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osa, in your work, they will give a seasoning to the dry collection of charters and proclamations which will make the work popular.

Our best regards to Mrs. Hazard. Hope your children are by this time well. Sally is completely restored, to our great joy and comfort. I am, sir,

Your obliged friend and servant,

JERE. BELKNAP.

Brother Morse is fixed in his new house. They were all well on Thursday last.

HAZARD TO BELKNAP.

PHILADELPHIA, January 21, 1792.

MY DEAR SIR, I am glad to find, by yours of 19th ultimo, that the paper by Cheeseman got safe to hand, and that the enclosures for Fleet were in season, and of use. I have received from him one of his Registers, which, from your and his manner of writing, I suppose was intended for me; but, as Mr. Biddle expected one in return for his directory (and I encouraged him to expect it), I shall give it to him. The penny-post has been employed, but has not yet made his returns, so that I have not yet paid Robert; but he shall be attended to.

Colonel Pickering is not in any list you sent me; but he called, and informed me he was a subscriber, had the 1st volume, and wanted the 2d. I let him have it, and he paid me for it. A Mr. Martin came to-day, and subscribed for 2d and 3d. He had the 1st, and I let him have the 2d, for which he paid me. I find I shall have a number of 1st volumes left.

When my 1st volume comes out, I will send it to you, as you desire. It would have been finished, as to printing, by this time, but our paper failed. We are to have more

on Tuesday next, and by the next Saturday night I hope
to see finis. I have corrected sheet H, of the 4th alpha-
bet, to-night. L will finish the volume.
L will finish the volume. My index is
ready, as far as we have printed; and I think the preface
will be very short. I hate prefaces, and am vastly puz-
zled to know what to say in one, or how to say it. I be-
gan one (and proceeded some way in it), which I designed
for an handsome piece of composition; but, upon a review,
disliked it, as appearing too much studied. I have now a
different one on the anvil, which don't quite please me.
I must hammer out something before long.

I have received the 1st number of the Apollo, and think it will be a useful work. It is not so correctly printed as it ought to be. Governour Hopkins, of Rhode Island, began the history of that State, and published (I think) seven numbers in the Providence newspaper, and died, leaving it unfinished. Has your Society these papers ? If not, I can let them have them.* I have applied to the Governour's family for his materials, but they cannot be found. If those ministerial letters from William Pitt, &c., which I got in New Hampshire, and left in your hands, will be of use to them, they are at their service. I think T. & A. should allow you half the sheets, if you are to be liable for half the paper. Indeed, as you have all the labour of writing the F., I think you ought not to be liable for any.

What part of the Laws of Moses did you allude to, in which the Virginians might have found a "puddle" provided in such cases as theirs?

I expect to print the Virginian Laws, but not my miscellanea curiosa, unless I should see how they might be useful, and could be printed without the appearance of a design to hold up their authors in a ridiculous point of

*In the "Providence Gazette," in 1765. The account is republished in 2 Massachusetts Historical Society's Collections, IX. 166–203.-EDS.

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view, which I do not wish. They will perhaps throw light upon the state of society and manners in that day, but should be accompanied with some more serious things.

Mrs. H. and I sincerely rejoice with you on Sally's restoration. May she long be a source of joy and comfort to you. Our love to Mrs. B.

Cornelia is the mother of a son about three weeks old; both well. I am, dear sir,

Your affectionate

EBEN. HAZARD.

P. S. As I did not expect to write to you to-night, I did not bring your account from the office. You shall have it soon.

Mr. Jefferson has the copy of your book, and I have his receipt at the office too.

HAZARD TO BELKNAP.

PHILADELPHIA, January 28, 1792.

MY DEAR SIR, Since my last (which goes by Mr. Gorham with this), I have stated, and now enclose your account, by which you will see that I have £11 6s. 2d. to pay Robert. It will be acceptable to him. I saw him t'other day, and told him I should pay him some soon: he said it was very well.

How do you send the Apollo? I have not yet received the 2d No., though Mr. Wingate has had it several days. As there is no postage on newspapers yet, I apprehend it will not be trespassing, either on his friendship or honour, if you enclose mine to him; and, as he lodges nearly opposite to me, it will give him little trouble.

Fenno has advertised that subscriptions for the Apollo are received by him. He says "if Belknap and Young

will do his business in Boston, he will do theirs here." It is probable he will write to them.

Our youngest child is very sick. His disorder is something like the hives, but hope it will terminate favourably. All the rest of us are well. Our love to Mrs. Belknap. I am, dear sir,

Your friend,

EBEN. HAZARD.

P.S. I have been reading a MS. translation of Warville's Travels in America. If the Quakers had bribed him, he could not praise them more. He complains that genius is not encouraged in America, and, among other instances, mentions that "never has the whole of the precious History of New Hampshire, by Belknap, appeared, for want of encouragement."

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BELKNAP TO HAZARD.

BOSTON, February 18, 1792.

MY DEAR SIR, — Your favour is this evening received, and the enclosed for Mr. Harbach. As cold water to a thirsty soul, so are your letters always to me, now much rarer than when you stood in the place where Timothy Pickering now stands. I have scarcely had time to look over the account, but am glad to find there is some balance for Scotus. I hope to be able to pay him off as soon as my 3d volume gets under way.

Brother Cutler went, in the last stage, to Philadelphia. I requested him to bring me McMurray's Map of the

* Brissot de Warville's "New Travels in the United States of America, performed in 1788," translated from the French edition of 1791, was published in London in 1792, the preface of the translator bearing date "Feb. 1, 1792." An English version was published in New York the same year. A full bibliographical account of this writer's publications may be seen in Sabin's "Dictionary of Books relating to America."-EDS.

United States. I shall be obliged if you will assist him in procuring it, and pay him for it out of the proceeds of the books.

When your book comes forth, I beg that I may do the same favour for you that you are doing for me. I shall think myself honoured by the commission.

Your Apollo goes regularly, under cover, to the postmaster at Philadelphia. If, upon enquiry, any numbers should be missing, let me have notice, and they shall be replaced. As soon as the new act is finished, I hope all such matters will go safely.

The 20th sheet of my 3d volume is now working off. It has gone on slowly, by reason of the many tables of figures, &c.; but the remainder will, I hope, go on more rapidly.

Pray who or what is John Churchman, that makes such wonderful discoveries and improvements in longitude, variation, and gravity? My friend Jo. Pope (the Orrery maker) says he can detect his errors with respect to gravity, and he has promised me that he will do it.

I forgot to ask you to present one of my 2d volumes to the Philosophical Society. You will oblige me by doing it.

Brissot is a very superficial writer. Our friends at Portsmouth are affronted that he says of them that they know not how to make so good salt fish as at Marblehead. His travels put me in mind of Tom Thumb riding on the back of a crow to see the world. You mention another letter, which was to come by Mr. Gorham. I have not received it, nor do I know whether he is here or not. Judge Lowell is at Philadelphia. You may have an opportunity of writing by him. I hope this will find your child recovered and your family in health. Mine are so, through the divine blessing. We know the value of health by the contrasts which have appeared so frequently. It is best we should undergo such discipline. Mrs. B. and

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