No. XIV.

To Mr WILLIAM SMELLIE, from *

DEAR SMELLIE,

**

I AM Very happy you proposed a letter; though it was but by word of mouth, I understand you engage to answer, and I am satisfied to write on such conditions; for numerous as the divines may seem, I find but few of them who are willing to converse with an absent friend. You'll naturally expect that I should talk of the Society, and indeed your idea brings the other along; but some circumstances have created in me a disgust, a temporary one at least, for all society; and my reason for quitting the town so early, was to have leisure and practicable means of turning my ambition into another channel; to exchange the humour of speculating and speechifying for more grave theology, and the prospect of a general acquaintance, and being looked upon as something, for an acquaintance with the fathers and prophets, and becoming a country VOL. I.

H

parson. This, however, is a formidable change, and must be effected gradually. The leopard grows not spotless in an instant. A perfect concordance cannot be made by the first composer. The universal scope and latitude of an argument cannot be excogitated by the first inventor. Witness the structure of a watch, and the theory of circulation, as NEHEMIAH GREW hath it. Dr JENKINS has remarked of the Scripture, that whoever is in love with simplicity will find in the Gospel the plainest theory of salvation; lovers of the sublime are gratified in the Old Testament; those who take pleasure in the profound and mystical have much delectation in the number of the beast, in contemplating the scarlet whore, and in calculating the times and half times. "Thus are men of different geniuses, I say men of different humours, are thus attracted to the study of revelation." So sayeth Dr JENKINS.

I THOUGHT to have done much at botany this summer, and to have conversed you letter-ways upon that subject, with all other curious things; but every thing goes against

me.

Here I have plenty of leisure hours, LINNAEUS, and a microscope. A lofty mountain on my front; on my right a long winding variegated cleugh*, with store of uncouth herbage; on my left a woody marsh and a very tolerable garden. But when I had brought a boxfull t'other morning to investigate, I found my notes of HOPES lectures were amissing. It is a little octavo, bound in marbled paper, with an explanation of the hard words. I describe it, because I suspect it has been left accidentally at the Professors, for I laid it out to bring over; so that if you happen to see him, it would do me a great favour to ask for it. The hard words discourage me, as I have no resource; but, could I recover it, you would have much de lectation and brain-exercise in the vegetation of this corner. This is all I shall trouble you with for the present, till I see what size of letters you favour me with. Yours, &c.

P. S.—THE mite is a very hog-looking animalcule.

H 2

* Dell or glen.

No. XV.

Mr WILLIAM SMELLIE to *

DEAR SIR,

1760*.

You know that the great knack of being happy is to level ones mind to his present circumstances and situation in life. Could I hit that knack, my head I imagine would from thenceforth and for evermore be entirely evacuated of all schemes and projects, and lunacism. But, till that blessed era arrive, I must eagerly plod and beat my hard-bound brains in order to elevate my situation to the height of my conceptions. This equipoise, you'll allow, is the very quintescence of sublunary enjoyment.

I HAVE no hopes of bettering my station either from law, physic, or divinity. Of

lett

The rest of the date is wanting in the copy preserved of this

+ This alludes to a project, to be afterwards mentioned, of a periodical work, under the title of the Man of the Moon.

course, I am under the fatal necessity of being metamorphosed into a stoick, or of being changed into a frantic lunatic *. I have nothing for it but to attempt something in the way of book-making. A poor shift indeed! If any thing better could be had, I might indeed continue to amuse myself with divers speculations; but doubt much if I would ever dream of publishing. I have no expectation from friends; providence and industry are my sole resources. I am now growing in years; my present occupation (corrector of the press) must ere long put out my eyes. Posts and pensions depend on the favour of the great, with whom I have neither acquaintance nor influence. Shall I therefore despair? No! I'll rather enjoy the small portion I presently possess, and, as much as I am able, banish all gloomy and splenetic imaginations. Novelty is the only instrument to be wielded by an obscure and indigent hand. To work upon the

weaknesses of men is mean, but often profitable. From what has been said, it may be inferred that the Man of the Moon, if properly tutored, may possibly prove a paH 3

This has the same allusion.