his father, Mr. Bridgen, and Mr. Norris, three neighbouring ministers, remarkable for their affability, candour, and catholicism, as well as their learning and good sense. They were pleased to declare themselves thoroughly satisfied; and we are to receive a certificate of approbation and recommendation from all the ministers of the county next general meeting; that is, about the middle of May. In the meantime we take our turns, with two more, for the supply of Kibworth.

My sister has sent me the melancholy news of Mr. Clark's death; and I hope, sir, you will believe, that I have so much sympathy and gratitude as heartily to share in the sorrows of an excellent family to which I have so many very considerable obligations.

Mr. Jennings will be in town about the latter end of February, and in his way will call upon you. I then intend to trouble him with a few lines, and shall therefore say nothing more about the present course of our studies. Pray, sir, give my humble service to Mr. Downe's family, and to all my friends at London or St. Albans. If you happen to go to London soon, and can find it convenient to make Hampstead in your way, I would beg the favour of you to deliver the inclosed to my sister, otherwise you will please to send it by the penny-post.

I am. Reverend Sir,

Your most obliged and most humble Servant,

P. DODDRIDGE.

P. S. Mr. and Mrs. Jennings give their service to all whom they know at St. Albans. Mr. Burroughs and I expected to see Mr. Earl and Mr. Thomas down this Christmas, for I think they promised us a visit. I mention your calling at Hampstead, because my sister is very desirous of the pleasure of your company.

TO MRS. CLARK.

Feb. 11, 1723.

DEAR CLIO,

I Do not question but you received my letter much about the time that yours came to my hands, in which I think I mentioned the accident by which it was delayed. I am sorry when such things as these happen; but hope you will never imagine they are owing to any forgetfulness or neglect of you: for I assure you, on the contrary, that I love my dearest Clio with the utmost sincerity and tenderness; and that I think myself extremely obliged and honoured by her correspondence. I have spent many a cheerful hour with you, and therefore it is but just to give me a portion of your grief: but though I tenderly sympathize in your sorrows, yet I have no cause to complain; for I feel that there is a rational and manly pleasure even in those that seem at first sight the most melancholy offices of friendship. Methinks,

as Watts exclaims, upon another occasion,

every

"There's a soft pleasure in the pain,

And tears have their own sweetness too!"

That you, madam, are affectionately concerned for the death of an excellent father, is agreeable to the dictates of decency, reason, and Christianity, as well as the inseparable consequence of your own tenderness and duty. As I know, however, by my own repeated experience, how difficult it is to restrain the excesses of passionate grief, I cannot forbear giving you a general caution to be upon your guard against it. The subject is so familiar to my thoughts that I could easily expatiate upon it; but letter must not be a sermon. I therefore wave all further discourse upon the matter; partly because I know there is such a thing in the world as awakening sorrow, while we are endeavouring to compose it; and partly, because I know that I am writing to a lady whose natural good sense is capable of furnishing her with the most proper and philosophical considerations; and who, I am persuaded, is no stranger to the much nobler supports of Christianity! to those strong and divine consolations, with which a merciful God comforts the hearts of his mourning children, and secures them from being overwhelmed by even the heaviest calamities of human life.

I hope, madam, that kind Providence, which lays no burthen upon us that is disproportionate to our strength, has supported and recovered your agreeable sister from the threatening distemper you mentioned in your last. May she long be continued the plea

sure of her friends, the joy of her family, and the happiness of a much more deserving man than Mr. Jacomb. Indeed I heartily pray, that the variety of affliction with which you have been exercised may be sanctified by the Divine Grace to the ultimate advantage of your excellent family, which I sincerely love, and to which I am proud of being so very much obliged.

Certainly, Clio, if I were writing to any body else, I must make an apology for the length of my letter; but perhaps I ought rather to beg you to excuse its shortness. However, I must of necessity break off, for some urgent affairs require my present attendance; and yet I thought it best to write now, because I go from home to-morrow morning, and cannot exactly tell when I shall return. Let that excuse this hasty and confused manner of writing which I forced myself into, that a longer delay might not give you a shadow of a reason to suspect the least degree of coldness or indifference from your own

P. DODDRIDge.

P.S. My humble service to Mrs. Elizabeth Clark. I heartily wish you both at Hinckley, for I grow stupid for want of agreeable company. I take it for granted, that you will answer both this and my last very speedily; and that I shall hear whether you know any thing of Mrs. Banks. My service to Mr. Whittingham and Dr. Avery.

VOL. I.

DEAR MADAM,

P. S. Since I wrote the above I have received yours of Saturday last. I heartily condole with you on the renewed affliction of your family. The post stays, therefore I cannot answer it more at large.

DEAR SIR,

TO MR. G.

February 18, 1723.

I RECEIVED your kind letter, and heartily thank you for those professions of affection and respect which it contains. You know that I am a plain, honest fellow, and that fine speeches are a commodity in which I never deal; and therefore you must be contented to hear in a very humble manner, that the friendship is equally sincere on my side, and that if ever the providence of God gives me an opportunity of serving you, I shall embrace it with the utmost joy and alacrity.

I am heartily glad to hear that you are so agreeably settled at Findern, and do not question but that you will be very careful in improving all the advantages which you there enjoy. I hope we have both of us been long convinced, that it is of the utmost importance to make a good use of the season of our education, for nothing is more certain, than that we shall feel our improvement or neglect in such respects as long as we live.

You have, without a compliment, natural faculties that are capable of being improved to a remarkable