And I will venture to mention to you two letters to the Protestants of the United Provinces, just at the crisis of their affairs, which were published in French, but never in English. Perhaps I never wrote any thing with so much effect as the former of them. As to works now in hand, the chief, beyond comparison, is, the three last volumes of the Expositor; the first copy of which is prepared, and, should I die, would probably be printed, having been reviewed and corrected by me; though I intend to transcribe it, and hope to have finished the fair copy of the first volume, i. e. the fourth of the work, by Midsummer; a large collection of Scriptural Hymns; a volume of Sacramental Meditations; four dissertations on critical subjects, viz. Jewish Proselytes, Sin Offerings, Trespass Offerings, and the Cherem: besides some little pieces; such as, a Letter on Family Prayer, which I am just sending to the press; two sermons on Union among Christians, from Phil. ii. 1, 2; Sermons on working out our Salvation with Fear and Trembling; and some others, which may, perhaps, if I live to dispatch what I have mentioned, make two octavos. And it is probable, that, after my death, there will be published my course of pneumatological, ethical, and theological lectures; and, perhaps, lectures on preaching, and the pastoral care. Thus, Sir, you have the most particular plan that any man has, of my intended labours for the press; and I beseech you to pray, that, if the execution of these designs may be for the glory of God, and the good of the church, it may please God to spare my life, and confirm my health, that I may be able to finish them; and that whatever has been done, or may be done, may be crowned with his blessing, on which all depends. To that, Sir, I most cordially recommend you, in your important sphere; heartily praying that God may animate, direct, and succeed you in all your attempts to promote religion in the large, and, I persuade myself, very happy, society under your care. And I conclude with assuring you, that, should Providence ever bring you into these parts, your company will be esteemed a great favour by, reverend and dear Sir, your affectionate though unworthy brother, and much obliged, humble ser vant, P. DODDRIDGE. *This happened at Lisbon, whither he went for the recovery of his health, on the 26th of October, 1751, at the age of 49 years and 4 months, about two years from the date of the above letter. I shall always be glad to hear of so kind a friend; but hope you will pardon me, if, amidst my various engagements, I prove, as I do to the best friends I have in the world, a very bad correspondent. 1794, May. P.D." LXXXIV. Letters from Doctors Hildesley, Hales, Leland, and Mr. Samuel Richardson. MR. URBAN, Chelsea, June 30. THE ready attention with which you inserted in your Magazine Dr. Doddridge's letter to Dr. Hildesley, is not unnoticed. My friend Mr. Giberne, no less than myself, feels encouraged to add the following, which he reserved from amidst many others and to see them in the list of your permanent publication will be a circumstance of satisfaction te us both. To collect a set of medals, or of ancient portraits, has, at times, been the eager pursuit of ingenious and good men. What I now forward to you are not unworthy of the like regard; and to class on the same line a Hildesley, a Richardson, a Hales, and a Leland, is to form a constellation of no ordinary lustre. They were all of the benign aspect; they did not live in vain; they speak forcibly, and from the heart; and thus once more exhibit a proof of the old and animating adage; Great souls by instinct to each other turn, The good bishop's two letters, and the narrative of his last illness and decease, seemed too interesting to be omitted. Such of these papers as you prefer, or all of them, if approved, are at your service. They are genuine: the originals are here inclosed for your inspection; and I give them to your readers, that, like my relation and myself, they may be at once amused and advantaged. Yours, WM. BUTLER. LETTER I. Dr. Hildesley to the Miss Ithells. Hitchin, 13 Dec. 1754. NOTHING could excuse the liberty I take of intruding a book upon the ladies at the Temple-who, I doubt not, are amply furnished with choice of the best of every kindbut my thorough persuasion, that what I here presume to recommend to their perusal will be quite acceptable to them. If this be looked upon as a compliment, I can only say, it is a just one. It is too sure, that, in this age of variety of self-flying engagements, there are not many to be found who have a relish for such sublime and spiritual enjoyments as these "Meditations" are capable of affording. It gives me great pleasure to think how much you will both rejoice in them; and how ready you will be to say, with Dr. Young, and some others who admire them, that "they should never be far out of our reach." Were this world and its contents designed for our chief end and happiness, right it might seem to be as anxious, and solicitous, and eager, as we see the generality of its votaries are, to obtain and pursue the gratifications peculiar to our animal frame and mortal condition. But, if our true and permanent felicity is to be had and sought elsewhere, namely, in a state as different as earth is from heaven, and time from eternity; if the close of a few more revolutions of the same sort of unsatisfying days, months, and years, we have already past, will instantly convince us of this difference, when it will avail us little to remember what degree or station of life we have filled here, but what we have known, and done, of the will of him that placed us in it; [then] from these considerations we are naturally led to think, farther, that, as sure as God is a spirit, the joys of heaven must be spiritual; that even our bodies, with which we are to arise, are to be spiritualised,—for, flesh and blood cannot inherit, cannot partake, or have any sense of, the delights of the kingdom purchased by the blood of Christ. What, then, must needs be the truest wisdom of a rational thinking creature, but to provide in earnest for this certain inevitable change! that it may be, with all advantage, to eternity? But alas! how few are there so wise and so thinking! If those I am now writing to are,-as I conceive they are,-of the number of the few, I have my end in, and shall need no apology for, this address. My incapacity, which has of late increased, of being so useful to, and conversant with, the family I the most revere of any under my charge, has been one inducement to this unusual manner of application to them, of which I promise myself their candid and favourable acceptance; and subscribe, with my earnest prayers for their improvement and perseverance in whatever may tend to their everlasting welfare, Mr. and the Miss Ithells' sincerely obedient and obliged humble servant, M. HILDESLEY. *The above letter, or perhaps the unknown volume referred to, is thus superscribed: Mr. S. Richardson, author of Clarissa, Grandison, and Pamela, to a Lady. MADAM, London, Jan. 10, 1757. I AM very sorry that the bishop says "He dare not call me his friend." No one living could value the good Vicar of Hitchin more than I did, for the sake of his character, before I had the pleasure of being visited by him as Bishop of Man; and most heartily I congratulated in my mind the people committed to his charge, on their happiness" not suffering by their change. To myself, in the letters he favoured me with, I always thought him too condescending, too humble; and is he not so, in the notice he takes of me in the paper before me? thought myself very happy in meeting, at the same inn at Barnet, the good Mr. Hildesley, on his return from Kent. Dr. Young dined with me there; and it was with regret that I could not engage him to do so too; but he had too good reasons to deny me that pleasure. My business lay always heavy upon me. I never, in two or three years could make a visit to Dr. Young of more than three or four days, out and in; but, had I known that the good Vicar of Hitchin had formed but half a wish to see me there, I would have got Dr. Young (both gentlemen respecting each other greatly) to have shewed me the way. I had the favour of a visit, at my house in town, from his lordship; and, meeting him afterwards in the street, I knew that he was in town preparing for his diocese; and if I forget not, I was led to hope for another visit before his departure. But little did I know that his lordship was six whole weeks in town, while my business led me so near him; if I had, I should have held myself inexcusable not to have paid my duty to him in all that time. I have a very sincere respect for this worthy prelate. He has an amiable aspect, and a cheerfulness in his manner that seemed to me an assurance that all was right within. I had interested myself in his welfare, and should have rejoiced in an account of it, in his new settlement. His lord ship is very good to me, in his kind promise not to free me, in future, occasionally, from what he calls his intrusions. He has not, any where, a more sincere well-wisher, I should take it for a favour to be considered by so worthy a divine as more than an acquaintance. Many happy returns of the season attend your ladyship, and all you love, prays, madam, your most faithful and obliged servant, S. RICHARDSON. LETTER III. Dr. Stephen Hales* to Bishop Hildesley. MY GOOD LORD, Teddington, May 16, 1758. IAM much obliged to you for your kind letter of April 11, *Written at fourscore! in a clear, but striking hand. "Blest with serenity of mind, and an excellent constitution, he attained to the age of 84 years, and died, after a short illness, Jan. 4, 1761." See Biogr. Dict. in 12 vols. 8vo. |