beauty of his imagery, descriptions, and similes; and has some of the most pathetic expostulations I ever read. In short, I believe he is perfectly to your taste; only there is one thing which will displease you as much as it did me, which is, that many of his arguments are very inconclusive, though generally as good as high calvinism will bear. I hope you will not be displeased with the freedom I take, in advising you to entertain yourself with him and the other authors I have mentioned, as soon as they fall in your way. And yet perhaps there may be something of vanity in this advice too. French is a language with which I have been acquainted for many years, and you, sir, have just begun to study it; and so I am willing to improve this short interval of superiority, because I am sure, it will be but a little while, before you excel me in that, as much as you do in any thing else. I must not add any thing more, but that I earnestly desire you will take care that you do not impair your health, by rising so early in the morning, for I will assure you that it is one of the dearest things in the world to

Your affectionate Friend,

and obedient Servant,

PHILIP DODdridge.

MADAM,

TO MRS. FARRINGTON.

Kibworth, 1721. You will certainly think it very unreasonable, after all you have done to oblige me, that I should begin my letter with complaints; but really I do not know how to help it, for there are some passages in your last in which you still seem to tax me with insincerity; and though you do not say so much in express terms, I am ready to imagine that you rank me amongst the number of those who give themselves up to the new fashioned hypocritical style of conversation, and who, though they might show more sense and breeding by being honest and sincere, fill their discourse with frothy compliments; nay, what is yet more unkind, you then add that when I say I always think you agreeable, you are sure I violate my conscience. And now, madam, what can your poor friend say to you? If you really think my conscience grown so frail, you will be cautious of believing me in any thing, and all that I say will have but little weight. I beg, madam, that you will suspend your censure, while I assure you that there is nobody that hates insincerity more than myself. Perhaps it would be too grave and parsonical to add, that I think it inconsistent with the plainness and simplicity which the gospel so frequently recommends, and which is one of the brightest ornaments of a christian. But, waving that reflection, I agree with you, that it shows neither sense nor breeding, and that it

is only the most worthless part of our sex that follows the practice, and the weakest of the other that admires it. Then why must I, with all this honest sentiment about me, fall under so severe a censure only for saying that I think mamma always agreeable? Must I never have the satisfaction of telling her how much I love her, and what a sense I have of her favours, without the danger of being charged with violating my conscience, and giving myself up to a meanness which I scorn and abhor? Perhaps, madam, you will say I make too serious a business of the matter, and grow too warm in my defence; and I heartily beg your pardon, if the zeal I have shown in my own justification has transported me beyond the bounds of that respect which I owe you as my mother. Pray remember that sincerity is the only thing I have to value myself upon, and how much I am concerned to prove it to you, and then I am sure you will excuse me.

I profess, madam, I am charmed with the honour you do me when you talk of making me your chaplain. It is the utmost of my ambition to serve you in any capacity, especially in that which lies most directly in my way as a priestling; for I will take care how I call myself a puritan again. The five hundred pounds a year, it seems, is otherwise disposed of; but I dare say mamma will be so good as to believe that she may command her son to what service she pleases without any engagement of that

nature.

I am glad to hear that my letter to Mr. Nichol

had no further ill consequence, and that the young ladies are pleased to think so much better of it than it deserved, and I admire the contrivance of my cousin to clear my aunt and you from suspicion; for, as great an enemy as you may think me to the female sex, I always acknowledge there is no wit like a

woman's!

It soothes me very agreeably to find that you and they are so good, as sometimes to bestow a thought upon me now I am out of sight; but I profess, madam, I am at a loss to recollect what there was in my company, unless it were the awkwardness of my behaviour in disguise, that could give them any diversion. I shall easily be believed when I tell you that I never spent a day more pleasantly, but I attribute it entirely to the charms of the company; and perhaps, if I were to pass every birthday as I did that, I might grow too fond of life.

And now, madam, as for your perplexing sex, I hope you will not be offended, if I acknowledge that I am not entirely of your opinion; you have often heard me rattle about them, but now I will confess my sentiments very gravely.

I profess, notwithstanding all the graceless things I have said about them, that I look upon an agreeable woman as the most amiable part of the creation, and I believe nobody will dispute the opinion when I have defined my terms, and told them what I comprehend under that character. I must confess that I am not utterly insensible of the charms of beauty; but such external trifles are only the amusement of a

few hours, and as soon as they grow familiar, cease to fascinate. My agreeable woman! must have gaiety and good address, a polite education, and a tender temper, and all this under the regulation of unaffected piety. Such creatures as these might be almost said to hold a rank between men and angels; but, to speak soberly, I am confident their conversation is a most improving, as well as a most delightful, entertainment.

I acknowledge and lament that such ladies are seldom to be met with, and that too many of the sex are as empty and as worthless as the generality of our own. I have, however, been so happy as to find one of them at Kibworth, and could discover two more at Bethnall Green, and am so fond of these dear creatures that I could prattle on till I had quite tired you; indeed I am afraid I have done it already.

I perceive, upon a review, that the dignity of the subject has carried me a little beyond the ordinary style of a letter; but that I hope you will excuse.

Having said so much already, I will not trouble you with a full account of my behaviour, which you are pleased to inquire about; besides, it has been in every respect so excellent that I cannot modestly descend to particulars; but if you should ask any body else, I doubt not but that you will find that I have in all instances acted as becomes the most obliged of your children, and the humblest of your

servants.

P. DODDRIDGE.