am all the Members of the Mystical Body of Christ have Fellowship with the Father and Son by one Holy Spirit with Aâ—gels in their Love Care and Ministries with the Saints in Heaven in their Love and Prayers and with one another in the same Faith Hope Word and Sacrament and therefore shou'd often confer about Heavenly things holding the Vnity of the Spirit in the Bond of Peace The Operations of the Mind being in their own Nature much more fatigueing than the Labours of the Body it 's my usual Custom on Sunday Night to go somewhat sooner to Bed than ordinary However I durst not adventure to go and compose my self to such a rest as so much resembles Death it self and from which many have awaked in Eternity without recommending my self to the Care and Protection of the Almighty and to this I have endeavoured always to have the greater regard since bâ—sides the Divine Authority which plainly injoyns it it 's a Duty so clearly manifested even by the light of Nature that 't is a wonder almost that any should neglect it I hope you do not Madam take this as either Dictating or Reproving when 't is never meant so by me who have justly entertained quite other Conceptions of you and am so far from supposing my self Pattern in any respect for your Imitation that I should think my self in danger of running into the notion of a Perfectionist if I could but come near you This Madam is the Method in which I wou'd spend the Sabbath and is what I have endeavour'd to practise tho' I must own to my shame with so much weakness and so many Infirmitâ—es that it seems rather an Account of what I ought to do than of what I have done For tho' 't is my Duty to watch narrowly over my Heart Affections and Thoughts and all my Outward Actions and in a more particular manner shouâ—d look upon the Sanctifying of the Lord's Day to be a Principal part of Religion yet I must own I have not been so careful as I ought to Sanctifie the Lord in my Heart on that Day or perform some Duties that were incumbent upon me I have not made 〈◊〉 my Fear and my Dread as I ought but have indulg'd my self in Sloth spoken my own Words and thought my own Thoughts contrary to God's Holy Will and Commandment I must also accuse my self of being too negligent 〈◊〉 Preparing my self to attend upon God in his Solemn and Publick Appointments rushing often into his Presence without that due Preparation which he requires Neither have I behav'd my self in his House with that Fear and Reverence as I ought nor heard God's Word with that Attention which so Awful a Message call'd for nor improv'd it to my Spiritual Nourishment as I ought to have done I am also sensible that I have been more ready to â—ind fault with the Minister than to obey the Message he has brought and have not spoken of other Men and their Affairs with that Care Charity and Aâ—â—ection as I should have done but rather have discover'd their Defects I likewise acknowledge That in singing of Psalms I have not sung with that Grace in my Heart which God's Word requires and have had my Ears more tickled with the Harmony of the Musick than my Soul inflam'd with Zeal to sing the Praises of God I do also confess I have not had such Sorrow and Repentance for my Sins past as I ouâ—â—t nor have used such Diligence in the daily Examining of my Conscience and Amendment of my Life as I should have done I have also reason to be humbled that I han't offer'd up my Prayers unto God with alaâ—â—ity and fervour of Spirit as I shou'd have done but have been often Distracted Slothful and Cold in my Devotions I also acknowledge I have been Proud and Vain-glorious in my Words and Actions I have not thought so humbly of my self as I shouâ—d have done nor kept my Senses in the House of God with that care as became a Christian especially my Eyes and my Ears For all which and many more Errors of my Life which through Neglect and Inadvertency may have escap'd my Cognizance I humbly beg Pardon and Forgiveness of the Father of Mercies Thus Madam with the Pelican have I dissected my Heart to shew you where the Defects of Humanity reside I have here as I told you before made the whole World but principally your self my Confessor I will only add as to this Point That if my Tongue and Heart agree not in this Confession my Confession will be of no value he that confesses with his Tongue and wants Confession in his Heart is either a vain Man or an Hypocrite and he that confesâ—es with his Heart and wants it in his Tongue is either Proud or Timorous Madam having given you some Account how I endeavour'd to spend the Sabbath in Dublin I shall 〈◊〉 inform yâ— how I spent my time on the Week-Days I have told you in the Account I gave you of spending Sunday that 't was my Practice to go to Bed sooner on those Nights than at other times I shall further add That I am no sooner lain down on Sunday Night but I compose my self to rest being so far from being terrified with Apparitions Spectrums and the like as I have heard some have been who for that very Reason durst never lie alone that I humbly Adore thâ— Majesty of Heaven for it I fear nothing but God and Sin When I awake I am transported to find my self so sprightly every way which made me often wonder what an excellent thing Sleep was considering it as an inestimable Jewel for an hour of which if a Tyrant laid down his Crown he should not be able to purchase it That it was that Golden Chain which tyed Health and our Bodies together and that while sleeping none complained of Pains Wants Cares or Captivities And that though the Story of Endymion's Nap for Threescore and Fifteen Years and then awaking as lively as if he had slept but six hours be in it self but a meer Fable yet the Moral is good and plainly indicates the Necessity and Usefulness of Rest to our Natures as instituted by the God of Nature Himself But to proceed in my Journal In the Morning as soon as the Cinque-Ports are open I send up some Private Ejaculations to Heaven giving God thanks that my Eyes are open to see the Light of another Day After this I get up and make my most Solemn Addresses to the Divine Majesty remembrinâ— Randolph's Words First Worship God He that forgets to Pray Bids not himself Good Morrow nor Good Day In these sorts of Duties it has been my conâ—â—ant Practice to be rather short and fervent than long and indifferent And as we ought to make use of every Just and Proper Motive to excite us to 〈◊〉 Duty I will humbly say I have been the moâ—â— constant in my practicâ— of this Morning-Duty as principally out of a
within is what we call the Dictates of Conscience and if we could but get 'em to Baptism and the Lord's Supper we should begin to call 'em Brethren And thus you see by my going one Sunday to one Perswasion and a second to another that I can go to Heaven with any Wind and with any Name and shall think it an happiness to go into Canaan tho it were through a Red Sea Madam 'T is true I was born to travel and am now pursuing my Destiny but if I wander the Length of the Map and never see you here yet I hope we shall meet in Heaven at last What tho we diâ—fer in our Way thither I hope we pardon one another Men go to China both by the Streights and by the Cape The Good Men of Ireland such as Bishop King and Mr. Boyse perhaps contend about words when they heartily think the same thing But whatever the Opinions of others are in Polemical Matters yet as to my self I dare boldly say I am or should be an Honest Man for Vertue is my Business my Writing is my Recreation which made Iris say she 'd bury me with a Pen in my Hand God is my Father the Church my Mother I need not say this or that Church if I am sound in the 〈◊〉 Points the Saints my Brethren and all that need 〈◊〉 my Friends and I am likewise too a Friend to my self for shall I have it and want Necessaries Whâ— though I am now in a far Country yet I have in my self as Randolph says an Houshold-government and where e're I go do intend to live Lord of my self accountable to none But to my Conscience and my God alone Now Madam give me leave to say however Romantick some may think this to be That I have found notwithstanding my many Infirmities more Peace and Satisfaction in the discharge of a good Conscience than in all the Pleasures this World can give In the next place Madam I shall give you a short Diary of my Practice in Ireland with respect to Religion but I will first give you a Relation of a Rencounter I had with a sort of Atheist I met in Dublin I need not tell ye Madam That Atheism and Irreligion abounds every where for your last Letter suggested as much and the cause is apparent for when Men have given themselves up so long to the Conduct of their own Lusts that they have Reason to fear the Justice of God due to 'em for their Sins they would fain hope to secure themselves by denying his Being I can't say this Lewd Fellow I met in Dublin absolutely deny'd the Being of a God and I much question whether there be a profest Atheist in the World yet I may say his Discourses as well as his manner of living had so much of Atheism in 'em as they made me tremble I won't insert his Atheistical Discourses for they are better forgot than publish'd but I 'll send you some of the Arguments I us'd to refute his Atheistical Notions Whether they satisfy'd him or not I can't say for he made little reply I am sure my design was good but whether I argued as I ought I leave you Madam to judge what I advanc'd was to this Effect viz. There are two ways for us to attain to the Knowledge of God or a First Principle by whom the World was made the one is Natural the other Supernatural That which I call Supernatural I what God has revealed in his Word wherein he has given us the clearest Idea of himself as he by whom all things were made But because they who deny the Being of a God do generally make a scoff as his Word I will only insist upon that which is Natural Nature informs us that there was a Sovereign Being the Author and Preserver of all things This Truth I can see with my Eyes when I either behold the Earth view the Heavens or reflect upon my self When I see such things as are not made but by a Superior Cause I am obliged to acknowledge and adore a Being which cannot be made and which made all things else When I consider my self I am sure that I could not be without a beginning therefore it follows That a Person like me could not give me to be and by consequence this puts me upon seeking out a First Being who having had no Beginning must be the Original of all other things When my Reason conducts me to this First Principle I concludâ— evidently that this Being cannot be limited because Limits suppose a Necessity of Production and Dependance And if unlimited it must be a Sovereign and Incomprehensible Being And this prevents all curious Enquirers from comprehending what God is For who can define that which is Vnlimited or comprehend that which is Incomprehensible One must be blind indeed to be ignorant of a First Principle but one must be infinite like him to be able to speak exactly of him For the most that can be said by us though it may perhaps content the Curious yet it can never satisfie the Rational Soul This Madam was the Substance of what I spake on that Occasion which as I said before I leave to your Censure And to be yet more free with you I have those awful Thoughts of the Divine Being that I would never think of him but with the most profound Veneration and therefore always choose to think of him rather in the Abstract than the Concrete for if I think him Good my finitâ— thought is ready to terminate that Good in a conceived Subject and if I conceive him Great my bounded Conâ—â—â—t is apt to â—ast him into a comprehensible Figure I would therefore conceive him a diffused Goodness without Quality and represent him an â—ncomprehensible Greatness without Quantity And therefore I choosâ— as Mr. Ellis advises to shâ—â— all gross Representations of God or â—ikening him so much 〈◊〉 in my Thought to any Creature I am not to Worship him after my own Conceit or Fancy but according to the Rules he hath givâ—n in his Word And to speak my Thoughts of Religion in a few Words I look upon that to be the best Religion which is pure and peaceable and takâ—s no pleasure in the Expence of Blood whose Principles are consonant to the Word of God and which takes most from the Creature and gives most to the Creator This is that Religion which I assure my self is the Right which I will endeavour to practise while I Live and rely on when I Die And this brings me to what I promisd an Account of my Practice in Dublin which I will give you in the Form of a Diary I freely acknowledge Madam That the Sacred Oracles of the Old and New Testaments do sufficiently instruct us in the Performance of all those Duties which God requires of us But tho the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are the very Word of God which holy Men of God spake and wrote as they were
this Encounter so I shall now send you an Account of what the Citizens of Dublin the daily Spectators of this Scuffle think of it and of Campbel's Proposal to me about a Peace and this can't be better done than by inserting here a Letter directed To Mr. Richard Wiâ—â—e at Patt's Coffee-House in High-street Which Letter was this following viz. December 16th SIR NOw Campbel finds Mr. Dunton's Reputation above his reach like himself he would fain put to Reference the Ruine he intended but if Mr. Dunton does not compel him to publick Acknowledgement he will hereafter repent it for in the first Place he did not only incense all that he had opportunity against him but forbid all his Auction telling that hâ— employ'd Foster and others as Setters which he would prove by Weir and in the next Place he made a Faction against him because he was an English-man and he took all Mr. Dunton's Papers to Council and advised on them with Intention to prosecute him at Law and getting no Incouragement he proceeds this way which I hope Mr. Dunton does not take to proceed from a Prick of nor from Friendship but meerly for want of I will say no more that Gentleman having Iustice to vindicate himself as well as Sense to know Campbel whose best word was You were all Rogues I shall say no more but assure you that I have been a good Customer and have given all Incouragement to you and am Mr. Dunton's and your real Friend SIR THough you see by this Letter directed to Mr. Wilde what Opinion the Citizens of Dublin have of the Treatment I have from Campbel and of his Proposal of his being Friends with me yet seeing Peace is a desirable Thing if to be had upon Honourable Terms I desire your Sentiments upon this Letter to Mr. Wilde and how you 'd advise me to Act in this Critical Iuncture your speedy Answer will greatly oblige Your very Humble Servant John Dunton Remarks on my Eighth Letter SIR I Have received by the last Post the further Account you promised me of Patrick's ill Practises his deceitful Dealing with you about a Peace and the Letter to Mr. Wilde giving the Sentiments of the Citizens of Dublin upon this Scuffle I must say the Writer of this Letter is much your Friend and if you be sure of the credibility of the Informer I see no Reason why you should not Publish it but you ought to be exactly careful in enquiring whether the Writer of it can be relied upon and if you be satisfied in that Publish it with all the Corroborating Evidence you can for there 's nothing can be more effectual to prove the Justice of your Cause and the Baseness of your Adversary I am the rather indeed inclin'd to believe it because it corresponds with the Preceding Part of your own Information and is confirm'd by his declining to meet you according to appointment for Truth is always bold and never seeks Corners as it is evident Patrick has done all along I adde no more but referring you to the Direction of the Almighty who knows the Justice of your Cause I am SIR Yours The Ninth Letter SIR I formerly told you of Patrick's sending a Trumpeter with Proposals of Peace and how he serv'd me on that Account you have also had the Sentiments of the Citizens of Dublin with respect to my Scuffle with him and his seeming willingness to make an end on 't but tho' I met at the Place appointed he never appear'd as I formerly sent you Word yet he has the impudence to give out that I refuse to meet him which I no sooner heard of but I sent the following Letters the one directed To Mr. Thomas Servant a Binder in Golden-Lane And the other directed To Mr. Patrick Campbel at the Bible in Skinner-Row My Letter to Mr. Servant was in these Words viz. December 20th 1698. Honest Thomas I writ the following Letter with a design to send it to Patrick Campbel just as I was going to limbark but hearing he reports I refused to meet him which he durst not do but that he thinks I am Ship'd off I desire that you would read the following â—ines that you may see his Baseness for your self was present where he refus'd to meet me and can testifie to what I write As soon as you have read my Letter deliver it with your own Hand for if Patrick should still fly me 't is design'd as 〈◊〉 Farewel to him You know Sir though you are his chief Binder and would favour his cause as much as possible that I offer'd to make you the sole Iudge of the Debt he owes me but for the Slander and taking the Room over my Head it was a publick Injury and tho' I forgive it my self the World expects a publick Acknowledgment of the Injuries he has done to Your hearty Friend and Servant John Dunton My Farewel Letter to Patrick Campbel Mr. Campbel THo' I have one foot in the Boat in order ' to Embark for England yet I here send a Messenger to tell you I 'll wait an hour to shake Hands with you if you 'll confess the Wrongs you did or there were any hopes of your Penitence And isn't it strange that Patrick Campbel who is so Religious as to say Grace over a dish of Coffee should have no Qualms after slandering his Neighbour or refusing to pay his debts I say debts for I sent your Account fairly stated and prov'd you owe me a round Sum without receiving your Answer to it Then with what Face but you suppos'd I was Ship'd off could you tell Bently I was your Debter and refus'd to meet you before a Magistrate or at the Keys in High-street where I waited for you above an Hour But tho' you durst not appear then I 'm now waiting in the Boat for you in hopes you 'll appear at last and to engage you to it if you 'll ask Pardon I 'll even here receive you with open Arms. 'T is true you have given great Provocation and had I not been tender of you I had long since sent you the Length of my Sword or as you 're beneath my Notice some Porter to have broke your Pate Sir put on your Sword if it be not in trouble and let me see your Face for your private slandering is very sordid and I am sure deserves to be soundly drubb'dâ— for by backbiting of me you still sneak your Head out of the Collar and I am hurt by I don't know who 'T is true 't was Palmer's Saying the Martyr That no Man ought to be counted Valiant but such as contemn Injuries I confess I am not so humble as this comes to yet I forgive Patrick with all my Heart but Sir I think it my duty to Print the Scuffle you engag'd me in for you justifie your barbarous Treatment so that to forget and forgive you too will but encourage you to abuse others or perhaps my self again for such tenderness
Bently whether there was not some Eminence in the City from whence I might survey it He told me there was and that from the top of the Tholsel the whole City might be seen so we went to the Tholsel where we ascended about half a score Stairs from the Street which brought us into a spacious Roâ—m supported by great Pillars and flagg'd as they term it here with free Stone with open Banisters on each side towards the Street its figure is rather an oblong than a square This is the Place they call the Change where the Merchants meet every day as on the Royal Exchange in London In a corner at the South-East part is a Court of Iudicature where they keep their publick Sessions for the City Having view'd the lower part we went up a large pair of Stairs into a publick Room which had a large Balconey looking into Skinner Row and from this Balcony I spoke with my Friend Mr. Geo. Larkin who was then at Mr. Ray 's Printing-house over-against it He no sooner saw me but came over to congratulate my safe arrival expressing himself very joyful to see me and I was as glad as he we having a long time had a kindness for each other and convers'd by Letter even when I was in America Having said so much of him you 'll not wonder Madam if I send ye an Epitomy of his Character intending to do it more largely in my Summer Ramble He is of a midling Stature somewhat gross of a Sanguine Complexion and a hail Constitution both of Body and Mind and which I admire where ever I find it he is of an even Temper not elated when Fortune Smiles nor cast down with her Frowns and though his Stars have not been very propitious to him with respect to his outward Circumstances he having had great Losses yet he has born all with such a presence of Mind as shew'd his Losses to be the effect of his Misfortunes and not his Faults His Conversation is extreamly diverting and what he says is always to the purpose He is a particular Votary of the Muses and I have seen some of his Poems that can't be equall'd But there is one thing more peculiar to him which is That whatever he does is upon the Account Civil I went up with my Friends Madam to the top of the Thâ—lsel and there had a View of the whole City but a Storm that then arose took from us much of the Pleasure of the Prospect But of that and the spacious Chambers over the Change where the Lord Mayor and Aldermen meet and other Curiosities which I saw there as also oâ— the Government of the City by the Lord Mayor Aldermen and Assemblies I shall give a more particular Account in my Summer Ramble But this I will say here Madam That of all the Cities in the Kings Dominions Dublin next to London does justly claim the Precedence 'T was at the Tholsel I met Mr. Dell a Person whose Understanding and generous Temper set him above the common Rate of Men and shew him to be every way a Gentleman I could not but love him for these Qualifications but much more as he was an old Acquaintance of my Honoured Mother-in-law and Madam you can't blame me for this as she treats me with that Tenderness that I think her my own Mother Reviv'd and I find shall love her as much Mr. Dell shew'd me a most particular Respect at our first Meeting and continued his Favours to the last Minute I staid in Ireland being one of those that were so obliging as to see me a Ship-board From the Tholsel Mr. Dell Mr. Bently and I were going to the Tavern but Mr. Larkin by the way wou'd have me go into Dick's Coffee-house where I had been advis'd by Mr. Wild to keep my Auctions I readily agreed to his Motion and went up saw it and liked it as proper for my Purpose Dick shewing me all the Civility I could desire And I must say this of Dick notwithstanding our after Quarrel That he is a Witty and Ingenious Man makes the best Coffee in Dublin and is very Civil and Obliging to all his Customers of an open and generous Nature has a peculiar Knack at Bantering and will make Rhymes to any thing He 's of a chearful facetious Temper and generally speaking fair in his Dealing And had not Patrick assaulted him with the Temptation of a double Price he and I shou'd never have quarrel'd and yet for all that I must do him the Justice to say he carry'd it civilly to me to the very last and was so kind as to come with my Friend Mr. Dell to give me a Farewell when I left Ireland thus much for Dick As for his Wife I shall say this She 's an Industrious Woman handâ—om enough one that knows her Duty to her Husband and how to respect her Customers and in a word is what a Wife ought to be and I must own though her Husband and I scuffled she treated me always with much 〈◊〉 From Dicks we went to the Tavern where having â—rank a Bottle or two and related the Fatigues of my Dublin Voyage we parted and went each to our several Lodgings In my way home I was attackt by an impudent 〈◊〉 who desired me to bestow a Glass of Wine upon her I made her no other Answer than that the House of Correction stood not far off at which she scower'd away with all the Heels she could make seeming as much scar'd as if she had been in the most eminent danger of losing her Chastity when perhaps she could scarce remember the time when she had it I hope Madam you do not esteem any thing I have said here to be designed for the magnifying of my own Vertues it 's practicable enough for a man to make his Reputation clear and not sin and assure your self I am not unsensible that self-Praise is a most odious thing in any and I shall ever account it much more so in my self However it be Madam all my Mistakes are entirely submitted to you who are the best Judge of ' em The next day I removed to more convenient Quarters and deliver'd some Letters which I had brought from London This day Mr. Dell gave me a meeting at Dicks from whence we went to the Castle the Place of Residence for the Chief Governors by Mr. Dell's Interest I had here a view of the Lord Galway's Bed-Chamber and other 〈◊〉 Apartments but I wave 'em here designing to speak of 'em in my Summer Ramble however I 'll here attempt his Lordships Character and hope my honest Intention herein will something attone for my great Defects and the rather still as his Lordships Merits are above a Dryden's or a Cowley's Pen. I own 't is a bold Undertaking to offer at the Character of one of the greatest Men which our Age has produc'd especially for one who has not the Honour of being personally known to him however though I
day our Redemption was finish'd by our Saviour's rising from the Dead this change was made in the Apostle's time as appears by their so often meeting on the first day of the Week recorded in the Scripture and that they had our Saviour's Countenance and Authority for it by his appearing so often to 'em in their Assembly on that day I think one need not be so scrupulous about the day but submit to the decision of the Church who probably fetch'd it from the Practice of the Apostles Our Saviour tells us the Sabbath was made for Man and not Man for the Sabbath and 't is of more moment to observe the Duties of the day then to be able to answer all Objections and Contentions that ill designing Persons can raise against it That we dedicate a seventh day to God's Service according to his own appointment and upon the first day of the Week in memory of the great Work of our Redemption finish'd upon that day is satisfactory enough to me and if I sincerely perform the Duties of the day I make no question of Gods Acceptance For the resting from bodily Labour so strictly injoyn'd to the Iews I take to be partly abolish'd with the other Ceremonies only retaining so much as is necessary to support the Solemnity of the Day I think none can be too strict in consecrating to God that day as totally as our Frail Natures will permit and tho we can't be all the day besides the publick Service taken up in Prayers and Meditation we may do well to keep our selves out of the way of the World which will soon quench the Flame our Divine Exercises have kindled but there were nothing like the Conversation of Heavenly minded Persons when we can have such and there are Works of Mercy and Compassion very proper for that day which may raise our Minds to Love and Praises to God for making us Instruments in his hand for the good of any body In a word the best Instructor in the Duties of the Lord's Day is Love which will make us do all with diligence and delight by which I may suppose you are animated to what you do or desire to do on that blessed day I agree with you that the Duty of Prayer is manifest even by the Light of Nature That Supream Being that made us can only preserve us and to him we must apply for our well-being but Christians that are dedicated to God in Baptism should take care to sanctify all the Actions of their Lives by Prayer and never do that thing they dare not beg God's blessing upon If we did impute to God the happy success of all our Labours we could not be so wanting to our selves as to neglect that great Favour and Priviledge of a Christian of representing all our Wants and Necessities to God and engaging his Care and Providence in our behalf of beging his holy Spirit which he has promised to those that as it which will lead us into all Truth teaching us to â—â—cuse and condemn our selves for sin and then engage us to the Duty of thankfulness and here I know noâ— where to begin or make an end Innumerable are the Mercies we daily receive and sufficient to imploy all the moments of our Life in the Contemplation of them and were our Hearts truly thankful nothing could be wanting to keep us close to our Duties both to God and our Neighbour whatever different ways and modes we find of expressing it I dare be bold to pronounce That Person a true Child of God that in a deep sence o his own unworthiness looks upon all the mercies he enjoys as the favour and bounty of heaven for which he can never be sufficiently thankful And I do not know a stronger Foundation to build any Persons Conversion upon for if they are born of Christian Parents when they consider that Blessing and Priviledge which Thousands want it must needs engage 'em in his Service who has dealt so Lovingly with 'em But if an Alien from the Church of God should by some great Providence meet with the opportunity of being instructed in the saith how can he chuse but look upon this good Providence as the effect of Gods Merciful kindness to him and work a more kindly Obedience then all the Terrours of Hell I confess the threats of Hell is a way I am little acquainted with yet must own We cannot know Gods Mercy in its full extent without knowing to the full the miseries from which it has redeem'd us But this works naturally upon our Love and turns it into such a fear as works again by Love and makes our obedience chearful and free yet I shall not pretend to censure those that perhaps experience teaches to use harsher methods but I bless God for his more tender dealing with me for I am perswaded those Conflicts and Temptations so many find upon their Death-Beds are the effects of those horrours their teachers infuse into 'em for I may say with thankfulness I never saw any one in that condition of all my Friends that I have Buried And I make no doubt but the subtilty of the Devil is never wanting to make his advantage of our Fears Scruples and Superstitions when he terrifies us with Apparitions and Spectrums It is certainly a great Happiness to be free from the fears of 'em for which you have just cause to bless God and I can speak it by Experience Those Ominous Presages of Persons Deaths or Misfortunes never happen'd to me nor many of my Relations Who all held a Principle against Superstition or any observation of such things Your humble and uncommon Confession of your own Frailties is what we must all own as well as you if we chuse good Principles for our Conduct 't is all the Vertue we can pretend to the exact Performance depends upon many things not in our Power Your neglect and disregard of dressing and fine Cloaths suits the Temper and Inclination of the Wise and Men of Business 't is a weakness even in Women but a great Folly in Men and a true conjecture may be often made of the Intellects of both Sexes by their Dress You have a strange Happiness for a Man of Business to have so much liesure for Divine Contemplation in the Fields and other pleasant Places whereby you furnish your Mind with Pious Ejaculations which serves you upon occasion to obtain Gods Direction Blessing and Conduct in your Affairs 't is then the Business goes pleasantly on when the success is perfectly resignd to God 'T is pitty your great Love to your Wife should make you so uneasie that all your Philosophy could hardly furnish you with Patience enough to support a Months Absence Your excessive loving Temper which I perceive you do not take for a weakness but a Perfection gives you much reason to applaud your great Success in your choice of two Wives successively of so much Merit Tho' you seem so surprised at the 〈◊〉 Company you