogenes and had disappointed him of Applause and Admiration 't would have shew'd him his Mistake in making that an Entertainment for the Mind which is more proper for the Pleasure and Recreation of the Body that takes no less delight in Woods and Fields where Art 's a Stranger The Characters you give your Brethren as you call 'em would make one think there were something in that Calling inclin'd Men to Goodness you remark so many commendable Qualities in 'em but nothing is so charming as the â—dea I have of the Lady you have so admirably Characterized in distick one could not wish for greater Perfection or of any other kind then those you have described I wish the Tutor with all his Learning be not tempted to think his Happiness resembles so much the Ioys of Heaven as may make him too well contented with his earthly Tabernacle and perhaps the Lady may owe the last Perfection in her Character to his Conversation so that the Family may well be agreeable to the degree you speak of the Master and Mistress being also Persons of so much Merit The remarkable Fruitfulness of Mr. Hook is considerable but the two and twenty Brothers listed in Ireland as much many Children are not only Blessings but may be observed to be given most commonly to good People that have not repined at 'em but been thankful for 'em and where they live to Men and Womens Estate are very often Persons of Piety and Vertue the necessity they find of yielding and complying with one another in their Youth forms in 'em such a habit of self-denial as fits 'em to receive other good Impressions in their riper Age if their Parents care is not wanting 'T was a very generous Care you took to pay your Father's Legacy it could not concern your Conscience not being Executor but shew'd a very great and kind Respect to your Father's Memoâ—y but that remorse of Conscience so many feel for the wrongs they do in the case of Money is in my Opinion a sort oâ— Indication that Money is generally taken for our chief Good there are Injuries we commit against others daily without regret which often amount to as great Wrongs for which our Conscience never troubles us Sir Peter Pet did the World as well as his Friend a Service in preserving his Memoirs it seems we should otherwise have lost such Truths some Persons were afraid of That dignifyed Woman call'd the most Ingenious must needs have Enemies of her own Sex tho' you think perhaps she don't deserve 'em 't is Crime enough to be distinguish'd by any good quality her greatest Crime that appears to me is her suffering her Husband to be so much a stranger to his own Modesty that he should take such a Journey so ill appointed for his Business Dublin is very happy in a Banker such a one as you describe punctual just and honest in his Dealings and it may be he has something of the natural Generosity of his Country added to it which made him so ready to serve you as a Stranger I more admire then envy the celebrated female Poet she must be so much under the dominion of Fancy I can't indure any kind of Slavery and all the fineness of Poetry can never make up for the unruliness of Fancy when indulged which Poets must allow to have ones Thoughts sober and regular is a happiness of much value to me That
Aged Woman you discoursed of was a great Prodigy if her Vnderstanding and Iudgment had been as strong and lasting as her Senses her Experience might have given us much Instruction I fancy it was a very pleasing surprise to find a Person that perfectly resembled one you thought so accomplish'd one of the Persons you wish'd to see so near a resemblance of I never saw but for the other her Beauty was superlative before the Small Pox but after that she had not many Equals but never expect to find in this Age her sort of Beauty which consisted so much in Majesty and Grandeur Mr. Dangerfield I uever saw and can have no Notion of the Gentleman's Perfections from him but your Character makes him very fine and I suppose his Ladies Vertues put you in mind of Wives making good Husbands I have seen great alteration in Mens Tempers from the Conversations of their Wives and for the worse as often as for the better but to the making a good Husband no doubt Meekness and Patience are the best Ingredients with the addition of some cunning and flattery and will go much further in that business then Piety and Charity unless Prayes and Tears are allow'd to be of any force The Gentleman you describe besides his Bravery and Courage his being so full of Love and Pity may be the chief reason of his not Marrying in Love and Compassion to himself declining a Condition of so much toil and trouble and in pity to the Lady whose share must be more then double to his I am very apt to believe the Nonconformists may be in themselves the worthy Men you represent 'em but wish I could discover what good end they propose to themselves in Preaching If to convince us of the Errors of our Church will not Writing do that as well if it is an Error we are ignorant of But should it be one we know and for Interest or other reasons maintain it there 's small hopes then of our Conviction yet it must be a very considerable Error that will justifie their publick Preaching to draw Persons off from our Church but the difference between us is not so great if the Presbyterians approve 36 of our Articles the other three had better be made a Sacrifice to Peace and Vnity then give our Enemies so much Advantage against us by our Divisions but perhaps they design by their Excellent Preaching to draw so many to their Party as may fright the Church of England into a compliance with 'em if such a thing should happen one can't commend the means they used to accomplish it so far remote from Peace and Charity they seem purely humane and if God should draw from such ways his own Glory yet who knows how their Presumption may be chastised At the same time God has better ways of his own if we could patiently wait and relye on him when we go about 10 mend things we with our Pride and Perverseness make 'em worse of which the last Civil War in England is a great Instance Had we as much Humility and Charity as we have the contrary which every attempt of â—ccommodating has hitherto increased we would study to find out the means of Peace and Union and think no yielding on either side too much for the Purchase of such a Blessing which if you know a greater and can prove in your defence of your Practise any Motive more considerable for going to Meetings then I alledge for keeping to the Church of England whatever Faults can be imputed to her I must yield for then I shall be as much afraid of your Arguments as you were of the Gentleman that could say what he pleased and prove what he said I can't but admire at your curing your self of an Antipathy What can be too strong for such a Power I can't think but you might as well hinder the Operation of Sympathy and create in your self an Aversion to the Fair Sex when you find occasion for it If Mary Gossam had pull'd off the Night-cap she might have been sure it was the same Cap it look'd like but I am apt to think it had as Airy a Substance as the Man that wore it no doubt the Devil has had that Power in all Ages and for his own designs frequently does it when God permits taking upon him the Persons of all both good and bad and for discovery of Murders and such things that seem to cross his general design of doing Mischief but he that can speak Truth with intent to deceive can do what seems good to serve his own ends And as you threaten to return from the dead to do Justice to your Reputation I shall wish you long Life for fear the Devil should take advantage from what you say and come and Vindicate your Reputation to me but I hope I shall dye first I should have expected from your Experience a more moderate reception of your Adversary's Slanders we should not stay till we are inform'd but take it for granted there are Persons that belie and speak ill of us What is there surprising in that which is the common treatment the World gives and takes It had been strange a man of his Character should shew any Civility as he thought you his Enemy when he shew'd so little at first when he might hope to make you his Friend That other Man you had reason to thank for giving you the opportunity to clear your self to my Lord Mayor which was publick enough for the Worlds notice and succes enough afterwards to meet with an honest Binder in his place But 't is the greatest wonder to me you should come off so well with that beautiful Country Gentlewoman If she had had no Beauty her agreeable Conversation and Modesty with a little complaisance for you had been charm sufficient to engage you but that you could trust your self to contemplate every particular Beauty both of Body and Mind is daring to astonishment in a Man that values himself upon his Vertue But you will say her Vertue abundantly secured you how great soever that was her Courage seems no less in exposing her self to the danger of pleasing Tho' Beauty is no great matter in its self yet the Price the World sets upon it should make it of some value to the Owners What made Solomon find out so contemptible a comparison for a fair Woman without Discretion but to shew us that whoever is possess'd of such a Treasure should esteem it at the rate others do which is agreeable to common sence What could one think of a Person that should walk the Streets and go to Markets and Fairs dress'd up in Iewels to a great Value Should one not tax her Discretion or think she had some strange design in it to make a tryal how many Enemies she should meet which would be almost as many as saw her some designing her mischief to get her Iewels others jeering and exposing her in all places for her folly for
There 's great Reason for laying the Foundation of your chief Perfection upon your descent from the Tribe of Levi for according to St. Paul they are or should be the Men that Rule their own Houses well having their Children in Subjection with all Gravity for tho' Grace comes not by descent yet by a sober and vertuous Education the Enemies of Grace are so far disarm'd that when it pleases God to send it it must needs have the better Reception a long habit of Submission and Self-denyal will qualifie 'em to act more readily to Gods Glory than those that are over-loaded with the evil Customs and Corruptions of the World I can't think but 't is the happy Success of being so agreeable to both your Wives makes you so in love with the State of Marriage so inconsistent with your great love and fancy'd Destiny to Travel of which I think with you that the chief Pleasure is of seeing the World unseen not being known but guest at I fancy therefore the Project you design to call The Art of Living Incognito will be very pleasant but to publish the Characters of your Living Acquaintance will be a great and difficult Task especially for you that are so very scrupulous of doing the least Injustice many Persons Words Looks and Actions belie their Hearts and without an infallible Rule of which I know nothing you will at least be thought to err there being no means to prove the contrary and tho' you should incline to the most charitable side Truth is the same in both and there 's the same Injustice to commend as discommend where they don't deserve it besides the danger of creating amongst your Acquaintance much Envy and Uncharitableness there must appear in all your Words and Actions an excessive Charity and exact Iustice to take off any suspition of your being acted by Prejudice or Partiality If any thing can secure you it must be the Persons being all Living to whom you must answer for any wrong you do 'em and from those you commend your Pardon is secur'd against all Accusers but only Truth which condemns if injured But sure the Characters of the Living are much to be preferr'd before those of the Dead we see plainly â—ow little Truth their Characters contain How are all the good Deeds of the Vertuous heightned one would think there were nothing of Sin or Infirmity in ' em And for the Vicious their Crâ—mes are exagerated they scarce allow 'em the least degree of humane Vertues But if the World were as much in love with Truth as it were to be wish'd there might be good use of such Characters and Persons would as willingly see the Pictures of their Minds as of their Faces and be as fond of making 'em worth the drawing But to find Persons willing themselves to publish and expose their own Faults and Infirmities we may expect in the next Age if it brings the Reign of Charity according to Monsieur Iurieâ— and hardly till then tho' you set the Example but for Vices they are too monstrous and deform'd to dare the exposing themselves in a full Light for which I thank 'em for I hate the sight of ' em I perceive you think you have many Enemies upon account of Religion because you favour no particular Party 't is certain in any Place where there are many Factions and Divisions none are so generally hated as those that carry fair with all and take part with none and thatâ—s all the many Names and Distinctions in Religion are good for to make Feâ—ds and Animosities and by that means one knows from whence they come having none of the Effect and Power of that Religion that comes from above which is first Pure and then Peaceable Sincerity and Charity is the surest Mark of Christian Religion 'T were much to be wish'd all the reformed Churches were united in the Spirit of Charity then and not till then we may expect the Inlargement of Christ's Kingdom while at this day so many falls from us to Atheism seeing so much of self-interest and the spirit of the World in the strictest and most formal Professors amongst us and 't is to them a Temptation to believe there is nothing but secular Interest in that which we call Religion in which there is so much Contention to raise themselves one above another in Riches and Honour this is what many sees and laments and wishes they themselves may see before 't is too late They can be but meer Pretenders to Religion that allow themselves lightly to censure or judge any one for both Charity and Humility forbids such a Practice we see our own depraved Nature in every bodies Faults which ought to humble us with Sorrow for 'em as if they were our own and that will prevent if we have the least charitable concern for others our being pleased or desirous to see Faults and divulge those we can't chuse but see for no Faults can in Charity be expos'd that has the least pretence to Infirmity Your carriage therefore to your Adversary was exceeding Christian and charitable and make his Faults such as deserved to be exposed as a foil to Vertue if it needed any which I scorn to think for I am an equal Rival with you in the love of Vertue as it appears only to my Mind but were it to be seen with bodily Eyes I fear I should come far behind you 'T is a very laudable design you carry on of recommending Vertue by giving such noble and pleasant Ideas of it in the Characters you make and sure it cannot want Success in all respects there must certainly be some Persons 't will prevail upon as in St. Cicelies Ode See what Glory can perswade Those that are for Glory made May be here apply'd to Vertue but whatever is the Fate you are always happy while so resign'd to the Divine Pleasure An easie and contented Temper is a great Blessing But why should you value your self for being a blunt Fellow Can 't every one be master of that Vertue if they like it And why disdain ye the Name of a Poet only for being Poor Is there such Vertue in being Rich What reason can be assign'd for such an inevitable Fate unless 't is the Effect of Fancy which as it raises their Thoughts and Expressions far above the Truth so it raises themselves in Imagination to the Condition of Angels that need nothing which makes 'em take care for nothing till 't is too late Or perhaps Divine Providence will not trust such Men with a Talent of Riches who so idly throw away their Talent of Time which is far more precious Yet after all you seem to own you treat your Friends with Distinction some from the Brain and others from the Heart but 't is not easie to judge of this part of your Character tho' I dare affirm you never deceive others till you have first deceiv'd your self I believe 't is very hard and must be the work