Westboro'August. 21. 1750 Dear Sr.,

Since I saw you I recev'd yours from Sudbury1 which tho' I had seen you so lately, yet gave me much pleasure in the perusal. I hope to be favour'd with the same Delectation when the Bearer of this returns Home. I have Since you told me that you Determind to go into Some New Relation of Life, revolvd the affair much in my own mind, (for I Enterest my Self much in your prosperity & am happy in some proportion as you are) and I can find no better Course for you to take (omnibus Considerandis, Consideratis2) than either an introduction into the T—ric office at N-w J—sy,3 or else into Some private School, I mean in some Gentlemans Family, in order there to furnish your Self by the large Opportunities you will there have to study, for the Sarvice of the Sanctuary—qui est Labor quamvis vere Difficile tam O! quam Decus!4

I will give One Reason why I as a Friend must Advise to one or the other of these. viz. Because I shall think your Learning much too great (without any Complement) to be Obscured & even Buried in a private Life. But perhaps another reason will prevail more with You viz: I can't but imagine that your Native Studious Disposition of mind will much interrupt your Making a head in the world in any Other Buiseness than what providence seems to have Designed and furnishd you for, however I Submitt it, only Desiring you to do that wc. I trust you will do, viz. Study wt. is most Apparently your Duty, in this Affair indeed most important.

I have not as yet been to Wrentham but expect to go Shortly, after wc. I will immediately write you a Line.

If you have or Shall before I see you again Determine the aforesd. affair please to let me know it.

No doubt Sr. you Remember that I spoke to you of one Mr. Scot5 that you was reading. I Desire to know whether he is a modern author & what is said of him in the Title Page.

125

I am not in a very good State of Health, but Desire to be thankfull for Such Measures as I Enjoy.

Dont forget When you write to tel me how you do, as to your Bodily State. If Mr. Freeman is not gone to Hallifax6 please to give my Service to him without fail. I am Semper eadam 7, your most humble Sert.,

SAMLL. HAVEN

N.B. I am asham'd to send it is wrote so poorly. I want you to make me a good pen. Please to Deliver the enclosed.8

RC ; addressed: "To Mr: Robert-Treat Paine. A.B. at Boston. To be left at Mr. Brackets in School-house-lane"; endorsed.

1.

Not located.

2.

When all that should be considered has been considered.

3.

Probably the position of tutor at the College of New Jersey (now Princeton University), founded in 1746. The tutorship then open went to Samuel Sherwood (1729/30–1783) of the Yale Class of 1749 and a nephew of the new college's president, Rev. Aaron Burr (1715/6–1757) (General Catalogue of Princeton University, 1746–1906 [Princeton, 1906], 48). RTP makes no mention of this opening in his other correspondence or diary, but does note in his diary entry for Oct. 14: "heard Revd. Mr. Burr Minister at Newark and the President of New Jersey College and preach all day" [in Cambridge].

4.

Which is a labor however truly difficult yet, o, how splendid.

5.

Perhaps Rev. John Scott (1638–1694). Four volumes of his Christian Life were in RTP's library in 1768. That work first appeared in London in 1681, and by 1747 had reached an eleventh edition in five volumes.

6.

James Freeman left Boston, Sept. 14. See Freeman to RTP, Dec. 9, 1750.

7.

Always the same.

8.

Enclosure not located.

Sudbury Octr; 14; 1750 Sir,

Sir, After my Love to you, these may Serve to prove to you; that Altho, I could not wait on you when I was at Boston, Some time ago, yet I have you Constant in Mind; I Understand Sir By Mrs. Baldwin that you Purpose to go for England this Autumn.1I Should be exceedingly Obliged to you Sir if you would let me have the Pleasure of Receiving a Letter from you, that I may know what Time you Purpose to Set Sail, with what Captain and all other Circumstances if not inconsistant with your Intrest. I Saw John Wiswall at Sudbury Last Week and he tels me that he is Engaged in Billerica School. Our Friend Tisdale was well about a month126Since, when I was at Lebanon, and Desires to be Remembred to All his Class-mates.2And our Honest Samll. Is Still Smiting at Upton. I Shall be glad to Wait on you at Sudbury before youre Departure from these Parts if your Business will admit of it. This Sir is from him who Subscribes your Loving tho Unworthy Class-Mate,

GIDEON RICHARDSON

RC ; addressed: "For Mr; Robert Treat Paine In Boston This QDC"; endorsed.

1.

There is no hint in RTP's diary of such a plan.

2.

Friends and classmates of RTP, John Wiswall (1731–1812) later became minister of St. Paul's Church in Falmouth, Maine, and Nathan Tisdale (1732–1787) became famous as a schoolmaster in Lebanon, Conn. (Sibley's Harvard Graduates, 12:519–535, 490–492).