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"London, Oct. 15, 1793. "It is now some time, nobody can deny, since I parted from my good friends at Farnborough, and I have occasionally thought it would be no more than civil, just to express the grateful sense I entertained of their kind attentions to a poor, miserable hop-jack: but hitherto they have been vain thoughts. To be sure, I might allege, that I have been, as the Poet of Æneas sweetly sings,

-rack'd and tost,

"And bounc'd from pillar unto post,'

but it would be a mere trick; for, notwithstanding all my bandyings about from place to place, there certainly has been leisure enough to write volumes; and nothing less than one of the deadly sins, commonly called sloth, is to be assigned as the true cause of my so long having left undone the thing which I ought to have done. Of the adventures in my peregrinations, it would be needless to speak, having nothing in them curious or entertaining, like my friend Mr. Marvel's, were it not that otherwise, instead of volumes, as above talked of, I should not be able to proceed far in a single sheet; for I experience what the poor Bishop complained of, who used to observe that, when he sat down to write, he found himself deficient in two trifling requisites, matter and words, through the lack of which, no great things were to be done.

"You will therefore excuse my mentioning, however trifling, a few particulars of my late movements, which you may read or not, as you feel yourself disposed, and which I conclude you will pass over, when I recollect that curiosity is no ingredient in the female character.

"By the friendly assistance of a good Mrs. Quick, you know, I was conveyed in the easiest manner from your house to Bath, and by the indulgence of . the worthy Doctor, who attended me, the ride was

made pleasant. From Bath I set out in the coach with company none of the best, as you will readily believe, when you are informed that there was only one passenger, including myself. At Devizes we took up a young divine, who enquired much after the British Critic, of whom I gave the best intelligence I could, recommending him to the young man's notice; and, in the course of conversation, asking me if I knew this or that Bishop, I made him stare, and his mouth water, by telling him, I personally knew the whole Bench; for he could not help exclaiming, What a nice acquaintance for a clergyman! At the end of about six miles, he got out to walk over the fields to a friend's house, and to relate to him what strange things he had heard, devise who the happy man could be that had the ear of six-and-twenty Bishops; and observe what pretty pickings he must have in the Church. From that time to the present moment, when I am returned to distribute Queen Anne's bounty for the augmentation of poor Clergy, as it stands recorded in the preface of John Bacon's last edition of the Liber Valorum, though I have visited many places, and seen variety of company, have assisted at hop-picking in Kent, the two most material articles noted down in the tablet of my memory are, that one day I met an honest man, who, after expressing his thankfulness for the blessings of a fine harvest, which would bring some relief to the poor, assured me, that if Government did not soon lay a tax, and a heavy tax too, on spinning-jennies, the nation would, in a short time, be in as bad a condition as France-and another day I rode sixty miles on horseback: which, for an old woman, was thought a great feat. And now finding I shall be able, without adverting to things of lesser moment, to spread a sufficient quantity of black over the remaining white, so as to make a suitable mixture, I will proceed to the

business in view, when I sat down to write, which was first to desire that the manuscript sermons left with the Doctor and your brother may be made up in a parcel and sent me forthwith, as they are wanted-and next to throw what light you can upon a story I heard somewhere, I believe from you or Frank, of an Irish prelate, asking Old John with great surprise, if what he had heard was true, that he (old John) knew the names of all his parishioners, or something of that sort; and old John's answer, which surprised him still more: I have a confused idea of something, but I hardly know what, that deserves to be recorded, and having an opportunity of introducing it to advantage, where it will not be lost, I could wish for all the particulars, and hope you will be able to help me to them. Old Jones is going on with his literary account of the life and writings of our dear Bishop, which I trust will be an acceptable present to the public; both entertaining and edifying: but it will not be ready to make its appearance with the two new volumes of sermons, which may be expected in another month, the whole being nearly printed, and waiting for an engraving, which, after all our endeavours, will not exhibit so pleasing a likeness of the person, as the discourses do of the mind of the amiable man. To fill up what is wanting, it will be sufficient to remember most cordially all my worthy friends at Farnborough, at Corston, at Bath, and to say how much gratified with the sight of your fair hand-writing, and a good account of your health, and of Mrs. Quick's, which was but indifferent, and of the rest, will be

"Your very affectionate."

It appears by the next letter that he had been strongly pressed to come to Farnborough to Dr. Gunning's, and in a strain of great jocularity

writes thus to Mrs. Gunning as to his mode of con veyance :

" August 2, 1794.

"What a lucky circumstance, that there was such an assembly of wits, at the time my letter to Frank arrived, to lay their heads together and contrive the best method of enforcing the Habeas Corpus Act, notwithstanding the present suspension of it. I hope, however, they did not forget their dinner on the occasion, and I hope also, that their deliberations will not be considered as a plot against the State.

"Of all the schemes proposed by my learned and ingenious friends for the more easy conveyance of my dear self from Kintbury to Bath, and saving some of the many thousand bumps that flesh is heir to, I must be worse than a Kalmuck not to prefer being under the conduct of the ladies from Devizes; but then, vain as you have taught me to be, I am not vain enough to suppose, I am any way entitled to such honour; neither can I think of troubling the good Doctor to come to Marlborough, not flattering myself that I am so worth having, as to be worth fetching at that rate. In regard to your brother, he is a fine bustling fellow, and one would not mind leading him a wild goose chase. You suppose it will not be convenient for me to stay at Kintbury till he returns from Leicester, which will not be before the 20th of August: but why do you suppose any such thing? How it will be in his way to call on me I know not; but if it should suit him to look in upon me here about that time, it will suit me as well as any time, and one would earnestly wish him to be of the party when I make my visit to Farnborough. If he travel in his chair, and his wife with him, I suppose I am to be strapped on behind, with the portmanteau, which will make all things easy except to the poor horse, who is to draw us. So you see, I am at your mercy,

D

and you are now to let me know what is to be done. You must acquaint me with Frank's plan of operations, and I must hold myself in readiness accordingly. Upon the whole, I question whether it is not a perplexing business, and whether the shorter way would not be to do as others have done before me, step into a Bath coach, and say nothing to nobody. I was glad to hear your good mother was so well, and that there was a chance of my seeing her. I wish you could have given a better account of yourself, for I am still of opinion that there would be no danger in your being well. To the worthy executor I am obliged for his liberality to the Scotch episcopal clergy. The draught you mention may be taken at Bath with as good effect as in London.

"I am afraid by my visit being deferred I shall not see all the olive branches. Last year I promised the Rector some good, sound manuscript divinity, and this year I hope to perform it, having a parcel in my portmanteau. So he will pray there may be no spiritual pads on the way to rob me. Make my best respects to him and all my other good friends, and believe me," &c.

To prove how lively all his letters were, would be to copy the whole of the correspondence now lying before me :-But I do not mean so to deal with my reader; especially as to prove the truth of what has been already asserted of Mr. Stevens, as well as in the further portraiture of his life, parts, if not the whole, of many of his letters must be copied, in all of which the same liveliness of manner, with the same seriousness of thinking will appear. He never appears to have kept a diary or journal of his proceedings, as many wise and good persons have done, and have thought that if it were faithfully and honestly done, it was another means of grace, and an incentive to good actions and

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