our nature to build our happiness upon so precarious a foundation; that we are to seek it only at home, or rather, that we are to seek it in that most excellent Being who will not admit of a rival in our affections, and has a thousand ways to turn our idols into our

tormentors.

I suppose you have heard by Mr. Some, that Mr. David Some is perfectly recovered; I have no doubt but you will join with his other friends in rejoicing upon that happy occasion. As for the people at Hinckley they are still in a great deal of confusion. Mr. F. had a majority of above ten to one among the common people, but the leaders opposed him, that, though he had publicly declared he accepted their call, and actually took them under his pastoral care, yet, by the advice of all the ministers in the county, except your celebrated tutor Mr. Saunders, he has for a while suspended the affair, and is retired to Birmingham that they may admit other candidates. A Yorkshire minister is to preach there next Lord's day, who, being a popular man, may possibly please them.

A considerable number of Mr. Jennings's books are left; but the most curious are already disposed of. If you come down this summer into Warwickshire, I shall be glad to see you at Kibworth, or rather at Burton, where I shall have interest enough to make you welcome.

I desire my humble service to Messrs. Belsham, Mason, and Burroughs, and all other friends with you; and do not find it necessary to add any thing

more, but that I shall spend a few days in London in the month of July, and that I am, with the utmost respect,

I FULLY intended to wait upon you last Monday sevennight, but was afraid I should have been only half welcome, for I should have left Miss Kitty behind me; for Mr. Freeman's horse was then abroad, so that she was obliged to stay at home. I am now thinking of Monday after the holidays, as the happy day when I shall have the pleasure of paying my respects to you and the rest of my friends with you. But I am afraid that after all I must come alone, for though the horse be returned the lady seems afraid to venture herself with me; nor am I able to determine, whether her caution in that affair proceeds from her regard to her reputation or her neck. Mr. Mitchell tells me that you are thinking of a journey to Kibworth. We are all impatient to see you. And yet, madam, for my own part, I would desire you to defer it a few days longer, as I think that about the 15th of June I shall remove from Stretton to Burton. Now, madam, if you could

contrive to come about that time, I should have the pleasure of a great deal more of your company than I could otherwise expect. Neither would I advise, if I may have the honour of being your prime counsellor, that you put it off any longer than till that time, because we expect you will stay a fortnight, and I am to set out for London about the 29th. Upon the whole, I must refer it to your own convenience; but I propose these hints as a further assistance in your deliberations on so important an affair; and only add, that if I have not a pretty deal of your company, I shall go to London very much in the vapours. We depend upon seeing Mrs. Wingate with you; and Mr. and Mrs. Freeman desire me to give their service to you both, and assure you, that they shall be heartily glad to see you at Burton.

As for news, madam, I have none to send you, but that my sister tells me she is continually mending, and that the change of air is of considerable advantage to her; and that Mary was brought to bed of a boy last Sunday, about evening; which I add, that Mr. Richards may calculate his nativity. I am, dear Madam,

Your most affectionate Friend and obliged Servant,

P. DODDRIDGE.

Upon second thoughts, I question whether it be not a breach of good manners to subscribe oneself an affectionate friend to a person that is so much

one's superior. All that I have to offer in my excuse is, that Barclay does the same in his dedication to king Charles the Second. And though it may be but homely breeding, I am sure it is a truth, not to say that the blotting out a whole line would be but an indifferent ornament to a letter, that has too many of those defects already. But it would be an error of much greater importance to omit my humble service to the agreeable Mrs. Wingate and the Rev. Mr. Richards, and the rest of my friends with you. I heartily thank Mr. Richards for his good company at Burton and Stretton, and hope, that if his affairs will permit, he will come over again with you. He was bringing me to Hinckley in his hand, but I happened to drop out by the way. I wish you joy of your new sister.

TO MR. BURROUGHS.

DEAR SIR, Stretton, May 29, 1724. You must not suspect me of any inclination to compliment, and much less to enter into such a kind of correspondence, when I tell you, that I have not received a letter these several months, which has given me so much entertainment as yours. It was really a great satisfaction to me, to find that my good friend was still alive, after all my melancholy apprehensions that he was lost in some of his travels. I most heartily congratulate you upon your safe return

to England, and hope that so long a journey in winter has not proved prejudicial to your health. I was once told that you were gone into Holland ; but as you do not mention it as a part of your peregrination, I am ready to conclude that it was a mistake. Many of our old friends on this side the country were wonderfully pleased with your story of the kind reception our dear tutor's pamphlet met with. We are also told, that two of the bishops, whose names I have forgotten, have publicly recommended this piece to the perusal of their clergy in their late visitations. We cannot but rejoice in the respect that is paid to the memory of that excellent man, as well as in the candour and moderation which these bishops expressed upon that occasion*.

You tell me a great deal of news, to which I was entirely a stranger; and I heartily wish that I knew how to return any thing in that way that would be equally entertaining, but it is utterly impossible. I am now at Mr. Perkins's, in Stretton, where I am in a manner buried alive. I go but little abroad, and when I do, I converse only with farmers and graziers, and their rustic retainers. I am frequently alone twenty hours in the day; from whence you will easily infer, that I have no bed-fellow! I leave you to judge, sir, what wonderful discoveries my curious and inquisitive genius is likely to make with

* The pamphlet here referred to contained two sermons by the Rev. John Jennings, one on Preaching Christ, and the other on Experimental Preaching. It was published in 1723, and afterwards translated into the German language, by order of the Rev. Dr. Frank, Professor of Divinity to the University of Halle, in Saxony.