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FROM MRS. NETTLETON.

MY DEAREST BROTHER, Hampstead, Sept. 18, 1722. I FEAR you have had many uneasy, if not hard thoughts of me, on account of my long silence; and indeed I should have been very much ashamed if it had been owing to my own negligence. But the true, and only reason has been Mary's illness. You may remember she was taken ill the morning you left us, and since that time she has been much worse than I ever knew her; so that neither she nor my mother could go to London for your turnover, nor to Highgate with your things. She is now better; and I have this day written to Mrs. Hannah Clark to desire her to send your turnover by the penny post: and I intend, God willing, to send your things to Highgate next Monday.

I thank my dear brother for his kind letter, and am glad he got safe to Hinckley, and had such good company by the way. I am sorry that you do not like your new habitation so well as Kibworth; but hope, that when you get settled, it will be more agreeable, and that the good company in the town, being more than you had there, will make up for the want of some conveniences in the house and garden. The society of the pretty pupil you mention will, I hope, prove as agreeable as you imagine.

I should have been much surprised at the news you sent me, but that Dr. Avery met your brother a little before, in London, and told him of it. I pray

God, that you may be made a happy instrument of His glory and the good of souls; and, as you are not insensible of the weight and importance of the work, and of man's insufficiency in his own strength for the performance of it, so I hope God will keep you humble and watchful, and entirely depending upon His Spirit for assistance; and that when you have been enabled to do any good, you will not be forgetful, but give Him all the glory. I hope my dear brother will excuse this freedom, and my folly in advising him who knows so much better how to direct me, and will believe it to proceed from the tender love I bear him.

Our ladies are all well, and all desire their service; but I cannot prevail with one of them to go to Hinckley. Your brother went on the 15th of August to Stockwell, at Mr. Cambden's request; he was well last Saturday, and joins with me in service to Mr. and Mrs. Jennings and to your dear self.

Your affectionate Sister, and humble Servant,

ELIZ. NETTLETON.

P. S. Having nothing so precious as a young lady to send you, I shall direct the parcel for you at Mr. Jennings's, not mentioning "The Eagle and Child," and hope you will not fail to inquire after it next week. Excuse this scribble.

Adieu, mon cher Frère.

TO MR. CLARK.

REV. SIR,

Hinckley, Sept. 1722.

I HOPE you will excuse me for not paying my respects to you sooner. The only reason was, I had nothing very important to write about, and so was willing to stay till I could give you some account of our settlement at Hinckley.

If I were to regard only my own personal convenience, I should very much regret our leaving Kibworth. For, though I am fixed in a pretty little chamber, yet I have no opportunity to study walking*, and am exposed to a great deal of noise and interruption. Besides, we have none of those agreeable retirements without doors that we had there, as meadows, gardens, arbours, and grottost. Nay, at present we have the hurry of building, and nothing can be seen from my closet-window but bricks

The practice of sauntering along with a book in the hand, under the specious pretence of uniting exercise with study, while it actually impedes both, is so pernicious, by inducing a slouching attitude, and thus checking a free expansion of the chest, that Dr. Doddridge must not be supposed, on the evidence of a single passage, to have sanctioned it so far as to have made it a habit.

+ Among the many traces of a superior mind shown in the academical arrangements of Mr. Jennings, it is perhaps not the least, that he was solicitous to secure for his pupils the beneficial effects arising from a familiar acquaintance with the tranquillizing charms of nature. In this view, the grotto and other rural retirements combining facilities for rest, the breathing freshness of quivering leaves, and the shady luxury of silent groves, were indeed delectable accessaries to meditation and devotion.

and mortar, timber and sand. However, I hope this will not last long, for the meeting-place goes on very fast, and will be finished before Christmas. It will be a pretty large place, and I hope well filled, for we have a congregation of five hundred people, and all perfectly united; and it is probable the dissenting interest may advance under the prudent conduct of my worthy tutor.

As for the company in the town, it can but little interrupt my studies. If I expect elegant and polite entertainment, I must look for it within doors. Our neighbours are persons of an ordinary education, but some of them have native good sense, and many of them a great deal of piety; and they often take an unaffected prudent freedom in discoursing on religious subjects, which is very agreeable, and I hope may be improving.

As for our women, I assure you, sir, you have no reason to apprehend they will do me any harm. I have not seen one here that is likely to make any conquest in our family. And, indeed, I am heartily glad of it, not so much upon my own account as for the sake of my companions, who are not so well fortified against such kind of impressions.

I must now, sir, inform you of something that I believe will surprise you, as much as the first proposal of it surprised me, which is, that on the Sunday sevennight, after I left you, I preached my first sermon in Mr. Jennings's meeting. You know I had no thoughts of beginning till Christmas, and I think myself obliged to acquaint you with the reasons that prevailed upon me to alter my resolution.

My tutor proposed it as soon as I came hither; and when I declined it, he told me that it was no more than had been done by all the pupils of my age and standing, whom he had brought up, and who all began in their seventh half year. I urged a variety of other business; and he then told me, that he believed the time I spent in composing a sermon now and then would turn to better account than if I employed it in any other study; particularly, as it would teach me to read practical divinity to greater advantage. I would have consented to preach in the family; but he said, that he was so hurried with building and teaching his new pupils, who are always more troublesome than the seniors, that my public assistance would be very convenient. Upon this, I thought of beginning at Michaelmas; and, in the mean time, would have written to you for your advice; but the very next day I was sent for by two neighbouring ministers, and some of the principal members of Mr. Jennings's congregation. They told me, Mr. B. of Nuneaton was dangerously ill, and that they could think of no way of supplying his place, unless I would engage for Lord's day morning. As my tutor joined his importunity with theirs, I thought I could not handsomely deny them any longer. If I had written to you, I could not have received your answer till the next week, and Mr. Jennings seemed pretty confident that you would not be displeased. This, sir, is a plain account of the matter; and I hope there is nothing in it that looks like a desire of thrusting myself into the world before my time. I am very sure that was not the principle that I acted upon,

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