THE

EXPEDITION OF HUMPHREY CLINKER.

BY TOBIAS SMOLLETT, M.D.

TO MR HENRY DAVIES, BOOKSELLER IN LONDON.

Abergavenny, Aug. 4. such vagrant foreigners, as may be justly RESPECTED SIR,

suspected of disaffection to our happy conI have received your esteemed favour of stitution in church and state.—God forbid the 13th ultimo, whereby it appeareth, that you that I should be so uncharitable, as to affirm have perused those same letters, the which positively that the said Lismahago is no betwere delivered unto you by my friend the ter than a Jesuit in disguise; but this I will Reverend Mr Hugo Bhen; and I am pleased assert and maintain, totis viribus, that, to find you think they may be printed with a from the day he qualified, he has never been good prospect of success: inasmuch as the once seen intra templi parietes, that is to objections you mention, I humbly conceive, say, within the parish church. are such as may be re-argued, if not entirely Thirdly, with respect to what passed at removed. And first, in the first place, as Mr Kendal's table, when the said Lismahago touching what prosecutions may arise from was so brutal in his reprehensions, I must printing the private correspondence of per- inform you, my good sir, that I was obliged sons still living, give me leave, with all due to retire, not by fear arising from his minasubmission, to observe, that the letters in tory reproaches, which, as I said before, I question were not written and sent under value not a rush, but from the sudden effect 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 eaten at dinner, not knowing that the said person whatsoever; but rather to the infor- row is at certain seasons violently cathartic, mation and edification of mankind: so that as Galen observeth in his chapter Tige ozbus. it becometh a sort of duty to promulgate them Fourthly, and lastly, with reference to the in usum publicum. Besides, I have con- manner in which I got possession of the letsulted Mr Davy Higgins, an eminent attor- ters, it is a circumstance which concerns my ney of this place, who, after due inspection own conscience only: sufficeth it to say, I and consideration, declareth, that he doth have fully satisfied the parties in whose cus. not think the said letters contain any matter tody they were: and, by this time, I hope I which will be held actionable in the eye of have also satisfied you in such ways, that the law. Finally, if you and I should come the last hand may be put to our agreement, to a right understanding, I do declare in and the work proceed with all convenient verba sacerdotis, that, in case of any such expedition. In which hope I rest, prosecution, I will take the whole upon my Respected Sir, own shoulders, even quoad fine and impri- Your very humble servant, sonment, though, I must confess, I should

JONATHAN DUSTWICH. not care to undergo flagellation: Tam ad turpitudinem quam ad amaritudinem pæna P.S. I propose, Deo volente, to have the spectans.--Secondly, concerning the perso- pleasure of seeing you in the great city nal resentment of Mr Justice Lismahago, towards All-hallow-tide, when I shall be glad I may say, non flocci facio. I would not to treat with you concerning a parcel of MS. willingly vilipend any christian, if, perad. sermons, of a certain clergyman deceased venture he deserveth that epithet: albeit, a cake of the right leaven for the present I am much surprised that more care is not taste of the public. Verbum sapienti, fc. taken to exclude from the commission all

J. D.

1

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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 flea. timental Travels, the public seems to be bite. C

has been threatened cloyed with that kind of entertainment.— several times by the House of L-; but it Nevertheless, I will, if you please, run the came to nothing. If an information should risk of printing and publishing, and you shall be moved for, and granted against you as have half the profits of the impression.-- the editor of these letters, I hope you will You need not take the trouble to bring up have honesty and wit enough to appear and your sermons on my account.-Nobody reads take your trial.- If you should be sentenced sermons but methodists and dissenters.- to the pillory, your fortune is made.-As Besides, for my own part, I am quite a times go, that's a sure step to honour and stranger to that sort of reading; and the two preferment. I shall think myself happy, if persons whose judgment I depended upon I can lend you a lift; and am, very sincerely, in these matters, are out of the way: one is

Yours, gone abroad, carpenter of a man of war; and

HENRY DAVIES. the other has been silly enough to abscond, London, August 10. in order to avoid a prosecution for blasphe. my.-- I'm a great loser by his going off-he Please my kind service to your neighbour, has left a manual of devotion half finished my cousin Madoc.--I have sent an almanac in my hands, after having received money and court-calendar, directed for him at Mr for the whole copy.--He was the soundest Sutton's, bookseller in Gloucester, carriage divine, and had the most orthodox pen of all paid, which he will please to accept as a my people; and I never knew his judgment small token of my regard. My wife, who is fail, but in flying from his bread and butter very fond of toasted cheese, presents her on this occasion.

compliments to him, and begs to know if By owning you was not put in bodily fear there's any of that kind which he was so by Lismahago, you preclude yourself from good as to send us last Christmas, to be the benefit of a good plea, over and above sold in London. the advantage of binding him over. In the

H. D.

To Doctor LEWIS.

I desire you will lock up all my drawers, and

keep the keys till meeting; and be sure you Doctor,—The pills are good for nothing take the iron chest with my papers into your -I might as well swallow snow-balls to cool own custody. Forgive all this trouble from, my reins—I have told you, over and over, dear Lewis, your affectionate how hard I am to move ; and at this time of

M. BRAMBLE. day, I ought to know something of my own Gloucester, April 2. constitution. Why will you be so positive ? Prithee send me another prescription-I am as lame, and as much tortured in all my To Mrs GWYLLIM, HOUSEKEEPER AT limbs, as if I was broke upon the wheel :

BRAMBLETON-HALL. indeed, I am equally distressed in mind and body-as if I had not plagues enough of my MRS GWYLLIM,—When this comes to own, those children of my sister are left me hand, be sure to pack up in the trunk male that for a perpetual source of vexation—what stands in my closet, to be sent me in the Brisbusiness have people to get children to plague tol wagon, without lose of time, the following their neighbours? A ridiculous incident that articles : viz. my rose-collard neglejay, with happened yesterday to my niece Liddy, has green robins, my yellow damask, and my disordered me in such a manner, that I ex- black velvet suit, with the short hoop; my pect to be laid up with another fit of the bloo quilted petticoat, my green manteel, my gout. Perhaps I may explain myself in my laced apron, my French commode, Macklin next. I shall set out to-morrow morning head and lappets, and the little box with my for the hot-well at Bristol, where I am afraid jowls. Williams may bring over my bumI shall stay longer than I could wish. On daffee, and the viol with the easings of the receipt of this, send Williams thither Dr Hill's dock-water, and Chowder's lackwith my saddle-horse and the demi-pique. sitiff. The poor creature has been terribly Tell Barns to thrash out the two old ricks, constuprated ever since we left huom. Pray and send the corn to market, and sell it off take particular care of the house while the to the poor at a shilling a-bushel under mar- family is absent. Let there be a fire conket price. I have received a snivelling letter stantly kept in my brother's chamber and from Griffin, offering to make a public sub-mine. The maids, having nothing to do, mission, and pay costs. I want none of his may be sat a-spinning. I desire you'll clap submissions ; neither will I pocket any of a pad-luck on the windseller, and let none his money. The fellow is a bad neighbour, of the men have excess to the strong bearand I desire to have nothing to do with him; don't forget to have the gate shit every evenbut as he is purse-proud, he shall pay for his ing before dark.) The gardnir and hind may insolence : let him give five pounds to the lie below in the landry, to partake the house, poor of the parish, and I'll withdraw my with the blunderbuss and the great dog ; and action; and, in the mean time, you may tell I hope you'll have a watchful eye over the Prig to stop proceedings. Let Morgan's maids. I know that hussy Mary Jone loves widow have the Alderney cow, and forty to be romping with the men. Let me know shillings to clothe her children; but don't if Alderney's calf be sould yet, and what he say a syllable of the matter to any living fought—if the ould goose be sitting: and if soul—I'll make her pay when she is able. the cobler has cut Dicky, and how the poor

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