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" have written to you two or three letters " concerning it, which I have fent by fafe "hands, as I told you, and doubt not but

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you have them before this can arrive to you. Being out of town, I have forgotten "the ship's name, which your mother will

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enquire, and put it into her letter, which " is joined with mine. But the master's " name I remember : he is called Mr. Ralph Thorp; the ship is bound to Leghorn, configned to Mr. Peter and Mr. Tho,

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Ball, merchants. I am of your opinion, "that by Tonson's means almost all our " letters have miscarried for this last year.

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But, however, he has missed of his design " in the Dedication, though he had pre

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pared the book for it; for in every figure "of Eneas he has caused him to be drawn " like King William, with a hooked nose. " After my return to town, I intend to alter a play of Sir Robert Howard's, written long fince, and lately put by him into my "hands: 'tis called The Conquest of China by the Tartars. It will cost me fix weeks "study, with the probable benefit of an *"hundred pounds. In the mean time I

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am writing a fong for St. Cecilia's Feast, "who, you know, is the patronefs of mu"fick. This is troublesome, and no way " beneficial; " beneficial; but I could not deny the Stew"ards of the Feast, who came in a body to

me to defire that kindness, one of them " being Mr. Bridgman, whose parents are "your mother's friends. I hope to fend

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you thirty guineas between: Michaelmass " and Christmass, of which I will give you an account when I come to town. I re

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" member the counsel you give me in your " letter; but dissembling, though lawful " in some cases, is not my talent; yet, for

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your fake, I will struggle with the plain openness of my nature, and keep-in my " just resentments against that degenerate " order. In the mean time, I flatter not

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myself with any manner of hopes, but do my duty, and fuffer for God's fake; being " assured, beforehand, never to be rewarded,

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though the times should alter. Towards "the latter end of this month, September, " Charles will begin to recover his perfect health, according to his nativity, which, casting it myself, I am fure is true, and ⚫ "all things hitherto have happened accord

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ingly to the very time that I predicted "them: I hope at the fame time to recover more health, according to my age. Re" member me to poor Harry, whose prayers P3 " I earnestly

" I earnestly defire, My Virgil succeeds " in the world beyond its defert or my ex"pectation. You know the profits might " have been more; but neither my con"science nor my honour would suffer me to "take them: but I never can repent of my "constancy, since I am thoroughly per" fuaded of the justice of the cause for " which I suffer. It has pleased God to " raise up many friends to me amongst my " enemies, though they who ought to have " been my friends are negligent of me. I " am called to dinner, and cannot go on " with this letter, which I defire you to ex"cuse, and am

"Your most affectionate father,

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S MITH.

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DMUND SMITH is one of those lucky writers who have, without much labour, attained high reputation, and who are mentioned with reverence rather for the poffeffion than the exertion of uncommon abilities.

Of his life little is known; and that little claims no praise but what can be given to intellectual excellence, seldom employed to any virtuous purpose. His character, as given by Mr. Oldisworth, with all the partiality of friendship, which is faid by Dr. Burton to show what fine things one man of parts

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parts can fay of another; and which, however, comprises great part of what can be known of Mr. Smith, it is better to transcribe at once, than to take by pieces. I fhall fubjoin fuch little memorials as accident has enabled me to collect,

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mere.

Mr. EDMUND SMITH was the only son of an eminent merchant, one Mr. Neale, by a daughter of the famous baron LechSome misfortunes of his father, which were foon after followed by his death, were the occafion of the fon's being left very young in the hands of a near relation (one who married Mr. Neale's sister) whose name was Smith.

This gentleman and his lady treated him as their own child, and put him to Westminster-school under the care of Dr. Busby; whence after the loss of his faithful and generous guardian (whose name he affumed and retained) he was removed to Christchurch in Oxford, and there by his aunt handsomely

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