indolent fhopkeeper here, whom I call fo as I find him, on his going off to London, and now on his return; for by him I fent for fome books, and at the end of two months after his arrival here heard nothing of his bringing any, though his money lay ready; and now two months more are gone and not a word from him, fo I fuppofe he bought none, or has fold them to another. I have fent my friends the Rules of the Salisbury library.

I thank you, Sir, for your free and kind advice to Mr. Hilhoufe, by his meffenger Mr. Mafon, and have informed the gentlemen of Connecticut of it, to whom (with us) it is very agreeable.

And as to your question, "Why we give rings at funerals, and have plate in our houses, when we have no filver and gold currency among us, as a medium of trade?" I muft firft own, that Bofton has always been too expenfive in funerals, and also in veffels of plate in the house. A-la-mode and luteftring fcarfs were our mourning twenty years ago, and we reformed to rings, which were about half the expence. Our people expect a great deal of labour from their minifters when their families are fick, and have it; and the richer in return gives us a ring, which till death returns again is, it may be, all the vail from them; three or four in a congregation excepted. The gold

the

the meanwhile is only matter of trade and merchandife in the goldsmith's fhop among us, like other goods; and as to the filver, it is bought up by the merchants to make returns to you to pay debts or buy more goods from you; and if one or two hundred thousand pounds in filver or gold were brought in among us to-morrow we owe it to you, and ought to remit it presently, or to make gain of it, or purchase what we need from you, we fend it to you. It is true, Sir, as you fay, "A public felf-denial in these instances would foon mend the matter with us," that is, in half a century it would do it, for fo long the want of it has been bringing us into these circumftances, and as long there have not been wanting public and private warnings of the wrong and injurious ftep; but, befide the private fpirit of traffic, wherein every one is apt to look to himself first, we have abundance of ftrangers from you and other places, who look only to themselves and employers, and what will make the easiest and best returns; and buy up the filver and gold, and wanting often to return presently themfelves, will give fix-pence in an ounce more for one, and so in proportion for the other; and our merchants are hereby forced to do the fame, or give up the staple metal into their hands. How to extricate ourselves is difficult, and to preach the felf-denial to the merchant is, alas! too much in vain.

War

War is proclaimed, and our Americans are much fpirited for it, but our poor province leaft defenceless and naked by fea and land, the inftruction from the king to our governor, tying up his hands, and our representatives tying up therefore theirs. If France goes into the war, down will come the Indians, we may fear, on our wide extended borders; there is not a fort in any good repair or furniture, nor a foldier or officer to be paid, and the fame on our coafts. God can protect us, but fure-ly expects we use the means of common prudence, but we have not felf-denial enough to ftoop one to another in an exigence, or to the king for selfpreservation. We need the more of the pity and prayers of our friends; but how can we pray in faith, fave in the pity that is infinite to pardon and heal us, and fave us? When nearest at the throne of grace, bear us on your heart, and him in particular who is under the strictest bands of friendship and gratitude. Sir, your affectionate brother and fervant, BENJ. COLMAN.

P. S. If we hear not from one another as we expect, we must look that veffels and letters will fometimes fall into the hands of enemies.

LETTER

LETTER II.

REV. AND DEAR SIR,

Bofton, May 7, 1739.

YOUR favour of April 4, is before me, and the box, containing Dr. Dodderidge and Dr. Guyfe's Paraphrafes, for me and Mr. Cooper, together with the two fets of Mrs. Rowe's works. We like well the binding, and are greatly obliged to you for the care and trouble you have been at to oblige us as you have done. I thank you for the two separate pictures of Mrs. Rowe. Her foul and face were both pleasant to me. I had in a manner loft the features, which I now perfectly remember. The account of her divine life, and walk with God, rifes beyond my before raised ideas of her her ferenity, retirements, diligence and abundant charities, are all wonderful. The father's character is bright as the offspring's, and very just according to all I faw in the two years of my acquaintance with him. He told me once, that Philomela was not to be compared with her mother. It pleafed me beyond expreffion to hear him talk of his deceased. And fo now does the account of the manner and way whereby Providence began their acquaintance. He told me one forenoon, as I rode out with him, that he had buried a younger fifter of Philomela's, who was brighter

brighter and lovelier than fhe, and wrote as well, in profe and poetry; but both of them together were not equal to their perfect mother. After dinner, being alone with Mrs. Singer, (it was in 1698) I told her what her father had faid to me of her excelling fifter. She was perfectly pleafed at it, and answered, "That as fhe was the youngeft, fo fhe was much the moft gay and cheerful, and pleafing to her father; fhe always faw that he most delighted in her, and that she was indeed a lovely daughter and fifter." The whole converfation that afternoon was upon her. Philomela told me, that this fifter loved her to a great excefs; it was often troublesome to her; fhe would be ever with her, and broke in often upon her retirements for study; and when they retired by confent for compofing, fhe would bring generally more lines written, but as fhe thought too haftily. The younger daughter was wont to invent ways to try the affection of her fifter, and to win it more and more, and would often complain that he returned not an equal love. She gave me feveral inftances of thofe childish ways of endearment, which I well remember; and then the proceeded to give me the account of her death.

"It was (faid fhe, and if I give the words, I will keep exactly to the things fhe faid; and also up to the life and spirit with which fhe gave me the endearing ftory; which I foon after wrote down,

and