315 



My good and kind host, my oldest friend out of 

 my own family, is no more !* We were children to- 

 gether ; and, in all our childish amusements, he, 

 being a year older than I, was always my instructor 

 and example. When he went to boarding-school, it 

 was the first real trial of my fortitude ; and he was 

 my first correspondent. I used to dream night after 

 night that he was come home for the holidays; and 

 then a more impressive dream would tell me that 

 though the former were delusions, he was then cer- 

 tainly come. He then went to Liverpool ; — time, 

 new connexions and pursuits, made us less interested 

 in each other ; but we had no other cause of estrange- 

 ment ; we met occasionally in London with mutual 

 pleasure, though we had not so many ideas in com- 

 mon as heretofore. At length my fortunate visit to 

 Liverpool, — in the planning of which I found all the 

 original friendship and benevolence of his heart ex- 

 erted themselves as warmly for me as ever, — promised 

 the revival of our old attachment during our lives, 

 and I little expected that period would be so very 

 short. He was literally to me the " recovered friend 

 of youth," which you in so flattering and engaging 

 a manner imagine me to be to you. Is it not evi- 

 dent how warmly I accede to the adoption, when in 

 my present anxiety I recur to you for comfort, and 

 trust to you to bear with my tedious complainings, 

 as is the duty and pleasure of an old friend ? We 

 parted for the last time at your door ; you had wit- 



* Mr. Thomas Taylor of Liverpool, brother to Mr. John 

 Taylor of Norwich (see above, page 100), and youngest grandson 

 of Dr. John Taylor, author of the Paraphrase on the Epistle to 

 the Romans, &c. 



