service which I owe you if I had done otherwise. It is but a little anticipating your journey up to the Parliament, and I conclude you will when you are here think it time not lost. I therefore earnestly press you again, and if you do not think me a vain man I beseech you to believe that I would not have writ to you this fashion had I not had some reason. I should be very glad to see you here without any answer, but if you think fit to honour me with a line or two, pray let it be to assure me of your being speedily here. Postscript.-I lodge at Mr. Pawlings, over against the Plough Inn in Little Lincoln's Inn Fields. SIR JOSIAH CHILD to JOHN MORLEY, junior, at Halsted in Essex. 1694, October 26. Wanstead.-Being returned to Wanstead I think it necessary to desire you to hasten in my tithes, that at this time of general scarcity for money that sum abating your collection may go in part of my new purchase of the farm you last sold me, and pray take of my cousin Sparrow what is just equally with other men; in matters of right friendship and relation having no place, neither did I ever expect it from a brother in the like case, the old saying is allowed among all relations 'what I buy I buy, and what I give I give.' If you have bought the other farm near my park I shall readily pay for it though much more money is got by the present funds then the best bargains of land. Of Mr. Gray's house and the Butt yard upon further enquiry I have no opinion at all, not thinking it worth above 71. per annum, except one should set up for building of cottages, which you know I never had a mind to. GEORGE SAVILE, MARQUIS OF HALIFAX, to MR. [ROBERT ?] Monday morning.I would know, sir, whether after your morning sacrifice for the public, you can allow yourself an idle part of a day so as to call upon me at half an hour past one, and make a trip to Acton this fine day, where we will eat a bunch of grapes to whet us for a piece of mutton at eight of clock when we return. I would know whether you would have a third, to be sure I want nobody when I have Mr. Harley: THE DUKE OF SHREWSBURY, Secretary of State, to [ROBERT] HARLEY. 1694, October 4.-The time for the meeting of the Parliament drawing near occasions my renewing a request I made before to you, that I might discourse with yourself and Mr. Foley. If you continue disposed to allow me that favour I will be at home and alone any hour upon Saturday and Sunday in the afternoon that shall be convenient to you. Postscript. I live now in St. James's Square. THE DUKE OF SHREWSBURY, Secretary of State, to [ROBERT] HARLEY. 1694, November 6. Whitehall.-If it may suit with yours and Mr. Foley's conveniency, my Lord Godolphin and I are desirous to discourse again with you upon the same subject we last met about. If to-morrow at six in the evening be a convenient time for Mr. Foley and you, my Lord Godolphin and I will be at that time at my house in the Square; but if you are otherwise engaged at that time, I desire the favour of a line from you to appoint any other hour, place, or day. THE SAME to THE SAME. 1694, November 20.-I am extream' sorry I was not at home when you did me the favour yesterday to call. I should be glad if it would suit with convenience to call here this evening about seven o'clock, because I would be glad to discourse with you, and have your opinion in relation to some matters that deserve an immediate consideration. If I name a time inconvenient to your affairs, I desire you will be so kind and so free as to name any other this evening or to-morrow morning. [ROBERT HARLEY to the ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY.]* 1701, August 11.-When I first resolved to write to your Grace I put my name to the letter, and also inserted some particular passage which had passed between your Grace and myself formerly, but before I sent it away I altered that resolution, not out of any apprehension that I have done anything but my duty, and what becomes an honest man and a christian, but because I see your Grace is in the hands of some men who have neither religion nor common morality, and should you show them the letter or they get it into their hands, which is very common with them, it is plain they would make no scruple of prevailing with you to expose yourself and torment me, and though I shall readily own this if charged with it, yet I do not think I am obliged to court my own trouble. Therefore I have transcribed the letter over again, and altered my hand and left out my name and some few passages which would make your Grace easily know who I am. Thus far I will let you know that I am a lay gentleman, that my mind as well as my fortune render me independent any other way than as obliged by the laws of the land, and the duty of a good christian. I have long lamented the scandalous heats which have been of late amongst churchmen, and upon all occasions have taken your Grace's part in discourse relating to the affairs of the Convocation, in hope that some happy hours would fall out to make up this breach; and it has been owing to my influence that many sober clergymen *We print this document as it stands in the chronological arrangement of the papers, but there is no other paper throwing any light on the circumstances in which it was written, or showing that the original letter of which this is a draft or copy ever reached Archbishop Tenison's hands. The deprivation of Dr. Watson, Bishop of St. David's, and subsequent proceedings relating thereto, seem to be the subject of the letter. here in my neighbourhood have not hitherto engaged themselves in this affair. But now, my Lord, I must speak plainly to you from the bitterness of my soul, that not only my hopes of healing are vanished, but I look upon a dismal prospect of ruin to christianity and even morality. In the name of God what did you mean to send a firebrand through all your province, and which I am very well assured you had no leave for doing, first to, procure and indite such a letter which treats clergymen with such language as no gentleman gives to any one; were you afraid that people would have complied, I know that was the fear of some people, but to be plain you have brought this home to us laymen and we must find a remedy. I must tell you what you have nobody else faithful enough to do it; you are entirely under the influence of those who have not only discharged themselves from all obligations of religion, but also have for many years been promoting, first Socinianism then Arianism and now Deism in the state, they have propagated notions which destroy all government; in order to perfect that, they set up for notions which destroy all religion and so consequently dissolve the bonds of all society. These are the people who hire the writers, nay revise the books themselves, at whose charges these books are printed, and great numbers given away. These are the men who govern you, who recommend clergymen to you, who laugh at you to my knowledge-for it after; I heard one myself expose you for saying to an atheistical peer, 'Pray my Lord have a care of yourself, good men are scarce, my good Lord Macclesfield is gone.' Could any one that had common regard to his own reputation pick out two such profligate creatures. And for your clergy counsellors two or three who would engross preferments into their own hands, together with that mad Bishop of Sarum who has been contemned by all parties and all times for his intemperate fury as well as his immoralities and his falsehood. But my Lord give me leave to expostulate freely with you, and to lay before you the danger you are flying yourself and all in. I would use the words of our English Seneca to Archbishop Laud, and the case is pretty parallel. I do believe your Grace is a true Christian, and it is plain that Laud was no Papist, yet he did their business [as] effectually for them as if he were. This enraged them, and united people against him, and the torrent ran so strong I need not mention the direful consequences. If you are not a Sadducee what do you in their tents ? be either a bird or a beast, part either with your wings or your claws. If you will be amongst the Sadducees quit the clergy, but now under your protection and shadow all these execrable heresies grow up and are nourished whilst you are disputing whether a lower house of Convocation can adjourn themselves. Oh, ridiculous! and yet it now appears that they had even abstained from that, and yet you would not let them alone, so that it is very clear those who act' you mean something else, and your trumping up a Legatine power, when you sit only by virtue of the Queen's writ, which last session you sufficiently broke through. It is time for 기 |