Westboro' July 19th. 1750 Dear Sr.,

Since I saw you I receiv'd yours1which you won't wonder was very gratefull to me when I tel you, that every Thing that comes furnished with your Name in its Rear, Can't miss of a grateful Acceptance. But I would Thank you for it & so Dismiss it, and proceed to the business in hand viz.

First to See if you will according to proposal take a ride with me into Connecticutt this Septembr. which is at hand. Now you may be induced to it from two Motives. (1) Love to your Self. (2) Love to your Friend. Self Love will be an Incentive in that such a ride may probably be for the preservation of Life & emolument of your Health as also an inlargement of Knowledge and reciprocal Edification of the Historical part of your Scientific Edifice. Wc. brings me to say 2dly. you may be induced to it from Love to your Friend, in as much as I Shall participate in the same advantages for edification with the adjunction of your instructive & beneficiall Conversation. Wherefore I Shall dismiss this first article with only Desiring you to Consider well what has been Said and order your business accordingly.

(Thus far (I hope) innocent mirth).

122

But now, my Friend! let Me propose some thing more Serious and that is that you would write to me upon those Topicks which you told me you had Thoughts of doing: viz. Some things wc. occurred to your mind in Divinity by way of Objection or wc. were Dark and puzzling: not that I would intimate by this request that I am certainly able to Solve 'em or in any measure to teach you; but merely that I am a Searcher after truth, and would be glad to Know all argument pro & con in all parts of Theology. But I dismiss this particular also with a friendly Caution to be impartial in your Contemplation on those points, and proceed to the melancholy news of Thurston's Death 2 No doubt you had heard of it before, however I think it Deserves a second thought. Oh! how painful the Consternation how ineffable the grief when the mournful sound Thurston is Dead first Saluted my Ears. & even now the Idea can't be Erased from our minds if we Consider what particular relation he stood in to us as Class-Mates, and as of the Same Phoen philenici but in espical Manner as we are Embarqued in the Same Christian Cause. If we Consider farther that God has in his Righteous but aufull providence by the much lamented Death aforesd. removed from the world not a New but a Noble Light, from this Land one of her Youthfull but Spritly Ornaments, from Harvard a Dutiful Son from the Church a promising Teacher, and from us a Jonathan a Friend a peculiar Friend, well may each of us say Alas! Alas! my Brother. But the Subject is too Mournful, too Tender. May Almighty God grant that we may each of us so Consider that Already two of our Small Number are Dead 3 being in their full Strenght whilst their Breasts were full of milk and their Bones moisoned with marrow, as that we may be ready when ever that aufull moment shall approach when the King of Terrors Shall Seize us, and be able to rejoyce (as our Friend did) and say for us to live is Christ but for us to Die is gain. Unspeakable gain.

I am not in a very good State of Health, but would be Thankfull to Heaven for what I enjoy.

Please to Send a Line the first Opportunity, and give Love and respect where due. I Should be glad to See you but am uncertain when I shall have an opportunity at Boston. But this I am Certain of that I am your most heaty Friend and Sert.,

SAMLL. HAVEN

N.B. Please to convey the Enclosed.4

RC ; addressed: “To Mr: Robert-Treat Paine In Boston to be left at Mr. Brackets in School-House lane"; endorsed.

123 1.

Not located.

2.

Abijah Thurston died at Wrentham on July 8, 1750.

3.

William Whipple (1730–1750), the class orator, had died at his home in New port, R.I., on June 23, 1750.

4.

The enclosure has not been located.

Sudbry Augu.: 10th; 1750 Dear Class-mate,

I Received yours, of the 6th. Instant,1with inexpressible Joy and Satisfaction, and must just tell you that I was very much Concerned about your Journey, after you Left Sudbury,2 but am exceeding Glad to hear of your Safe arrival at BOSTON.

I heartily thank you, Sir, for your Letter which you wrote to me, and think myself Bound with the Strongest Bonds of Gratitude to write to you, which I Should have done before if my opportunity had been equal! to my desire.

I Sent your Letter to our good old Friend Samuel; quickly after your departure from Sudbury, and would just acquaint you that Haven Sometime since promised the Revd. Mr. Swift3 of Acton to Give him a Days Preaching and Mr. Swift wrote to Haven Desiring him to Come up and Preach for him the 19th. Instant, which Invitation I believe will be accepted of, and it is probable I shall Have the Curiosity to Ride over to Acton and hear his performance & if I do you may depend upon my writing to you thereof.

I am at present in as poor a State of health as ever and am about to Take a Small Tour for my Health, but am not determined which way Certain, whether up to New-Haven Commencement or to Hallifax, but I Shall write to you again before I Set out. We are all in Comfortable Circumstances and my Parents present their service to your Self. Thus Sir! I have nothing more at this Time to inform you off; but what Remains is to beg Leave to Subscribe my Self your most obliged, obedient, Faithful & humble Servant and Loving tho' Unworthy Classmate,

GIDEON RICHARDSON

P.S. Please to give my humble Service to all enquiring Friends.

RC ; addressed: "To Mr; Robert Treat Paine Living att Boston. This QDC To be left at Brackets Tavern, School House Lane, Boston"; endorsed.

124 1.

Not located.

2.

RTP notes in his diary for July 1750:"27 AM fair PM rain'd very hard But clear'd up: I went to Sudbury to see my Class-mate Richardson. 28 Raind Exceeding hard all day and Thundered and Lightned. I went to Revd. Mr [Israel] Lorings Meeting [at Sudbury] and heard Revd Mr Cook [Rev. William Cooke of East Sudbury] preach. 29 Raind hard I sett out for Boston. . ."

3.

John Swift (1714–1775) was the first minister of Acton (Sibley's Harvard Graduates, 9:333–336).