they are of great use to form one to a practical way of improving what one reads there, but that many circumstances of the History are illustrated by judicious observations, which I have not before met with. I have read Mr. Pearce's funeral sermon. Α reverend and orthodox divine in these parts, is not at all pleased with it, but thinks it should have shown more largely, that whatever peculiar notions that excellent man had on the head of the Trinity, they did not in fact hinder him from perceiving the great advantages of all the essential peculiarities of the gospel scheme. He thinks the author should have run over in an appendix, if not in the sermon, several of the subjects that he preached upon, and have quoted some of the most affectionate passages relating to Christ and the Spirit; and that he should have concluded with a more pathetic address to those who reviled and persecuted so evangelical a preacher. This he thinks would have done a great deal towards assuaging the prejudices of some honest but bigoted people against Mr. Pearce and some of his surviving brethren, which this truly orthodox man seems to look upon as very desirable. I am the more confirmed in the force of that thought from some conversation I have had with a friend at Leicester, of considerable delicacy, as to sound doctrine, and as far from Arianism as any man in the world. He used constantly to attend on Mr. Pearce when he went to Exeter, because he thought him the most evangelical preacher there; and he told me a few days ago, with great seriousness, that he could never condemn any

man for that doctrine which would allow him to preach as Mr. Pearce did. You see, sir, to what my note has grown; it is indeed time for a reasonable man to conclude it.

TO MRS. ELIZABETH CLARK.

DEAR PHILOMELA

June 30, 1726.

CANNOT imagine how much Celadon was agitated to hear her offer so humble an apology for her late omission of writing to him. I own, madam, I was ready to complain of you in my own thoughts; but I did not presume to blame you, because I had received too many tangible proofs of your friendship, to be capable of doubting its sincerity. Besides, I had heard from Clio that you were overtaken by a hurry of extraordinary business. This is an excuse I am so frequently obliged to use, when addressing friends whom I sincerely value and love, that it would be peculiarly unjust in me not to admit its force; but if it had been much less effective, I should have thought it a considerable degree of happiness that Philomela allowed me such a place in her esteem as to think it worth her while to offer me an excuse at all. I am not so stupid as to be insensible of the charms of your last letter. However, madam, according to your request I will not insist upon your being so punctual a correspondent as I could wish, but hope that you will write as often as

you conveniently can. Whenever you answer me, I will acknowledge the obligation with all possible gratitude; and when you do not, I will conclude it is because you are employed in more important business. I ought certainly to be very willing to come into an agreement of this nature when I consider that every one of your letters is worth a great many of mine.

You speak with your usual good sense and discretion, when you call teaching a large school a great undertaking. It is certainly, madam, an office of much labour and difficulty; but you may frequently support yourself under it with this reflection, that it is a post of the most honourable and important service that a member of your sex can be engaged in; nor are there indeed many employments in our male world which can be compared with it.

If you are serious in asking my advice, which I can hardly imagine, I am sure it must be only from an excess of humility; as it would be an unequalled excess of presumption in me to pretend to dictate to a lady from whom I ought rather to esteem it an honour and happiness to receive instruction; and therefore, madam, instead of putting on a grave face and preaching to you, I will rather from my heart congratulate the happiness of those who are placed under your care. They might possibly have found some other mistress equally capable of instructing them in the dexterities of the needle, or in those other playful arts which it is generally expected they should learn; though I believe there are few who would have the vanity to pretend to rival you in

these; but I conceive that they could not have found a more beautiful pattern of judicious taste, elegant sentiment, and polite behaviour; much less could they have fallen into the care of a person equally capable and equally solicitous to lead their dawning minds into the knowledge and love of practical religion, untainted by the awkward, though fashionable mixture of affectation, censoriousness, superstition, and bigotry. You, madam, will easily discover the most natural and graceful method of insinuating into their young hearts, by gentle degrees, a reverence of God and a relish for virtue; and will teach them by the familiarity of daily discourse, both what character is honourable and amiable, and what on the other hand is contemptible and hateful; and then they will continually have before them, an example of all that is most valuable in the Christian temper, which will do more to form their characters by the insensible charm of imitation, than could be effected by the most rational and glowing discourse. I rejoice to think what daughters, wives, mothers, and mistresses, by the by, the pretty creatures will make, in consequence of the maxims which they will thus imbibe. If there were any thing in the world, madam, which could make me content to resign the privileges of my sex, it would be that I might go through such a course of education, and be formed under such an example: nature will not allow of such a change. However, madam, I would hope that in another way may find my account in your entering upon these duties; for by such means, you will gain a still

I

more decisive acquaintance with the female heart, in all its varied shades; so that hereafter you may possibly have it in your power to recommend to me a mistress from among your pupils, when I may again have leisure to attend to such tender amusements which for a while I have resolutely dismissed.

I entreat you then, madam, to look around upon the little thoughtless charmers in this view; and if you discern the dawning of a character which may be likely to make me happy, bestow some peculiar cultivation upon it in regard to

Your most affectionate Friend and

most obedient humble Servant,

PHILIP DODdridge.

DEAR MADAM,

TO CLIO.

Harborough, June 30, 1726. I RECEIVED your letter one morning when I was at breakfast, amid a circle of very agreeable friends, and was so charmed with the gaiety and pleasantry it displayed, that I could not forbear reading them a few lines, which I knew there would be no inconvenience in communicating. They all joined in congratulating my happiness in having such a correspondent; and indeed I thought the honour so great, that the pride of my heart would not suffer me entirely to conceal it. Let me entreat you, my