*

deration: St. Paul's, commands your reverence and obedience.- If you have not Mr. ADDINGTON's Treatife on afflictions, Mrs. ** will fend it you, in lieu of the book, which her good mother intended for you; in which you will find many useful things, that may be ferviceable to yourself, and to your fick friends, whom you may vifit.

I am but indifferent, and am often unfit for bufinefs or company, and my mental powers daily grow weaker. When I am difpofed to be impatient, I think of two of my acquaintance, who are ground down with the ftone, and labour after greater patience and thankfulness. But every difagreeable object appears formidable and dreadful to me, especially, the near approach of death.

$ 4

Printed for BUCKLAND, in Pater-nofter

Row, price three hillings.

death. I much need, value, and defire

the prayers of my friends.

Your's fincerely,

JOB ORTON.

P. S. On Tuesday laft was my birth-day, when I compleated my fixty-first year. On that day thirteen years I preached my last fermon at Shrewsbury, and have not been in a pulpit

*

From Eccles. vii. 2. on the cover of which he made this memorandum: "This was the laft fermon I preached to my congregation at Shrewsbury." And which he concludes with the following anecdote. "The celebrated GROTIUS, one of the most learned men the world ever knew, was, in his last illness, attended by a friend, who defired him, in his great wif dom and learning, to give him a fhort direction how to lead his life to the beft advantage. To whom he only faid, Ee ferious. This is my parting advice to you, as what comprehends every thing I have faid, BE SERIOUS."

F

pulpit fince; yet, I hope, I have been of fome little ufe and fignificancy in life by my correfpondence and publications.

LETTER

LETTER XXVII.

DEAR SIR,

January, 1779.

BEING confined to-day by great rain, I know not how to employ my time better than in writing a letter to you; though whether I fhall be able to finish it to-day in time for the post I know not however, I will do fomething towards it.

I am always glad to receive chitchat letters, as they seem to

come

from the heart. Mr. POPE is I think right, who fomewhere fays, "The letters of friends are not worse for being fit for none elfe to read. The effufion of a moment ought to be the characteristick of all familiar writing. It is a strange recommendation, but a In this view, I had rather

true one."

write twenty letters to a friend with whom I can be free, than one to a perfon every way as good and valuable, and with whom I can be equally free, who is at the fame time formal and accurate himself, and expects the letters of his correspondents to be so too. I do not love to write letters where compliments and apologies are neceffary. Every thing that comes directly from the heart, and seems like conversation, is moft agreeable to me. And indeed what is writing letters, but a kind of conversation, and therefore ought to be easy, free, and unreserved. Perhaps I am selfish in this fentiment, as I can feldom write more than a few lines at a time without being tired and in pain, and forced to lie down upon my couch; fo that method and order must be neglected by me: but these I think fhould be eafily excused in letters, especially where the writer's heart and his esteem for his correfpon

dent