50 
what way he likes beft; a liberty that 
renders the whole company perfectly eafy_ 
and fatisfied with each other, which people 
of different ranks in life can never be 
without it. Ina morning every man orders 
what he pleafes for his own breakfaft, and 
waits for nobody. At dinner we fit pro- 
mifcuoufly and Jay afide all form, and our 
evenings are uiually fpent together in 
making experiments till ten o'clock, when 
we are called to fupper. But this 
Chrifimas we had a choice band of mufi- 
cians from London, who entertained us 
moft evenings with felect and grand pieces 
of mulfic from the beft Operas and Ora- 
torios,accompanied by trumpets and kettle 
drums. For my own part, as his Grace 
has a fine library, I {pend much of my 
time there, and endeavour not to be idle 
though I am from bufineis- But I have 
made a tedious digreffion, when I only 
intended to produce a reafon for not 
anfwering your’s before, and haften now 
to affure you of my hearty soncern for 
your health, which I prayGod to reftore and 
confirm to you. I am pleated to think 
any communication of mime can prove 
agreeable to your ingenious fociety, whole 
profperity T iincerely with. The rules you 
were pleafed to fend me are, I make no 
doubt, well adapted to meetings in a 
country town, of which we here are Ney 
improper judges: and, therefore, inftead 
of pretending to advife in a matter they 
all underftand much better than I can do, 
I intreat the favour of them to accept my 
beft compliments, and believe me their 
humble fervant. 
-Iam much obliged for your kind advice 
not to let my method of teaching [curing 
defects of ipeech]} be loft with me; and 
can affure you i have taken good care to 
preferve it by means of my papers, if fo 
be any one can be found ftocked with at- 
tention and patience fufiicient for it. My 
fon feems not to want a common fhare of 
both, but this bufinefs requires an ability 
f keeping the mind at full ftretch for an 
hour together, and a fagacity to difcover 
the ideas as they arife in the mind of the 
jearner, and to give them words: to do 
ali which nobody, I believe, at his years 
is capable. 
Tam forry any friend of your’ s needs 
affiftance i in my way, and have often wifhed 
‘it were poffible in the nature of things to 
make the terms of {uch affiftance more 
eafy, anda at the fame time provide for 
ny family as well by this employment as 
I could do by fome other: but as eac 
fchelar muft be taught alone, I am able 
to undertake {fo few, that I am ee to 
Keep to the original terms, net that I made 
Original Letter of H. Baker. 
[Feb. 7, 
indeed, but that were offered me when F 
began this bufinefs, and knew much lefs 
of the matter than I do at prefent. 
The inclofed letter to me will, I pre- 
fume, give you full fatisfaction as to the 
man with two heads. My very intimate 
and moft valuable friend our prefident of 
the Royal Society, on my hinting how 
much I fhould be obliged to be able te 
give it you under his own hand, was fo 
good as to fend it me the next day. 
We had lately at the Royal Society one 
Margaret Cutting of Wickham market, 
in Suffolk, a woman of about 30 years of 
age, whofe tongue at four years old was 
entirely eradicated = a cancer, notwith- 
ftanding which fhe continued to fpeak 
plainly, according to an account given by 
me to the faid fociety, and printed in the 
‘Tranfaétions fome years ago. We could 
oe on the authorities we had before. 
of this extraordinary cafe, but found ‘it 
more ftrange than we imagined upon hav- 
ing her before us; for on the ftridteft ex- 
amination of {kilful anatomifts, fhe has not 
the leaft remains of a tongue, and yet 
fpeaks fo plain you would not imagine 
fhe wanted any part of it, and fings very 
prettily. 
I have often with leat and amaze: 
ment examined the antennz of butterflies 
and other infects: and have in fome taken 
notice of the ftru€ture yeu mention, which 
: not much unlike that of the beard of 
the wild oat, which is thereby capable of 
making an ‘exceliene hygrometer, as Di. 
Hook has well obferved. 
My fon defires your acceptance of his 
moft humble refpeéts, together with his 
beft thanks for your moft friendly concern 
for him, which he hopes to become more 
deferving of: he likewife begs you wilf 
make his thanks and acknowledgments 
agreeable to the gentlemen of your fociety, 
for the great honour they do him by taking 
notice of any thing he can be capable of 
doing. Iam very glad you are acquainted 
with my ingenious and worthy friend Dr. 
Miles, whofe almott weekly correfpond- 
ence E have been happy in for fome years, 
though in winter I fee him but feldom. 
This letter has been writ at 3 or 4 fit-- 
tings, and has nething to recommend it 
but a hearty good will, accompanied with 
the moft fincere efteem and refpeé for you, 
which therefore 1 afiure myfelf you will 
accept without any ceremony, from 
Dear Sir, Your moft affeciionate, 
And obedient hujble Servant, 
H. Baker. 
London, Fan. 16, 1747-8. 
P.S. My fervice to Mr. Shipley. 
Exivads 
