LETTER VII. For the Rev. Dr. STUKELEY, Rector of DEAR SIR, September 5, 1730. I WAS much disappointed in not seeing you at Grantham, according to expectation. My brother Twells shewed me a Letter, wherein you charged the blame of it on me. But I must appeal to your own ingenuity, whether it be rightly placed, after I have told you that, when I came into Grantham, I inquired of every one that I thought could give me intelligence concerning you, but could hear no news. At length Mr. Smith told me he thought he saw you ride by, and believed you was gone to the Bishop. From that intelligence, if it was right, I concluded that (as you had not called at Grantham, nor left any word by any one for me, as you went through,) you would not return to Grantham that night. Nor did Mr. Smith give me the least encouragement to think you would be back that night; but, on the contrary, when I asked him of his own coming back, who was then himself going to the Bishop, he returned me such a doubtful answer as could give me no encouragement to stay, though I told him my chief occasion of coming was to meet you. After this, you may easily imagine I had little encouragement to pass the night alone at Grantham. This is a fair state of the case; and I hope you will consider over again before you confirm your condemnation of me. It was 6 o'clock before I left Grantham.-This matter has been a real concern to me; but would be much greater, did I not think you was well assured how much I am, dear Sir, Your sincere friend and obedient humble servant, W. WARBURTON. My humble service to good Mrs. Stukeley. LETTER LETTER VIII. To the very Rev. Dr. STUKELEY, at Stamford. DEAR SIR, August 18, 1731. I am first to thank for you my kind entertainment the last time I was with you; and to hope that this will find you in that serenity of mind, which, to the pleasure of your Friends, so amiably lightens in your countenance, and which it should not be in the power of fools and scoundrels to ruffle. I think it is great pity that your region will not afford friends and acquaintance, not so much for your sake, as for theirs who might have the benefit of such a converse. But you have one peculiar happiness that makes amends for greater inconveniencies; and that is, the agreeable companion you have at home, capable of enhancing all the pleasures, and soothing all the cares, of human life. And from the accomplishments of such a companion the man receives peculiar honour, as the younger Pliny says of his Friend, "magnâ gloriâ dignus est qui uxorem, quam virginem accepit, tam peritan politamque reddiderit." For you must know, my good Doctor, that I regard Woman in her natural state as one of those odd pictures that I have formerly seen at Oxford, which they use for a very pretty experiment in Optics. They produce you a board, on the plane of which is thrown together a great number of colours, as it appears, with the utmost confusion and disorder, the most visible work of chance. But, by applying to it a cylindrical steel mirror, there immediately rises on its bosom a beautiful reflected form in all the justness and artifice of design. A woman is this coloured table; in whose capricious and variable fancy discordant and monstrous ideas are, by the force of the passions, whimsically daubed on at random, which present no mark of the workman-· ship of the great plastic Nature. But, if happily a prudent husband be applied, he does the business of the cylinder. The scattered lines are now reduced in order, an elegance of design arises, and the reflected union of colours, and harmony of light and shadow, speak the workmanship divine. If, as you expect, Mr. Gale and you go to Lincoln, on your giving me notice I will endeavour to meet you there. My humble service to Mrs. Stukeley, concludes me, dear Sir, your most humble servant, and affectionate friend, W. WARBURTON. LETTER IX. To the very Rev. Dr. STUKELEY, at Stamford. DEAR SIR, Newarke, August 30, 1731. I received the favour of yours from London, and accounted very much, as you may see by a letter left at your house at Stamford by Robert Taylor*, of meeting you at Lincoln, which design I was confirmed in by the receipt of this; but some little business has happened, that unavoidably calls me another way at that time. But this loss to me will, I hope, be soon repaired; for the Visitation is drawing on, where we shall, I suppose, have the pleasure of meeting, according to custom, at our old Friend's the Lecturer's. I was surprized to see your last dated from London. I hope some good occasion drew you thither, the journey appearing to be unpremeditated; for I do not remember I heard you mention any thing of it when I was so lately with you at Stamford. I am, dear Sir, your very affectionate friend and humble servant, W. WARBURTON. My most humble service to Mrs. Stukeley. * Dr. Robert Taylor, of whom hereafter. LETTER LETTER X. For the Rev. Dr. STUKELEY, at Stamford. DEAR SIR, From my Study, Oct. 30, 1731. I have told you enough of my waking thoughts to make you think them little better than dreams. I will now tell you my dreams, that perhaps you may think more like waking thoughts. Last night I dreamt you and I, assisted by that Dedalian Artist the Fancy, were mounted up into the middle regions, and, with expanded wings, taking the tour of the Universe, and surveying in our course all that was great or curious in Art or Nature. In the midst of these ravishing contemplations, soaring with too negligent a flight, methought we blundered through the top windows into an old building, hight Cathedral, that unluckily met us in our progress. I dreamt we were no sooner in, but we lost all our etherial temper; and, like the Devil, in Milton, travelling through the antient realms of Night and Chaos, who A vast vacuity: all unawares meets Fluttering his pennons vain plumb down he drops; so, methought, fell we; and, when we got to the bottom, found ourselves ensconsed in two Prebendal Stalls; when immediately the gout seized you, and I fell into an old fit of the spleen, which yet feel hanging on me. I As my best remedy, your company, is not at hand, I am forced to seek amusement amongst those who most resemble you, amongst the learned dead.. But, since my late travels, my head running much upon Voyages, I should be obliged to you to lend me Le Brun's Travels, if you can contrive any way of sending it to me. It shall be taken great care of. My My humble service to Mrs. Stukeley concludes me, dear Sir, your inseparable friend and servant (as you see, both sleeping and waking), if W. WARBURTON. LETTER XI. For the Rev. Dr. STUKELEY, at Stamford. November 10, 1731. DEAR SIR, I received your agreeable letter, and should be glad we could have any opportunity of seeing one another oftener. If you do not go to London, I do not know but that towards Christmas I may have an opportunity of coming to Stamford, in case you be in the country; but I was told by a gentleman who lately came from thence, that they talked there, as you would spend a great part of the winter in town. The same person told me further, that he they call the Dean of Stamford shews to every body a letter wrote to him from you in the most malicious and aggravating way in the world, wherein you earnestly desire him to concur with you in choosing Mr. Peck, who, you assured him, would do whatever you would have him. He represents this, which appears to me to have nothing unfair in it, as strangely to your discredit. I thought it proper to acquaint you with this Devil of a Dean, and how much he wants exorcising; the Court holy water, which, it seems, in that letter you gave him, makes him but the more impudent. Mr. Theobald has entered into articles for publishing Shakespeare with Tonson. It is to appear by next March; and he is to have for it eleven hundred guineas*, and your humble servant for his pains one copy of the royal paper books. But, as he has given me full satisfaction for his late conduct, and appears to be willing to perform the part of a * Of this, more hereafter. man |