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LETTER II.

For WILLIAM STUKELEY, Esq.

VIR SPECTABILIS, 28 Jan. 1728-9. SALVUS sis cum tuâ Podagrâ bene dotatâ, nobis Fortunæ nothis vix concessâ. In Diversorio Camberiano jam dego*. Si malum tuum superbum ferias agat, unum et alterum amicorum tuorum hic invenias. Officium epistolæ et tabularii nostri præstarem, sed nunc Acheronta non fert animus movere. Intelligis. Verbum sat est. Uxorem tuam optimam saluto. Tibi strictè devinctus, GUL. WARBURTON.

LETTER III.

For WILLIAM STUKELEY, Esq. at Grantham.

DEAR SIR, B. Broughton, Mar. 1728-9. I received the favour of yours of the 21st of the last month some few days ago; and am glad to find, by the agreeable society you invite me to on Friday se'nnight, that your gout has left you free to enjoy that philosophic gaiety and serenity of mind that makes you happier than Eastern Monarchs; or (who I believe you think had a greater share of it) than the wisest Sages of Antiquity; for we can scarce meet with one of them, whose natural temper an attentive view of the follies of the greater world had not strained and violated: one lamented mankind, another laughed at them, a third railed against them, which was an evident proof that their study of human nature, how refined and delicate soever they had brought it to, had been too dearly purchased, even at the expence of their own quiet, and integrity of temper. Alas! all their boasted study of humanity could never teach them to conquer their passions or disguise their superstition. One of them, you know,

He had been recently presented, by Sir Robert Sutton, to the Rectory of Brand (or Brent) Broughton. B 2

was

was so high-mettled, that he was for planting men even on forbidden ground; and the other so mealymouthed, that he would not allow the planting even of beans; which, in contempt of this latter, I am this moment a-doing in the farther end of my garden —as you, in defiance of the former, have undertaken the other part of cultivation in a sweet sequestered spot, which none but gods, or a man like them, is worthy to approach; where I desire my humble respects may be tendered, along with those I offer to yourself, when I profess how much I am, dear Sir, your most humble servant, and affectionate friend, W. WARBURTON.

P. S. I understand that "the Friday of the Assize week" means Lincoln Assizes. I purpose to attend you there; if any thing prevents your coming, or if I mistake the time, be so good to let me have a line. I return you Pemberton * with this, and with more thanks than he got guineas.

LETTER IV.

For WILLIAM STUKELEY, Esq. M. D. at Grantham. DEAR SIR, Newarke, March 12, 1728-9. I hope you received one of mine last week with my intentions of waiting on you at Ancaster at the day. Since that, I have been pressed by a solicitation I could no-ways withstand, to attend a trial between Sir Robert Sutton and Mr. Plumptre about the boundaries of their estates: this will necessarily draw me to Nottingham on the very day I had proposed to myself the pleasure of attending you. My best respects and esteem to the gentlemen you

* Probably Dr. Henry Pemberton, M. D. F. R. S. and Professor of Physick at Gresham College, who published, by a large Subscription, "A View of Sir Isaac Newton's Philosophy" in a magnificent quarto, but which greatly disappointed the expectations of his l'atrons.

meet

meet there, whom I live in expectation of meeting there in Summer. In the mean time I am daily in expectation of your kind visit to Broughton, and that you will contrive to stay a night or two with me, where we may converse together de quolibet ente, and laugh at the follies and impertinence that surround us.

Dear Sir, your most affectionate friend, and humble servant, W. WARBUrton.

LETTER V.

For WILLIAM STUKELEY, Esq. at Grantham. DEAR SIR, Newarke, June 9, 1729. I had a great temptation to have gone over to Hough last Thursday, where I expected you was, and was heartily vexed that a pack of blockheads should have stopped my way. About two hours ago poor Doctor Hunter took a leap into the dark. I should heartily wish that this, or any other occasion, could bring you amongst us here*, where every one has so just an esteem for my dear Friend.

Just this moment I was lamenting to my uncle Rastall of the small hopes I had of so much happiness; and he went so seriously into it, as to mention the service he thought himself capable of doing you in such a case, which he thought not small.

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Dear Sir, you will be so good to pardon the freedom of this officious Letter, and believe me to be, with much gratitude,

Your most obliged humble servant, W.WARBURTON.

* Dr. Stukeley was a native of Holbech in Lincolnshire; and, having taken the degree of M. B. at Cambridge 1709, commenced practice as a Physician at Boston in his native county; but, in 1717, removed to London, where he was in that year elected F. R. S.; became one of the Re-founders of the Society of Antiquaries 1718; and in 1719 took the degree of M. D. at Cambridge, and became a Fellow of the College of Physicians. In 1726 he removed to Grantham, where he continued to reside till 1729; when he entered into holy orders. See p. 6.

LETTER

LETTER VI.

For WILLIAM STUKELEY, Esq. at Grantham. DEAR SIR, B. Broughton, June 13, 1729. I was perfectly charmed with the secret your obliging Letter of the 11th instant communicated to me. I have great satisfaction in the prospect of the services you will do the Church; and of the honours you, I make no doubt, will in return receive from it: but, above all, you will allow me to indulge myself in the pleasing prospect I now have of a Friend of the Order. I shall now begin to entertain more ambitious thoughts, when I can have such an assistant of my schemes; and I can readily forgive all the strange malice I have hitherto met with, to be at length rewarded with a friendship, whose last great bond is, as our friend Tully expresses it, ab eorundem studiorum usu. As to the alteration this will make in yourself, I do not think you could more consult your happiness, or advance your interests of every kind, than by this resolution. You have a fine fortune, that of itself can provide you with the ornaments, as well as conveniences of life; which, put to the addition you may reasonably expect in the Order, will furnish you with all the variety of satisfactions that a mind like yours can digest. Above all, I am pleased with your thinking of London not above a month in a year. And for those serene pleasures of contemplation which so much delight you, you will find them much heightened in the freedom and disengagement of our profession. I long to see you; so that, if you do not let me see you, or know next week of some short day in which I may expect you; on Sunday se'nnight, in the afternoon, I will make you a visit. To fill up the paper, I send you the following criti

* Dr. Stukeley was ordained by Abp. Wake, July 20, 1729; and, in the October following, was presented by Lord Chancellor King to the Rectory of All Saints, Stamford; a preferment for which he was in some degree indebted to the friendship of Sir Hans Sloane, as will appear hereafter.

cism on a passage of Paterculus *, lib. I. cap. 4; which I must desire your judgment of. You are to know that there is only a single MS. of this Author preserved, and infinitely faulty; so that the book is but a heap of errors, notwithstanding the attempts of many upon it. This Author, speaking of the original of Cuma and Naples, says, " Cumas in Italid condiderunt." (sc. Hippocles & Megasthenes.) "Pars horum civium magno post intervallo Neapolim condidit. Utriusque urbis eximia semper in Romanos fides. Sed ALIIS diligentior ritus patrii mansit custodia: Cumanos Osca mutavit vicinia. Vires autem veteres earum urbium hodieque magnitudo ostentat Mœnium." Now, I dare say, the word aliis sticks at first sight pretty much with you, for you observe this is all the way a conjoint account of the two cities, but in this part of the sentence it is dropt, and very impertinently said others preserved their Country rites more diligently; which, certainly, so fine a Writer could not be guilty of. I read, therefore, Sed NEAPOLIS diligentior ritus patrii mansit; which makes it a pertinent observation, and worthy the notice of an exact Historian. And it is not difficult to conceive Neapolis being corrupted to aliis by a stupid copyer. I would only know whether you can give me any light from some other Writer about this piece of Antiquity, that Naples continued the Grecian manners longer than Cuma.-I will offer another to your consideration: Our Author, cap. 10, speaking of the severity of a Censor upon his Brother, expresses himself thus: Aspera circa hæc tempora censura Fulvii Flacci et P. Albini fuit, quippe Fulvii censoris frater, et quidem CONSORS, Cnæus Fulvius, senatu motus est ab iis censoribus." Now where is the wonder that a man's brother should be called his Consors too. It is true sometimes they are not so: but here Paterculus lays an emphasis on it as increasing the relation, et QUIDEM Consors.

→ Of whose "History" he was then meditating an edition.

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