1757 Josiah Colebrooke as letter-writer 65 



His words are, ' The Earl of Chesterfield's petition to the King, 

 communicated by Mr Stanhope, whose health was drank as a bene- 

 factor ' ; and in the next Paragraph he adds, ' The Earl of Chester- 

 field's health was drank as a Benefactor on account of the Petition 

 above-mentioned, and being proposed by the President was by 

 Acclamation chosen an honourary Member for the year ensuing.' 



The great difficulty I labour under is, how this minute may be 

 interpreted by some future Philosopher into whose hands this manu- 

 script may possibly fall ; 



A Nobleman chose a Member of a Dining club, for communicating 

 a Petition to the King, will appear very abstruse, unless a description 

 further than the word Petition implys, be added ; every one knows 

 the meaning of the words Venison, Turtle and Chine of Beef, the 

 things are objects of our senses, we know the tast of them, but when 

 a higher entertainment is offered to our understandings, unless the 

 Ingredients that compose it are specifyed, Posterity will be at a 

 loss, to know whether this petition &c. was not a name given to 

 some new dish of that Nobleman's invention. 



You will pardon my taking up so much of your time, but as my 

 records have hitherto taken notice of Substantial forms only, such as 

 may be tasted, Tho' Wit and Humour entertain the mind, yet as 

 it will be very difficult to express them in a bill Fare without giving 

 them at full length, I must beg the favour of you to furnish me with 

 a Copy of this Petition to be inserted in the Annals of the Mitre 

 Club, and assure you that it shall not by my means go out of my 

 own hands, but with the records of the Society when they shall be 

 transmitted to some future Treasurer. 



I have the more reason to urge this, as it will be a precedent, 

 and may serve as well for a Standard of Wit as the trial peices of 

 Gold and Silver kept in the Exchequer do, for the Standard of our 

 Gold and Silver Coins. 



Should it be known abroad that the Mitre Club admitted Honourary 

 Members for peices of Wit and Humour exhibited at their meetings, 

 we should find so many Candidates for that honour, that the Club 

 would be much embarrassed, and altho we could without any diffi- 

 culty impannell a jury of Criticks to Assay their performances, yet 

 it would be impossible for them to give a verdict without having 

 such a certain Standard (as this Petition is) to try them by. 



I will therefore take the Liberty to wait on you some morning 

 the beginning next week and Am 



with Great Respect 



S r Your most Humble 

 Serv* 



Jos h Colebrooke 



Budge Row To Chas Stanhope Esq. 



Sept 2 1757 



E 



