Let virtue always guide thy views; And yet this person was as wild, giddy, and thoughtless a wretch as any, and after marrying a girl who could sing and dance and dress and scribble, and, as Uncle Toby says, "getting a few children," grew a libertine in principle and practice, and died a beggar in a foreign country. But I shall degenerate into a right-down story-teller, if I don't make haste to subscribe myself, with kind regards to your side companion, in which mine joins, Your very affectionate friend, Jeremy Belknap. BELKNAP TO HAZARD. Portsmouth, Oct. 27, 1783. My Dear Sir,— Since I wrote you last week, I received yours of the 8th, and beg you will return my most cordial thanks to Ulysses * for his very kind and generous offer. If any thing of mine can entertain him or you, I certainly must feel a very humble satisfaction. It is a vexatious circumstance to me that I have not yet been able to get a passage for my son. There has not that I can learn a vessel sailed from hence for Philadelphia since July; and though I have been led to expect that Mr. Sheaffe was going to send one, and been waiting with an anxiety and impatience justifiable by the occasion for her being ready for some weeks past, yet the chance now seems more distant than ever. This, however, I did not know till this morning that I came to town. I must now convey Josey to Boston, and let him wait there, to get a passage, which there is a much better chance for there than there can be here. But it is impossible I should set out for that place, till this day se'enight. Beg Mr. Aitken's candour for me, and assure him that the delay has not been owing to any circumstance over which I could have the least control, nor shall any endeavour of mine be wanting to send him as quick as possible. I am extremely sorry that things have turned out so cross and contrary. We are now assured that the reports of plagues and pestilences at Philadelphia are without foundation. For my part, I never gave so much heed to it as to relax or delay in the least; but Mrs. B. was something afraid. However, it was and has been impossible to have sent him from hence. You shall hear from me again, either from here or Boston next post. * " Ulysses" was Dr. Clarkson, a physician of Philadelphia. — Eds. In the mean time, I am (very much in a hurry, which must apologize for the blunders in this scrawl) your very sincere and affectionate friend, Jeremy Belknap. BELKNAP TO HAZARD. Dover, Oct. 31, 1783. My Dear Sir, — I was on Monday discouraged about getting a passage for my son from this river, and had come to a determination to carry him to Boston next week, which determination subsisted till this morning, when I received a message from Mr. Sheaffe that his vessel would be ready next week; and I shall then, Deo volerde, embark him for Philadelphia. Please to let Mr. Aitken know this. I am very sorry that I could not send him sooner, but it was entirely out of my power, and therefore I am sure his candour will excuse it. You have here my two last chapters, which I do not again transcribe, having the original rough draught by ane; and having not time to copy it again, nor could I make it any more correct if I should, I only desire that where I have made figures they may be turned into words, except the figures for years, and some in the notes which you will easily distinguish. You have also the title and preface. I have a little finishing to do to the Appendix, which I have not time for this week, but will either send it by the vessel in which Jo goes, or by the post the week after. I am, dear sir, your affectionate friend and humble servant, Jeremy Belknap. BELKNAP TO HAZARD. Boston, Friday, November 7, 1783. Mr Dear Sir, — After a series of vexatious disappointments of which you will have a pretty just and perhaps tedious account in my two or three last letters, I determined no longer to wait the slow and uncertain movement of our Pascataqua merchants and ship-masters, of which I had had too full a specimen; and last Tuesday I set out with Josey for this place, having previously written to have a passage engaged for him here, and at my arrival yesterday, to my great joy, found my desire accomplished. The sloop on board of which he will go is to sail on Sunday, and I have agreed with the master (or rather owner) for his passage, he to live on the ship's provisions, at the price of eight dollars, which I am advised not to pay beforehand; and the owner says he is indifferent whether he receives it here or at Philadelphia. I shall therefore take the liberty to give him an order on you for the payment, and shall either send some gold to you in Jo's chest, or else a small bill, per next post, for this and some other purposes. I have here found a letter from Mr. Eliot, of August 22d, from which I shall give you the following extract: — "I was much concerned to find, immediately on my arrival here, that Mr. Longman had declined having any concern with your History, and that, from the manner of his writing you, there-was no hope of his being induced to undertake it. The letter that we forwarded to him last winter was, somehow or other, delayed to $ late period before it reached him; otherwise, you would have had his answer before I left Boston, which I wish had been the case. What he has written must by this time have come to hand, and I hope was instantly opened, and your letter from him duly forwarded to you. I have not been in this place one fortnight as yet, and my time has been so occupied as to render it utterly impossible for me hitherto to see the other gentleman whom you addressed on the subject. Indeed, I fear my application to him will be to very little purpose, as it seems he entirely acquiesced in Mr. Longman's reasons for his decline. Still, however, I mean to wait on him the first moment I can devote to seeing him, and will again write you very soon on the subject. I am extremely concerned at the present prospects here: it gives me an uneasiness in some measure adequate to the disappointment I fear you will suffer." On this last part, I will only remark that, from comparing the make of his mind with my own, I am fully persuaded that he will feel much more uneasiness than I shall. When I have done what I can toward the accomplishment of a favourite plan, and I find all my efforts ineffectual, I am satisfied that it is not best that my desires should be gratified, and there leave it. Such is the case here, and therefore I would not have the printing delayed one moment on account of any probabilities or possibilities from the other side of the water. Only out of respect to Mr. E., and in performance of my promise to him, I shall wish that every sheet may be sent him as it comes from the press: then he will at least have the pleasure of seeing that I am not wanting in attention to him. As to the printing any additional number with a view of sending them to England for sale, according to Longman's proposal, I shall leave it to you and Mr. Aitken to judge for me what you think best, and shall entirely acquiesce in your judgment. I find some of the subscribers, in the towns I have passed through, are impatient for the book; and I have told them that I suppose the work is now begun, which I ground on one of your letters of about a month ago. The last sheets of the copy with the whole of the Appendix went by this week's post; if you think proper to omit any more of the papers, you may take out those which will make a part of your collection. You may remember a small social library which we have in Dover, which is under my care, and which I am concerned to cherish and increase. The partners have lately committed a small sum to me to provide an addi. tion, and there are some books within your reach that we should be glad to have. Will it be too much trouble for you to make use of part of the remittance now sent in purchasing the following books, and putting them up with "Garcilasso de la Vega," to come by the return of the vessel, in which Jo goes, directed to Col. Josiah Waters, Boston, who will pay the freight, unless there should happen to be any Piscataqua vessel in your port that will sail as soon, in which case direct to Dr. Bracket? Cook's First Voyage round the World. New York edition, 2 Vols. Cook's Second ditto (if to be had). Not the English edition. Cook's last ditto. Philadelphia edition, lately advertised. Sterne's Works. 5 Vols. Philadelphia edition. (I put into Jo's chest two English guineas, one French one, and ten crowns, for you.) VOL. I. 18 |