When I came home, all the pleasure that I had in meeting my tutor and his lady could not hinder my expressing some dissatisfaction. We have certainly changed for the worse in our removal from Kibworth, both as to house, garden, and fields. Mr. Jennings, in ten years, had made a great many agreeable and convenient places for retirement: not but that we have here each of us a closet, and mine is the largest and handsomest in the house. We are building a meeting in our own yard, and that occasions a great deal of litter and hurry, and prevents the improvements which Mr. Jennings intends.

The town itself is ugly enough, but very populous. I am already well acquainted with a family, where there are four daughters between sixteen and twentyfour; but I have not yet met with any fair nymph that has given, or indeed is likely to give me interruption in my studies. My pretty pupil is to come, however, in a few weeks, and then I must put on all my philosophy.

Mr. B. of Nuneaton, has been very ill of convulsions. They hope the danger is past; but he is not yet in a condition to preach. This will introduce a piece of news, which I suppose will surprise you as much as the proposal did me. To keep you then no longer in suspense, it is this: I preached my first sermon on Sunday morning, to a very large auditory, from 1 Cor. xvi. 22*. If Mr. Jennings had not been very urgent, I had not begun till Christmas ;

* If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema, Maran-atha.

but he told me, he believed it would be most for my improvement to begin now, and there was great need of some assistance, and so I submitted. It was a plain, practical discourse, and cost me but a few hours study; but as I had the advantage of a very moving subject, and a good-natured, attentive people, it was received much better than I could have expected. There was one good old woman, that was a little offended to see such a lad get up into the pulpit; but I had the good fortune to please her so well, that as soon as I had done, she told Mrs. Jennings, that she could lay me in her bosom. They tell me this may be the foundation of an amour; but I have so much respect for my unknown girl, that I do not intend to prosecute it any further.

I will assure you, my dear, that I miss your company very much, and think of you very often. If I were not a very good brother, or rather, if you were not the best sister in the world, I should find an excuse for forgetting you a little now and then; for I will assure you I have full employment.

Because I know that most of your sex love to hear of what they do not understand! I will tell you how we spend our time; but to deal plainly with you, if I knew my brother were not at Hampstead, I should save myself that labour. On Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, we study divinity; on Thursday, we give an account of ecclesiastical history; and on Friday, have theological disputations. For ecclesiastical history we read Dupin's Compendium, and consult Spanheim and Le Clerk, and Dupin's Bibliothèque,

as we find occasion. In divinity, we are now studying the doctrine of the divinity of Christ; and I may possibly let my brother know Mr. Jennings's opinion relating to this, and some other points of divinity, at another opportunity.

Pray present my humble service to Mr. Horseman's family. I cannot bear to think that you should have the society of three such agreeable young ladies at once, while I am cloistered up in a closet, with no christian soul to keep me company, and with nought but books and mice, which last abound in such a degree, that I am afraid I shall be devoured before I receive your answer, if it does not come very soon. But, to be very serious, I wish you could find some way of sending me one of these same young ladies when you send my things. I will promise her she shall live as well as I do, and I have new milk twice a day. She might be accommodated with at least half a bed; and for a closet, she might have part of mine, which, as I told you before, is the handsomest in the house, and so very large-that I believe, if the lower shelves were taken down, it would contain the greatest part of her hoop-petticoat. If you can persuade her to come down, direct her for me! at the Rev. Mr. Jennings's, at Hinckley, in Leicestershire, to be left at the Eagle and Child till called for; and send me a letter when she will be there, and I will go myself to fetch her home. At the same time, I desire you would send me, besides the books I mentioned when at Hampstead, the discourse on Free-thinking, Clark's Annotations on the New

Testament, and the odd volumes of Hall's Contemplations, which will be very necessary, because, if I can, I intend to complete the set. I would fain have done it in London, but could not meet with any one volume; but our bookseller, who lives at Leicester, told me, that he has four or five odd volumes, which he will bring over next week. I have the second here already.

I have but a few words more, and then I will release you, that you may sit down to your work again. My humble service to all my friends, particularly to good Mrs. Nettleton, and thank her for the kind entertainment she gave me at Hampstead, and to my brother. I should be glad to hear what news you have. Pray write me a long letter.

I am your affectionate Brother,

and humble Servant,

P. DODDRIDGE.

P.S. Pray make my excuses to Mrs. Forfit and my cousin Jones, for not taking leave of them. You know the circumstances, and so good night, my very dear sister. Ordinarily it will be sufficient to direct to me at Mr. Jennings's, in Hinckley, without naming the Eagle and Child, or writing a preparatory letter. But when you send any thing so precious as a young lady! you must use the utmost precaution, for it would ruin my reputation to have her miscarry.

TO MRS. CLARK.

DEAREST CLIO, Hinckley, Aug. 2, 1722. You have a soul so well turned for all the tender sympathies of friendship, that I am sure I need not use a great many words to express my concern for the loss of your company. You need only reflect upon what passes in your own mind, when you part with Mr. Cooper, or somebody else that you are very fond of, and assure yourself that this, or something more, was felt by me.

You know I profess sincerity; and, consequently, you must excuse a little freedom; and so I will venture to tell you plainly, that ever since I left you I have made it my business, not to forget you-for I would not make such an extravagant attempt, but at least to make your idea keep its due bounds, and not start in upon me so unreasonably as it oftentimes does. It is not that I can ever have enough of your society; but the business is this, whenever I think of my dear Clio, and remember how charmingly she used to look, and move, and converse, I cannot but remember that I have left her at London, and perhaps may not see her again till Christmas come twelve month. You must do what you can to comfort me in this tedious absence; that is, you must write to me as often as possible, and not put me off with a modish letter of two or three lines, like Mrs. Whittingham, but fill up the page and turn