BELLES LETTRES EXTRAORDINARY. 677 



our first statesmen have become celebrated. Let us see how hight 

 JACOB SPENCER sustains this lofty reputation. 



" To Mr. - Mamsbury. 



Octr. 17. Sor I Spencer Have send 

 My man this marnen with the sum of 8 poun 

 And ei will com over an Pay the Balons 

 At Gret morkat nex on Satred nast 

 I was out that I had no one two send 

 Els I shud send yall the money and yoll Pleas 

 Two send that Bear that bear that I order 

 For by your Man Las weak you Pleas send the 

 Day at quick as pesabel I remain yours 



Jacob Spencer." 



Our friend Jacob is evidently a descendant of the poet Edmund : 

 every one of his lines begins with a capital, and is therefore clearly 

 intended for verse. It is true there is neither rhyme nor rhythm 

 but it bears so close an affinity to much of the blank verse of the 

 present day, that I should be loath to reject it on that account. We 

 may observe one thing in the intimate correspondence of these wor- 

 thies : like the citizen of Anglers, they " talk as familiarly of roaring 

 lions, as maids of thirteen do of puppy dogs ;" already we have had 

 an epistle commencing with " Lions," and here we encounter another 

 concluding with a reiterated demand for a Bear ! 



" That bear, that bear ! " But notwithstanding the ursine cha- 

 racter in which the request is conveyed, we have a shrewd suspicion 

 that like the blessed animal of the Baron of Bradwardine, it has a 

 nearer reference to yeomanly potation, than to the nature of the hir- 

 sute prowler of the Polar regions. Mr. Jacob Spencer has evidently 

 been guided in his orthography by the illustrious example of Mrs. 

 Tabitha Bramble, who recommends water for her maids in preference 

 to (f bear/' as it will keep them " more cool and tamperit" but there 



" I doubt all likeness ends between the pair," 



as the aforesaid Jacob is so urgent to procure the liquor as quick as 

 " pesabel." 



The next letter is one which, for variety of incident, terseness of 

 description, and graphic powers of illustration, is worthy of being 

 kept on record. There is a sweeping, military, despatch-like mode 

 of expression ; a happy and clearly- denned combination of ideas, 

 which are rarely met with. 



" Dear Uncle Ant I send these few lines hopeing to 

 to find you in good health as it leaves all us a press 

 Ann thank god for it your Sister Ann Brothers 

 are all very well Ann Granmother have not been well 

 but she is very well now ann Granfather ann Gra 

 nmother gives their kind to you both Ann we believe 

 your Brother John is going to be married 

 for they are both going to leave there places at May 

 Ann father is making a new clockcase for him again 

 May Ann uncle Thomas's wife as bin married 

 before Ann Sprag's wife is dead ann molly wat 

 kins husband is dead Ann you forgot to send 

 me word whether you did receive the apples Ann 

 note Ann my mother thinks to put me to be a wat 



