Confusion City May 6, 1755 1 Sr. Laureat,

I recd. yr. hierogliphical Epistles, & unravell'd it not because my Knack is so penetrating, but the Mistery So superficial; but I am not Sensible that to be vers'd in Hierogliphicks is Necessary for any but An Egyptian Divine: unless Metaphorically applied to a Christian it may teach him to explore the hidden Wickedness of modern Sinners, however disguis'd with crooked florishes or any external Ornaments. I am surpriz'd you shoud desire me to Communicate to you Any thing from266the dark & cloudy Gulph of Witchcraft. I thought yr. Persuits for Knowledge were of a nobler Nature to consult Magic & never guess'd you had the least Pretensions to the black Art however in the Charecter of a Lay-Man you must expect no Intelligence from else where; Nor Am I less Surpriz'd that you should apply to me for the definition of a Science, wch. by yr. Application one would have thought you the Master off, for you say you want the Mistical Meaning of the Song of Songs, & a Mistery it is that the Sons of Science, the Souls of Reason, yea the very reputed for Wisdom, should be Enslaved, & confind to the enervating, Unmanning & Reason confounding Study of either the practice or even the Theory of Love, but if I in any shape meet with Any thing worthy yr. perusal I shall present it as I do this as a pledge of the Unaffected Respects & Friendship of yr. Willing Serv.,

R:T: P

Investiganti Appollonis non nomen, Sed Applicanti.2

Dft ; endorsed in RTP's hand: "Hieroglyphick Letter from & to S.Q." Samuel Quincy's letter of the same year precedes this draft of RTP's decipher, key, and reply.

1.

RTP notes in his diary on this day that he wrote to "S:Q:." In the evening of that day he went from Lancaster to Groton.

2.

To him not investigating the name of Apollo but applying it.