LETTER XXXIV 63 



As to Myself I am again become a Sort of prisoner & feel my 

 Tether pinch me worse by having had it loosen'd for this Year & 

 half. I open'd my new Church November ye 26th. I had got a 

 Sarpent on the Occasion & was complimented wth a Bequest of 

 having it printed. Whether I shall or no I am in Doubt, & I 

 referr it to the Bishop. It is put to me, that a young Man 

 should lose no Opportunities of making known whereabouts in ye 

 World he is. But between You & I, I am afraid I have been too 

 idle to have my House taken Notice of, for ye Bash that I hang 

 out is not a good One : It is of too plain a Leaf. I shall be 

 determined by better advice : My Vanity I assure You is not 

 concerned, & my Interest less, for it cost above three Pounds to 

 ye Parish to keep my last child. 



The Opening of the Church has been ye Occasion of great 

 Confusion amongst my Parishioners ; the Disposal of the Seats 

 by the Church Wardens, (tho' our two principal Men, Mr. Hud- 

 son & Sr Philip Musgrave) has dissatisfied every body. So I 

 suppose we must at last bring down the Chancellor of the 

 Diocese upon Us. I believe I had a sort of joint-Power wth the 

 Church Wardens in the Disposal of the Sittings, but fearing a 

 Storm I waved it entirely, & by this means have escaped making 

 me Enemies. 



Yesterday the Bishop & Family came to Town, & I beleive my 

 Father wth them, who has been some time in Northampshire. 

 There is great Talk in Town of his succeeding ye Bp of Norwich 

 in ye Preceptorship, but I have heard nothing certain about it ; 

 & conceive no Joy in the Thoughts of it tho' it should be true, for 

 I look upon it as a Place of great Hazard, & I am sure it is One 

 very far from my Uncle's liking in all respects but the Honour 

 of such a Charge ; for the attendance will almost entirely engross 

 him, & take him off from that domestic Life which of all Things 

 he loves ye moat. Not to say that He will now enter (if it is 

 true) after a Man of great Sufficiency, & wth the odium of 

 coveting a Place by ye removal of a fitter Man, & tho' this is not 

 true, yet it is ye common Cry on all such Turns. 



I met the other Day Holden ye Gentleman Commoner of St 

 Edmund's Hall wth a good agreable woman, who he told me 

 was a Suffolk Lady, his wife, & had brought him four children. 

 He has a Living somewhere thereabouts ; He had his Hair turned 

 over his light Bob & I was forc'd to ask Him whether He was 

 in mourning for one of Us. He asked after You. 



I was in Town last week, where all friends were very well 

 but Heck, & She was a little in ye old vapourish way, but better 

 before I left her. I have had a violent Headach this week & 

 have had Recourse to Draughts &c : but am thank God pretty 

 well. My Mare has got but three Legs, nevertheless I venture 

 upon her very often, & caper alone to Town ; She does my 



