"have written to you two or three letters "concerning it, which I have fent by fafe

hands, as I told you, and doubt not but you have them before this can arrive to you. Being out of town, I have forgotten "the ship's name, which your mother will

enquire, and put it into her letter, which "is joined with mine. But the master's "name I remember : he is called Mr. Ralph

Thorp; the ship is bound to Leghorn,

configned to Mr. Peter and Mr. Tho, "Ball, merchants. I am of your opinion, "that by Tonfon's means almost all our "letters have mifcarried for this laft year.

But, however, he has miffed of his defign "in the Dedication, though he had prepared the book for it; for in every figure "of Eneas he has caufed him to be drawn "like King William, with a hooked nose. "After my return to town, I intend to alter a play of Sir Robert Howard's, written long fince, and lately put by him into my hands: 'tis called The Conquest of China by the Tartars. It will coft me fix weeks ftudy, with the probable benefit of an hundred pounds. In the mean time I am writing a fong for St. Cecilia's Feast, who, you know, is the patronefs of mufick. This is troublesome, and no way beneficial;

66

"beneficial; but I could not deny the Stew"ards of the Feaft, who came in a body to

me to defire that kindness, one of them "being Mr. Bridgman, whose parents are your. mother's friends. I hope to send you thirty guineas between Michaelmafs "and Christmafs, of which I will give you 66 an account when I come to town. "member the counsel you give me in your

I re

letter; but diffembling, though lawful "in some cases, is not my talent; yet, for your fake, I will struggle with the plain openness of my nature, and keep-in my just refentments againft that degenerate "order. In the mean time, I flatter not

myself with any manner of hopes, but do

my duty, and fuffer for God's fake; being "affured, beforehand, never to be rewarded,

though the times fhould alter. Towards "the latter end of this month, September, "Charles will begin to recover his perfect "health, according to his nativity, which,

cafting it myself, I am fure is true, and "all things hitherto have happened accordingly to the very time that I predicted "them: I hope at the fame time to recover more health, according to my age. "member me to poor Harry, whose

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prayers "I earnestly

"I earnestly defire, My Virgil fucceeds "in the world beyond its defert or my expectation. You know the profits might "have been more; but neither my con"science nor my honour would suffer me to "take them; but I never can repent of my "conftancy, fince I am thoroughly per

fuaded of the juftice of the caufe for "which I fuffer. It has pleased God to " raife up many friends to me amongst my "enemies, though they who ought to have "been my friends are negligent of me. I

am called to dinner, and cannot go on "with this letter, which I defire you to ex"cufe; and am

S M I T H.
IT

Ε

DMUND SMITH is one of those lucky writers who have, without much labour, attained high reputation, and who are mentioned with reverence rather for the poffeffion than the exertion of uncommon abilities.

Of his life little, is known; and that little claims no praise but what can be given to intellectual excellence, feldom employed to any virtuous purpose. His character, as given by Mr. Oldisworth, with all the partiality of friendship, which is faid by Dr. Burton to show what fine things one man of P 4 parts

parts can fay of another; and which, however, comprises great part of what can be known of Mr. Smith, it is better to transcribe at once, than to take by pieces. Ifhall fubjoin fuch little memorials as accident has enabled me to collect,

Mr. EDMUND SMITH was the only fon of an eminent merchant, one Mr. Neale, by a daughter of the famous baron Lechmere. Some misfortunes of his father, which were foon after followed by his death, were the occafion of the fon's being left very young in the hands of a near relation (one who married Mr. Neale's fifter) whose name was Smith.

This gentleman and his lady treated him as their own child, and put him to Westminster-school under the care of Dr. Busby; whence after the lofs of his faithful and

ge

nerous guardian (whofe name he affumed and retained) he was removed to Chriftchurch in Oxford, and there by his aunt handfomely