66 LETTERS TO GIIiBERT WHITE 



Sermons or Satyrs must come fm Him, who has left the world. 

 The latter will be ye Effect of his Contempt of It ; the former 

 (the better Part) his charity to & Pity of it. I had rather there- 

 fore that You was employed in ye latter. The Difference in ye 

 Effect seems to me to be Something like ye Effect of a tempes- 

 tuous or a rainy Day on the Spirits. In ye first We are terrified, 

 and when it is over seem to think it a Mercy that we have escaped 

 the Stroke ; In ye other We are grave while it lasts, but then our 

 Thoughts turn to it's genial Uses, & to ye future Harvest. 



I must own I have a View in turning You to ye Sacerdotal 

 Composition, I long to hear Some of ycnir Sermons in Sunbury 

 Church ; & I am glad that You are in strong Exercise ; because 

 ye Strength'ning of the Chest is I beleive the Strength'ning of the 

 Lungs, & my new Church looks as if it would call forth all your 

 Power of Voice. Not but that I expect to try how You come on 

 before that is finished. Indeed I long to see You, your last 

 Visit was a cherry bob'd at my Mouth, it has water'd ever since. 



I am sitting alone in my Study, having just done cooking my 

 two Eggs. You would laugh to see wth what Patience & Delibera- 

 tion I manage this important Transaction of Life. It may be of 

 Disservice to Me, for if I do not take care, by knowing the shape 

 of an Egg too well, I may fall into an Imitation of it in Poetry. 

 I assure You I am in Danger, for I have of late made two Kiddles. 

 Dr Bobinson, who contended wth the Uncle in Divinity, now 

 contends wth the Nephew in riddling. The grave Editor of 

 Hesiod comes forth in ye small ware of Eiddles, well may then 

 a shallow Vicar turn private Dealer in ye Trade. I cannot help 

 thinking of Mr Bayes, " I'll give him Shsh for Slash, & I'll give 

 him dish for dash." I had better, as you advise, fall to Sawing ; 

 'tis absolutely worse than standing See Saw, See Saw, with ye 

 Smell of Turpentine under my Nose. 



But I am afraid I do wrong to set your grave & really whole- 

 some Advice in a ludicrous Light. Upon my word, I do not 

 deserve the Tenderness You shew for Me. I have of late pass'd 

 backwards & forwards bet wean this Town & London. We had a 

 little Ball at Pressy's which worked my Buff, & one or two walks, 

 or else ye heavy Eains have confined Me greatly of late, & I have 

 been out of all Degree of IJxercise : & I have had an ugly Fullness 

 in my Head (don't laugh & say " an Emptiness rather ") which 

 has made me think of bleeding ; but I have had too mucV of that 

 this Year, & would avoid it if I could. I have not entirely lost 

 ray Complaint, but have been much better of late & have been in 

 good Spirits upon it. In ye Spring, Cold Bath is the Word. A. 

 to Exercise, all Circumstances of Education & Situation have 

 concurred to confirm in Me an Indolence & Weakness of Spirits 

 & Body. It will be so, it is in Vain to resist. Me Eebus sub- 

 raittere cogor. I am actually not lazy by Principle but by Cir- 



