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perplexity to my family after I am gone. Through the favour of Divine Providence, I have got a shelter for my family, in which we have lived with satisfaction about 7 months. I have had some thoughts of getting it insured at your office, for which reason I wish to know on what terms, and in what manner, it may be done. The value is 4,000 dollars. Please to let me know as soon as you

can.

Enclosed with this, you have a copy of my effort to keep up the credit of our religion in these degenerate times.* You will present the other copy, with my very affectionate regards, to your cousin Cornelia; and, with mine, Mrs. B.'s love to your consort.

In a week or two more, my volume of Sacred Poetry will come forth, after which, if my health be recruited, I shall enter on the 2d volume of the Biography. Did I send you the 1st volume? I forget.

At present I am obliged to adopt Roger Price's translation of Paul's advice to Timothy. Instead of "Give thyself to reading," it should be " riding." Roger was formerly a king's chaplain here, and a great sportsman.

I am this week bound to Plymouth, and after election to Connecticut. Wherever or in whatever circumstances I may be, I shall always with pleasure remember my connection with you, and am, dear sir,

Your very affectionate friend,

HAZARD TO BELKNAP.

JERE. BELKNAP.

PHILADELPHIA, July 4, 1795.

MY DEAR FRIEND, - Mr. Otis's intended departure from the city gives me a convenient opportunity of acknowl

* Dr. Belknap published this year "Dissertations on the Character, Death, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ," &c. - Eds.

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edging the receipt of yours of May 11 and June 6, which came to hand at the same time, together with your Collection of Sacred Poetry, and Dissertations, for which I thank you. I think you have done good service to the cause of Christianity by the latter, and I think the former will be useful; but I have yet given it but a cursory review. Watts's 148th Psalm, beginning with, "Loud Hallelujahs to the Lord," I think is omitted. De gustibus non est disputandum; but I have always been pleased with that, as containing both elegance and simplicity.

I had repeatedly called on Dobson for his account, before receiving your letter, but without success. However, he has now got at it, but will not be able to furnish it in season for this conveyance. His sales have been very trifling. You will soon have the account of them, I expect.

With respect to my first volumes, I believe it will be best to leave a few (say 3 or 4) with West, that, if he should be called on for both, he may be able to furnish them. I think his shop must be very small.

I am alarmed by the paragraph respecting your health, but hope you will not find your situation as critical as you appear to apprehend it to be. Would not a ride this way be of service to you? I have a delightful situation, in which your stay may be very comfortable; and, should you need a nurse while here, Mrs. H., who is one of the best, will minister to your necessities with the kindness and attention of a friend. It is a pleasing consideration that your family will have a shelter, should you be removed from them, and not lie at the mercy of a landlord; but I hope, my friend, that, notwithstanding your present apprehensions, you will long be a happy tenant of the house yourself.

Our office does not insure any buildings except in the vicinity of this city, nor framed ones anywhere.

I delivered to the Philosophical Society and Mr. Fenno copies of your letter to Dr. Kippis, &c., and Cornelia has

received her books. Her husband has gone to sea for his health; and she expects an increase in the family very

soon.

Yes, you sent me the 1st volume of the Biography. I shall be very glad to see the 2d, but think it will be advisable for you to prefer "riding" to either "reading" or writing. Should you be spared, and print again, I hope the master of the Apollo press will pay more attention to neatness of execution in his line than in your late publications.

I enclose a receipt from the Secretary of State's office for a copy of your Sacred Poetry. I proposed to Mr. Taylor to insert that it was lodged by me, on your behalf; but he said it was unnecessary. To supply this defect (as it appears to me), I have subjoined my own certificate.

Has the publication of the Historical Society's collections (the Apollo) fallen through? I shall be very sorry if it has; though, from my not having heard any thing of it for a very long time, I fear it is the case. I mentioned to you, long since, what was the last number I had received, and some deficiencies; but, as I have not heard from you on the subject, suspect you did not get the letter. The Nos. wanting are Nos. 28, 29, 30, 31, 36, 37, of volume 1. These I apprehend I have had, and lost by removing. No. 5, of volume 2 (for Feb., 1793), is the last I received, and I recollect seeing advertisements which mentioned some subsequent numbers as being published. You will oblige me much by having my sett compleated, and directing Belknap and Hall to send me future numbers (if the collection is continued) by vessels bound to this port. If a catalogue of the books and pamphlets, &c., belonging to the Society, has been published, I will thank you for one.

Dr. Rush's mother (Mrs. Morris) was buried yesterday afternoon, æt. 78.

Mrs. Hazard and our daughter are on a visit to Shrewsbury. Our friend the Judge has been confined some weeks to his bed. He is free from pain, but so weak as to be unable to get into or out of bed without being lifted. He has lately been troubled with the cholic. In his case, a regular fit of the gout would be desirable; but they have in vain attempted to produce it. Our eldest son is at school, at Woodbury, in New Jersey (about 9 miles from this city), so that I have quite a small family, and I feel solitary, except when at the office. The house don't look as it ought to do.

With love to Mrs. Belknap and family, I am, dear sir, Your sincere friend,

EBEN. HAZARD.

P.S. I intended writing to you when I had the last fit of the gout, but it left me too soon.

1

BELKNAP TO HAZARD.

BOSTON, August 21, 1795.

MY DEAR SIR,Since I wrote you last, my health is considerably mended, by means of what the physicians call tonic medicine and diet, but especially the trottinghorse and the cold bath. The former part of the summer I was much "given to riding." My last excursion was to Lebanon, in Connecticut, to collect the MSS. and pamphlets of the late Governour Trumbull, which were given to the Historical Society by his heirs; and I believe we shall be able to give the public a rich repast from them.* We expect some from Governour Hancock's; and when our old patriot S. A.'s † head is laid, we hope to get more. There is nothing like having a good repository, and keep

* See Proceedings of this Society for March, 1858, p. 310.-EDS.
† Samuel Adams. EDS.

ing a good look-out, not waiting at home for things to fall into the lap, but prowling about like a wolf for the prey.

I have got the 3d volume of the Collections for you, and all the numbers of the 2d which you wanted; but, as to the missing numbers of the 1st, I know not where to get them, unless they come to me by accident. I have found one, No. 31, among my papers, which I have put up. The Collections are now printed quarterly, and 4 numbers will contain as much as 12, when printed monthly.

Samuel Hall is now our printer. If you will have them yearly or quarterly, send me word. We hope soon to be able to enlarge the subscription. At present, the sale of copies does not pay the expence of printing; and it is hard that the Society should work for the public and get themselves in debt, which is, in fact, the case.

I have given Mr. John Davis a letter to you, and, in addition to what I there say, which is short, I must tell you that he is one of the best characters among all my acquaintance. You will find him a man of sterling worth. Should he bring his family to Philadelphia, you will gain a most amiable woman, and a set of engaging little ones, to the number of 5. I spent a week at his house in Plymouth, last May, and was never more pleased in any family in my life. He wants me to introduce him to Dr. Rush, but I had rather not. I have had no correspondence with him for near two years, and do not wish to renew it. I shall give him a letter to Dr. Barton.

I hope I shall not have to wait for you to have another fit of the gout before I hear from you again. Pray let my whole business with Dobson and Aitken be settled, as I

requested in my last. I have just the same impression of the propriety of doing it, which I had then. Your books shall be returned, excepting three or four, which I will leave with West. His accommodations are not so large as he wishes.

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