TO MR HENRY DAVIES, BOOKSELLER IN LONDON. Abergavenny, Aug. 4. such vagrant foreigners, as may be justly suspected of disaffection to our happy constitution in church and state.-God forbid that I should be so uncharitable, as to affirm positively that the said Lismahago is no better than a Jesuit in disguise; but this I will assert and maintain, totis viribus, that, from the day he qualified, he has never been once seen intra templi parietes, that is to say, within the parish church. Thirdly, with respect to what passed at Mr Kendal's table, when the said Lismahago was so brutal in his reprehensions, I must inform you, my good sir, that I was obliged to retire, not by fear arising from his minatory reproaches, which, as I said before, I value not a rush, but from the sudden effect eaten at dinner, not knowing that the said row is at certain seasons violently cathartic, as Galen observeth in his chapter egous. RESPECTED SIR, I HAVE received your esteemed favour of the 13th ultimo, whereby it appeareth, that you have perused those same letters, the which were delivered unto you by my friend the Reverend Mr Hugo Bhen; and I am pleased to find you think they may be printed with a good prospect of success: inasmuch as the objections you mention, I humbly conceive, are such as may be re-argued, if not entirely removed. And first, in the first place, as touching what prosecutions may arise from printing the private correspondence of persons still living, give me leave, with all due submission, to observe, that the letters in question were not written and sent under the seal of secresy; that they have no ten-produced by a barbel's row, which I had dency to the mala fama or prejudice of any person whatsoever; but rather to the information and edification of mankind: so that it becometh a sort of duty to promulgate them in usum publicum. Besides, I have consulted Mr Davy Higgins, an eminent attorney of this place, who, after due inspection and consideration, declareth, that he doth not think the said letters contain any matter which will be held actionable in the eye of the law. Finally, if you and I should come to a right understanding, I do declare in verba sacerdotis, that, in case of any such prosecution, I will take the whole upon my own shoulders, even quoad fine and imprisonment, though, I must confess, I should not care to undergo flagellation: Tam ad turpitudinem quam ad amaritudinem pœnæ spectans. Secondly, concerning the personal resentment of Mr Justice Lismahago, I may say, non flocci facio.-I would not willingly vilipend any christian, if, peradventure he deserveth that epithet: albeit, I am much surprised that more care is not taken to exclude from the commission all Fourthly, and lastly, with reference to the manner in which I got possession of the letters, it is a circumstance which concerns my own conscience only: sufficeth it to say, I have fully satisfied the parties in whose custody they were: and, by this time, I hope I have also satisfied you in such ways, that the last hand may be put to our agreement, and the work proceed with all convenient expedition. In which hope I rest, Respected Sir, Your very humble servant, JONATHAN DUSTWICH. P.S. I propose, Deo volente, to have the pleasure of seeing you in the great city towards All-hallow-tide, when I shall be glad to treat with you concerning a parcel of MS. sermons, of a certain clergyman deceased a cake of the right leaven for the present taste of the public. Verbum sapienti, &c. J. D. TO THE REV. MR JONATHAN DUSTWICH, At SIR, late war, I inserted in my evening paper a I RECEIVED yours in course of post, and paragraph that came by the post, reflecting shall be glad to treat with you for the MS. upon the behaviour of a certain regiment in which I have delivered to your friend Mr battle. An officer of said regiment came to Bhen; but can by no means comply with my shop, and, in the presence of my wife the terms proposed. Those things are so and journeyman, threatened to cut off my uncertain-writing is all a lottery.-I have ears.-As I exhibited marks of bodily fear been a loser by the works of the greatest more ways than one, to the conviction of the men of the age.—I could mention particulars, bystanders, I bound him over; my action and name names; but don't choose it.-The lay, and I recovered. As for flagellation, taste of the town is so changeable. Then you have nothing to fear, and nothing to there have been so many letters upon travels hope, on that head.-There has been but lately published.-What between Smollett's, one printer flogged at the cart-tail these Sharp's, Derrick's, Thickness's, Baltimore's thirty years; that was Charles Watson; and and Barretti's, together with Shandy's Sen- he assured me it was no more than a fleatimental Travels, the public seems to be cloyed with that kind of entertainment.Nevertheless, I will, if you please, run the risk of printing and publishing, and you shall have half the profits of the impression. You need not take the trouble to bring up your sermons on my account.—Nobody reads sermons but methodists and dissenters. Besides, for my own part, I am quite a stranger to that sort of reading; and the two persons whose judgment I depended upon in these matters, are out of the way: one is gone abroad, carpenter of a man of war; and the other has been silly enough to abscond, in order to avoid a prosecution for blasphemy.—I'm a great loser by his going off-he has left a manual of devotion half finished in my hands, after having received money for the whole copy.-He was the soundest divine, and had the most orthodox pen of all my people; and I never knew his judgment fail, but in flying from his bread and butter on this occasion. By owning you was not put in bodily fear by Lismahago, you preclude yourself from the benefit of a good plea, over and above the advantage of binding him over. In the bite. CS has been threatened several times by the House of L-—— ; but it came to nothing. If an information should be moved for, and granted against you as the editor of these letters, I hope you will have honesty and wit enough to appear and take your trial.-If you should be sentenced to the pillory, your fortune is made.-As times go, that's a sure step to honour and preferment. I shall think myself happy, if I can lend you a lift; and am, very sincerely, Yours, HENRY DAVIES. London, August 10. Please my kind service to your neighbour, my cousin Madoc.-I have sent an almanac and court-calendar, directed for him at Mr Sutton's, bookseller in Gloucester, carriage paid, which he will please to accept as a small token of my regard. My wife, who is very fond of toasted cheese, presents her compliments to him, and begs to know if there's any of that kind which he was so good as to send us last Christmas, to be sold in London. H. D. THE EXPEDITION OF HUMPHRY CLINKER. TO DOCTOR LEWIS. DOCTOR,-The pills are good for nothing -I might as well swallow snow-balls to cool my reins-I have told you, over and over, how hard I am to move; and at this time of day, I ought to know something of my own constitution. Why will you be so positive? Prithee send me another prescription-I am as lame, and as much tortured in all my limbs, as if I was broke upon the wheel: indeed, I am equally distressed in mind and body-as if I had not plagues enough of my own, those children of my sister are left me for a perpetual source of vexation-what business have people to get children to plague their neighbours? A ridiculous incident that happened yesterday to my niece Liddy, has disordered me in such a manner, that I expect to be laid up with another fit of the gout. Perhaps I may explain myself in my next. I shall set out to-morrow morning for the hot-well at Bristol, where I am afraid I shall stay longer than I could wish. On the receipt of this, send Williams thither with my saddle-horse and the demi-pique. Tell Barns to thrash out the two old ricks, and send the corn to market, and sell it off to the poor at a shilling a-bushel under market price. I have received a snivelling letter from Griffin, offering to make a public submission, and pay costs. I want none of his submissions; neither will I pocket any of his money. The fellow is a bad neighbour, and I desire to have nothing to do with him; but as he is purse-proud, he shall pay for his insolence let him give five pounds to the poor of the parish, and I'll withdraw my action; and, in the mean time, you may tell Prig to stop proceedings. Let Morgan's widow have the Alderney cow, and forty shillings to clothe her children; but don't say a syllable of the matter to any living soul-I'll make her pay when she is able. MRS GWYLLIM,-When this comes to hand, be sure to pack up in the trunk male that stands in my closet, to be sent me in the Bristol wagon, without lose of time, the following articles: viz. my rose-collard neglejay, with green robins, my yellow damask, and my black velvet suit, with the short hoop; my bloo quilted petticoat, my green manteel, my laced apron, my French commode, Macklin head and lappets, and the little box with my jowls. Williams may bring over my bumdaffee, and the viol with the easings of Dr Hill's dock-water, and Chowder's lacksitiff. The poor creature has been terribly constuprated ever since we left huom. Pray take particular care of the house while the family is absent. Let there be a fire constantly kept in my brother's chamber and mine. The maids, having nothing to do, may be sat a-spinning. I desire you'll clap a pad-luck on the windseller, and let none of the men have excess to the strong beardon't forget to have the gate shit every evening before dark.) The gardnir and hind may lie below in the landry, to partake the house, with the blunderbuss and the great dog; and I hope you'll have a watchful eye over the maids. I know that hussy Mary Jone loves to be romping with the men. Let me know if Alderney's calf be sould yet, and what he fought-if the ould goose be sitting: and if the cobler has cut Dicky, and how the poor |