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earnest; and next to the pleasure of seeing you, the greatest pleasure you can do me is keeping that gentleman from me. I must therefore beg of you to let him know, that I am so taken up with my own studies, that I have not an hour to spare to look upon any other man's; and that besides, his work, according to all the accounts I have heard of it, is quite out of my way, who am a declared enemy to all systems and hypotheses in Divinity but what arise immediately from the word of God.

In short, between you and me, I have heard so much of this gentleman's turn, and from the best hands too, that to him we may say, Danda est hellebori multo pars maxima. It is only you then that can serve him; and you, but in your physical capacity.

But I come to a more agreeable subject. I am greatly pleased you will let us have Stonehenge at last*. I think you need not doubt the success of it, if you confine yourself closely to the subject. But you know how dangerous new roads in Theology are, by the clamour of the bigots against me. I take it for granted (by the weather I view from my study window) you have laid aside the thoughts of your Grantham journey. Otherwise, had the weather permitted, I should have gone near to have met you. However, I hope you will be so kind, when you next go to your Living in that quarter, you will remember there is such a place as Broughton.

Some time ago I sent Weaver (who told me he was to come and see you this Christmas) my Vindication of Mr. Pope for you; but do not find by your letter you have received it. The Infidels and Libertines prided themselves in thinking Mr. Pope of their party. I thought it of use to Religion to shew so noble a Genius was not; and I can have the plea

* Dr. Stukeley soon after published "Stonehenge, a Temple referred to the British Drnids;" of which a copious Abstract was given in "The History of the Works of the Learned" for May 1740.

sure

sure of telling you (and have Mr. Pope's own authority for it) that he is not.

The compliments of the season in my heartiest wishes attend you and your family.

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

LETTER XXXII.

Dec. 20, 1744.

To the Rev. Dr. STUKELEY. DEAR SIR, I had the pleasure of yours of the 10th instant, the night I got to Broughton after a long absence from home. I take your complaint as a compliment, where you tell me your friendships were always made on good foundations; for I will not do myself so much injury as not to claim the right of being one of those good foundations on which you erected your friendship with me. I was never forgetful, nor shall be, of the regard you shew me: and if I have not been so happy to see you so often of late as I could have wished, I hope you will be so candid to impute it to the true cause, a great variety of very troublesome and ungrateful business, et aliena nego

tia centum.

I have taken the liberty (the very first opportunity that offered) of sending you my last pamphlet. I desire my best respects to Mrs. Stukeley and the young ladies; and am, dear Sir, your very affectionate humble servant, W. WARBURTON.

LETTER XXXIII.

Saturday morning, 10 March, 1759. Dr. Warburton's compliments to Dr. Stukeley. He will wait on him to-morrow morning, at the time appointed; but some business has happened,

that

that I must needs be at home by two o'clock, so cannot have the pleasure of dining with him.

***“ 1760. When my Friend Warburton was made a Bishop, there were two Expectants of his Deanery of Bristol: Mr. Tucker*, of Bristol, had done many things in regard to Trade, for which he was caressed by the people of Bristol. Dr. Squire was the other, who got the Deanery.-Warburton said, "One of them made Trade his Religion; the other, Religion his Trade." W. STUKELEY."

LETTER XXXIV.

For the Rev. Dr. STUKELEY.

MY DEAR FRIEND, Prior Park, 10 Oct. 1762: I have your favour of the 8th instant. With regard to the young gentleman you mention, I shall always honour your recommendation with my best attention. But, you know, before I can have any pretence to lay hands upon him, he must have a title to a cure in my diocese: and this must be given and accepted bond fide; and the time between his being ordained Deacon and Priest (before which last ordination, you know, he can receive no benefice) will be sufficient to discharge this engagement: so that, if he can procure a title in my diocese between this and the next public ordination, when I come to town, and, on examination, he will justify my acceptance of him, I will give him Letters Dimissory to some friend who ordains at that season.

I thank you for the curiosity you was so kind to inclose to me; and am, dear Sir, your very affectionate and faithful humble servant, W. GLOUCEster.

P.S. Lord Chancellor, who has been on a visit with us for a fortnight or three weeks, has just left us. He spoke of you with great kindness, and be

* Dr. Josiah Tucker, afterwards Dean of Gloucester.

† Sir Robert Henley, Lord Keeper in 1757, was created Lord Henley in 1760. He was appointed Lord Chancellor in 1761; and created Earl of Northington in 1764.

lieves that the regimen you prescribed to him for his gout would have very good effects, would the business of his station afford him time to pursue it.

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For the Rev. Dr. STUKELEY.

MY DEAR FRIEND, Prior Park, 6 Aug. 1763. I have the pleasure of your very obliging letter of the third.

As you are so good to give me your opinion concerning my hand, I will take the liberty to mention the case to you. After I had recovered of my broken arm, I found my hand in the condition of their's who have had the West Indian colic, or have been concerned in white-lead works; fallen downwards, without any strength in the wrist, or use in the fingers. Whether it was occasioned by disuse, by the straitness of the bandage, or any injury to the nerve, I do not know. The usual method of fomentations were applied to, with little or no effect. At length I had recourse to the pump. I have used it daily for three months, and have this very day left it off. The present condition of my hand is this: I have recovered the use of my wrist, though it be still weak: I have a stiffness in the joints of my fingers, and the tone of the joints of the knuckles is not yet restored, and I have a numbness in my thumb and fore-finger. I have for some time, after pumping, had my hand rubbed with an oil extracted, by boiling, out of sheep's bones. This is the condition in which things stand at present; and if, on this representation, you shall judge the oils you speak of may be of service to me, I must beg the favour of you to order a bottle to be sent to Mr. Andrew Millar, bookseller in the Strand, who has orders to pay the bringer for it.

I am glad you are again obliging the publick. Your account of the subjects promises me much pleasure and instruction.

The

The Wood yon speak of has been dead, I think, about ten years. He was a great fool, and not less a knave, to my knowledge. He wrote a most ridiculous book of Architecture. But this book on Stonehenge*, which you mention, I never saw, nor heard of; indeed, I had little curiosity to enquire after any thing on that subject since I was in pos session of yours, whose discovery of the original and use of that famous remain of early Antiquity, will, I predict, be esteemed by posterity as certain, and continue as uncontroverted, as Harvey's Discovery of the Circulation.

You see by this long letter the reason I have to be thankful that I, whose life is one warfare upon earth (I mean against Infidelity and Fanaticism), have escaped with my Sword Arm; which, however, is not less devoted to the service of my Friends than of my Religion. I am, dear Sir, with the warmest affection, your most faithful brother, and obedient servant, W. GLOUCEster.

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To the Rev. Dr. STUKELEY.

MY DEAR SIR, Prior Park, 13 Aug. 1763. I have your obliging letter of the 11th, and have many thanks to return for your obliging present of the oils, and more obliging prescription, both of which I shall use as soon as I return from Weymouth, whither I am going for a few days.

* The work intituled "Choir gaure, vulgarly called Stonehenge, on Salisbury Plain, described, restored, and explained; in a Letter to the Right Hon. Edward Earl of Oxford, and Earl Mortimer. Oxford, 1747," Svo. Wood was of opinion that it was a temple of the Moon, erected by the Druids about 100 years before Christ, and similar to that at Stanton Dru in Somersetshire. When Lord Oxford was at Bath, 1740, Wood having hinted to him his opinion of this last pile of stones, was ordered to take a correct plan of it, for his Book of Drawings of the like British Antiquities. His Dissertations on the British works at Bath and Stanton Dru were incorporated into his description of Bath.

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