522 Original Letter of Sir W. Jones. 



I reached Oxford on tlie Monday, and 

 foinid letters in college, which I did not 

 look at till I hiid dined in the common 

 room ; 1 read them at six o'clock : one 

 was from Lord Shelburne, dated the 

 91!i, desiring to sec me instantly : I put 

 four horses to my chaise ; travelled all 

 night, and saw his lordship early the 

 next morning: the same day I was pre- 

 sented t all the new ministers. A great 

 place had been kept open for mc above 

 a fortnight: not hearing from me, nor 

 knowing where I was, they desponded 

 and disposed of it. Particulars you 

 shall know when we meet : had parlia- 

 ment been dissolved I should have had 

 a seat in it immediately. I thought of 

 you, and resolved, if possible, to procure 



[Jan. 1, 



Paradise, who esteems you as much as 

 I do: no one can esteem you more. 

 You cannot increase or diminish my 

 esteem by accepting or rejecting this 

 ofler: in either case you will stand first 

 in my will (after my female friend); and, 

 you know, I have no heir unprovided 

 for. I may die at sea: life is always 

 uncertain ; and, if you go, I will leave 

 you, in case of my death during the 

 voyage, a thousand poimds, which I 

 shall take with me in bills. If you wish 

 to do something handsome for your 

 mother during yonr short absence, I 

 will take care, that she shall receive 

 punctually from my agents wliat you 

 ehusc to give her. Your friend at 

 Midgham cannot object, as you Avill 



you some genteel place in an office of return in a few months. If there were 



state ; this resolution I will never aban- 

 don. Troni that day to this I have 

 been in hot water ; you will see your 

 fiiend more than parboiled, unless we 

 meet soon. I have had no time for 

 wiitin"- by daylight, and I do not think 

 it prudent to strain my eyes by candlc- 

 li"-ht. Alter all, in these five weeks, I 

 liave been on the point «f being under- 

 secretary of state, on the point of being 

 a member of parliament, on the point of 

 being an India judge; yet I am neither 

 ilnder-secrelarv, nor in parliament, nor 

 a ind"-e, nor likely to be eitl-.cr these five 

 or six^months. Sir J'Jijah Impey is re- 

 called ; but there is no !»ope ol any va- 

 cancy being fdled up this year, nor of 

 any bill being passed this session, I 

 Lave been mentioned in the cabinet, and 

 Jjave the highest interest. In the mean 

 while our poor friend Mr. Paradise is 

 ruinii)"- himself here, and losing his 

 AmeriTan estate into the bargain: to 

 rescue him and his family from destruc- 

 tion I have consented to accompany 

 him to Virginia, and we propose to set 

 out next nV.'uth: we have no time to 

 lose. We shall return as soon as the 

 business is finished ; in five orsix months. 

 I shall then be in time, probably, for 

 the iudgesliip, or some better thnig. We 

 shall o-o first to Pat is, thence to a French 

 Dort "and have good accommodations 

 on bo;ii(l ^ swift-sailing frigate: wo 

 shall sail directly to the Chesapeak. 

 There will be no danger ; and, to avoid 

 dtlav in case of capture, we shall have 

 passes from Lord Kcppell. Have you 

 •mv objeetitni, my dear Pntcliard, to 

 benv^ of the party in this pleasant 

 excursion? I menn in the capacity of 

 niv friend and secretary, with a very 

 good a!lo\vancc from me ; and you nnglit 

 be siuc of a liandsomc present froai 



any danger, I would not press you. I 

 use no persuasion; I do not presume to 

 tliink of persuading any one: I only 

 propose; and, if you accept my j)ro- 

 posal, you will give me pleasure; if you 

 reject it, no pain. As to use, you Mill 

 be of greater use to us both in reading 

 and writing than I can describe. Some 

 secretary I must have. '22 3fiiij. 



Here I left off to dine with the Bishop 

 of St. Asaph — Who, do you think, were 

 at table ? None less than your future 

 uncle and aunt, Sir G***** and Lady 

 M*'** — between us, a stupid nnclc and 

 no very elegant aunt! but of tliis not a 

 word. I have just read the Newspaper, 

 and am sorry to see old Mr. Poyntz, of 

 Sofnersetshire, in the Gazette. By the 

 way, could not you make your visit to 

 Midgham now upon your little grey, so 

 that we might have a chance of meeting 

 there, or at Oxford, wiiere I shall soon 

 spend a day or two? I conclude, tliat 

 my friends at Midgham will come to 

 town for a little amusement at Kanc- 

 lagli, some time this niontli. In short, 

 my dear Piitchard, the case is very 

 simple — I have not abandoned India, 

 but shall not be able to go this year ; 

 in the meanwhile I sliall ac(;ompany my 

 friend Paradise, in order to prevent bis 

 ruin, to Virginia, and sliall rcttnn before 

 next spring-fleet sails for India: if you 

 will be of (he party, I will ensure yoit 

 much pleasure, much healtli,^ much 

 knowledge of the world-; and a know- 

 ledge of men and things will be neces- 

 sary to qualify you for any office that 

 my interest may hereafter procure for 

 von. I would add, much profit, if I did 

 not know your disinterestedrtess ;. but no 

 man, however generous, ought to be S9 

 disinterested ts to neglect any bonor-* 

 able mode of securing his independence 



