places than one, in your Night Thoughts, so long ago My master knows me not, &c.— and nothing resulted from the just sensibility. Some of your great admirers in that divine work, thought you descended too much, for the superior light you appeared in to them. Suppose, Sir, you stop at your well-known seniority in the present chaplainship, without carrying the hint to Leicester-house; leaving it upon them to recollect, that you could have gone further with justice, had preferment been your sole view. It is right, however, not to be quite silent on the subject.

Might not, Sir, the manner of intro-, ducing what relates to the army, be less violent, if I may so express myself, and the connexion be made more easy? Might not a word be said, first, as to the influence of faith upon the present welfare of society, as well as upon the future happiness of individuals, and so applied briefly to men's civil character in society; and then, more at large, to their military character?

When your month commences, be pleased to remember, that Parson's Green is very conveniently situated near Kensington : you have not seen Parson's Green yet.

Nancy thanks you, Sir, for your kind remembrance of her. My wife, and all mine, join their best wishes and respects with those of

Your ever faithful

S. RICHARDSON.

ΤΟ

TO MR. RICHARDSON.

May 14, 1758.

DEAR SIR,

A THOUSAND thanks, my best friend! for restoring me to common sense. I shall follow your advice in the dedication; and now, on reflection, think it monstrous that I stood in need of it. I now see how weak I am myself, and what a friend is worth. I could not forbear writing to you by this post, being pained with the thought of your thinking me a fool any longer. This day se'nnight I propose sending the dedication as it shall stand.

TO DR. YOUNG.

May 29, 1759.

THANKS to my dear and good Dr. Young for his kind letter by Mr. Shotbolt.

I hope, Sir, you are quite recovered of your feverish complaint.

I have written urgently to Mr. Johnson: but it would be pity to baulk the sale. Mr. Millar has ordered one thousand to be printed.

I was very desirous that the anecdote of Addison's death-scene should be inserted yet, so many admirable things as there are in every page of the piece, was half sorry to have that made the sole end of your writing it. Your subject of original composition is new, and nobly spirited. How much is your execution admired! But three good judges of my acquaintance, and good men too, wish, as I presumed formerly myself to propose, that the sub

ject

ject had been kept more separate and distinct. They think the next-to divine vehemence (so one of them expressed himself) with which original writing is recommended, suffers some cooling abatement, which it would not have done had the solemn subject been left to the last, when the critic, the scholar, the classic, might properly have given place to the Christian divine.

Let me ask (however great and noble what you say of Mr. Addison's death is) whether it may not bear shortening? Will it not be thought laboured? And when from the different nature of diseases, some of them are literally incapaciting, and deliriums happen often, is it not, or may it not be, discouraging to surviving friends to find wanting, in the dying, those tokens of resignation and true Christian piety which Mr. Addison was graciously enabled to express so exemplarily to Lord W. Sir J—. S. was a good man, yet I have heard you mention his anxiety, and painful death,

L