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fo that it becometh a fort of duty to promulgate them in ufum publicum. Besides, I have confulted Mr. Davy Higgins, an eminent attorney of this place, who, after due inspection and confideration, declareth,

I

That he doth not think the faid Letters contain any matter which will be held actionable in the eye of the law. Finally, if you and I fhould come to a right understanding, I do declare in verbo facerdotis, that, in cafe of any fuch prosecution, will take the whole upon my own shoulders, even quoad fine and imprisonment, though, I must confefs, I fhould not care to undergo flagellation: Tam ad turpitudinem, quam ad amaritudinem pæna spectans-Secondly, concerning the perfonal refentment of Mr. Juftice Lifmahago, I may fay, non flocci facio-I would not willingly vilipend any Christian, if, peradventure, he deferveth that epithet:

albeit, I am much furprised

that more care is not taken to exclude from the commiffion all fuch vagrant foreigners as may be justly fufpected of difaffection to our happy conftitution, in church and ftate-God forbid that I fhould be fo uncharitable, as to affirm poffitively, that the

faid

faid Lifinahago is no better than a Jefuit in difguife; but this I will affert and maintain totis viribus, that, from the day he qualified, he has never been once feen intra templi parietes, that is to fay, within the parish

church.

Thirdly, with respect to what paffed at Mr. Kendal's table, when the faid Lifmahago was fo brutal in his reprehenfions, I muft inform you, my good Sir, that I was obliged to retire, not by fear arifing from his minatory reproaches, which, as I faid above, I value not of a rufh: but from the fudden effect produced by a barble's row, which I had eaten at dinner, not knowing, that the faid row is at certain feasons violently cathartic, as Galen obferveth in his chapter πες ιχθυς.

Fourthly, and laftly, with reference to the manner in which I got poffeffion of these Letters, it is a circumftance that concerns my own confcience only; fufficeth it to fay, I have fully fatisfied the parties in whofe cuftody they were; and, by this time I hope I have alfo fatisfied you in fuch ways that the laft hand may be put to our agree

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ments, and the work proceed with all convenient expedition; in which hope I reft,

respected fir,

your very humble servant,

JONATHAN DUSTWICH.

P. S. I fuppofe, Deo Volente, to have the pleasure of feeing you in the great city, towards All-hollow-tide, when I shall be glad to treat with you concerning a parcel of MS. fermons, of a certain clergyman deceased; a cake of the right leaven, for the present taste of the public. Verbum fapienti, &c.

To the Revd. Mr. JONATHAN DUSTWICH,

at

I

SIR,

Received yours in courfe of post, and shall be glad to treat with you for the MS. which I have delivered to your friend. Mr. Bhen; but can by no means comply with the terms propofed. Thofe things are fo uncertain-Writing is all a lottery-I have been a loofer by the works of the greateft men of the age-I could mention particulars, and name names; but don't choose it-The taste of the town is fo changeable. Then there have been fo many letters. upon travels lately published-What between Smollett's, Sharp's, Derrick's, Thicknefs's, Baltimore's, and Baretti's, together: with Shandy's Sentimental Travels, the public feems to be cloyed with that kind of entertainment-Nevertheless, I will, if you. please, run the rifque of printing and publishing, and you fhall have half the profits of the impreffion-You need not take the

trouble to bring up your fermons on my account-No body reads fermons but Methodifts and Diffenters - Besides, for my own part, I am quite a ftranger to that fort of reading; and the two perfons, whofe 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 filly enough to abfcond, in order to avoid a prosecution for blafphemy-I'm a great lofer by his going off-He has left a manual of devotion half finished on my hands after having received money for the whole copy--He was the foundeft 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 occafion.

By owning you was not put in bodily fear by Lifmahago, you preclude yourself from the benefit of a good plea, over and above the advantage of binding him over. In the late war, I inferted in my evening paper, a paragraph that came by the poft, reflecting upon the behaviour of a certain regiment in battle. An officer of faid regiment came to my fhop, and, in the prefence