fport was to burn the jails. This was a good rabble trick. The debtors and the criminals were all fet at liberty; but of the criminals, as has always happened, many are already retaken, and two pirates have furrendered themselves, and it is expected that they will be pardoned. Government now acts again with its proper force;' and we are all again under the protection of the King and the law. I thought that it would be agreeable to you and my mafter to have my teftimony to the publick security; and that you would fleep more quietly when I told you that you are fafe. I am, dearest Lady, your, &c. LETTER XLVI. To the Same. DEAREST MADAM, London, April 5, 1781. OF your injunctions, to pray for you and write to you, I hope to leave neither unobferved; and I hope to find you willing in a fhort time to alleviate your trouble by fome other exercife of the mind. I am not without my part of the calamity. No death fince that of my wife has ever oppreffed me like this. But let us remember, that we are in the hands of Him who knows when to give and when to take away; who will look upon us with mercy through all our variations of exiftence, and who invites us to call on him in the day of trouble. Call upon him in this great revolution of life, and call. with confidence. You will then find comfort for the paft, and fupport for the future, He that has given you happinefs in marriage, to a degree of which, without perfonal know knowledge, I fhould have thought the defcription fabulous, can give you another mode'of happiness, as a mother; and at laft the happiness of lofing all temporal cares in the thoughts of an eternity in heaven. I do not exhort you to reafon yourself into tranquillity. We muft firft pray, and then labour; first implore the bleffing of God, and those means which he puts into our hands. Cultivated ground has few weeds; a mind occupied by lawful business, has little room for ufelefs regret. We read the will to-day; but I will not fill my first letter with any other account than that, with all my zeal for your advantage, I am fatisfied, and that the other executors, more used to confider property than I, commended it for wisdom and equity. Yet why should I not tell you that you have five hundred pounds for immediate expences, and two thousand pounds a-year, with both the houses, and all the goods? your Let us pray for one another, that the time, whether long or short, that fhall yet be granted us, may be well fpent; and that when this life, which at the longest is very fhort, fhall come to an end, a better may begin which shall never end. I am, dearest Madam your, &c. > LETTER XLVII. To Mrs. THRALE. DEAR MADAM, April 7, 1781. I HOPE you begin to find your mind grow clearer. My part of the lofs hangs upon me. I have loft a friend of boundless kindness at an age when it is very unlikely that I fhould find another. If you think change of place likely to relieve you, there is no reason why you fhould not go to Bath; the distances are unequal, but with regard to practice and business they are the fame. It is a day's journey from either place; and the poft is more expeditious and certain to Bath. Confult only your own inclination, for there is really no other principle of choice. God direct and bless you. Mr. C has offered Mr. P money, but it was not wanted. I hope we fhall all do all we can to make you lefs unhappy, and you must do all you can for yourself. What we, or what you can do, will-for a time be but little; yet certainly that cala mity which may be confidered as doomed to fall inevitably on half mankind, is not finally without alle viation. It is fomething for me, that as I have not the decrepitude I have not the calloufness of old age. I hope in time to be lefs afflicted. I am, &c. LETTER XLVIII. To Mrs. THRALE. DEAREST MADAM, London, April 9, 1781. THAT you are gradually recovering your tran quillity, is the effect to be humbly expected from trust in God. Do not represent life as darker than it is. Your lofs has been very great, but you retain more than almost any other can hope to poffefs. You are high in the opinion of mankind; you have children from whom much pleasure may be expected; and that you will find many friends, you have no reason to doubt. Of my friendship, be it worth more or lefs, I hope you think yourfelf certain, without much art or care. It will not be easy for me to repay the benefits that I have received; but I hope to be always ready at your call. Our forrow has different effects; you are withdrawn into folitude, and I am driven into company. I am afraid of thinking what I have loft. I never had fuch a friend before. Let me have your prayers and those of my dear Queeney. The prudence and refolution of your defign to return fo foon to your business and your duty deserves great praife; I fhall communicate it on Wednesday to the other executors. Be pleafed to let me know whether you would have me come to Streatham to receive you, or stay here till the next day. I am, &c. م I LETTER XLIX. To the Same. DEAR MADAM, Bolt-court, Fleet-ftreet, A M fitting down in no chearful folitude to write a narrative which would once have affected you with tenderness and forrow, but which you will perhaps pass over now with a careless glance of frigid indifference. For this diminution of regard however, I know not whether I ought to blame you, who may have reasons which I cannot know, and I do not blame myself, who have for a great part of human life done you what good I could, and have never done you evil. I had been difordered in the ufual way, and had been relieved by the ufual methods, by opium and catharticks, but had rather leffened my dose of opium. On Monday the 16th I fat for my picture, and walked a confiderable way with little inconvenience. In the afternoon and evening I felt myself light and eafy, and began to plan fchemes of life. Thus I went to bed, and in a fhort time waked and fat up, as has been long my cuftom, when I felt a confufion and indistinctness in my head, which lafted I fuppofe about half a minute; I was alarmed, and prayed God, that however he might afflict my body, he would fpare my understanding. This prayer, that I might try the integrity of my faculties, I made in Latin verfe. The lines were not very good, but I knew them not to be very good: I made them eafily, |