April–May? 1753?

As I was musing the Other Night, by my Fire side, & preparing my Body to take that Refreshment which Nature calld aloud for, My Thoughts from thence took Occasion to consider the great difference between our souls & our Bodies, & to ruminate on the hidden Mistery of their Union.1How is it thought I, that so active a Spirit as I find my self posses'd off, should inhabit & be so closely United to a lifeless Lump of Clay. But while I mus'd, My Body doz'd Unable any longer to assist my Mind in its Contemplations left it a Captive to the wild flights of Fancy. My Spirit unincumber'd with my Clayey Tabernacle soon trans-186ported me thro' the Deserts of this lower World, being determin'd if possible by indifatigable searches to explicate that Mistery wch. had so lately ingag'd its attention. In this Rapidity I was hurried over hills & dales, thro' Woods & dismal Swamps till at last I came to a stupenduous Montain, whose vast height was perpetually covered with Ice & Snow. Down its steep sides hung Rocks immensely cragged, upon whose rough Backs the purling Stream was condens'd to solid Cristall. The appearance of such an Obstacle surpriz'd me much, for tho' I had left my Body at rest behind, yet our Fancys frequently represent us incumbred with the difficultys of its Weight. Here then, I stopt with Amazment considering on the insuperable Task before me, but while I was pondering on the easiest way of Ascent, my Ears were saluted with loud acclamations of Joy, & repeated Shouts. Encouraged by this, without more thought I immediately siez'd the craggy Cliffs & fir'd with Intrepedity I climb'd the seemingly unpassable Ledges. The Ice & Snow almost Oerwhelm'd me & I frequently lost my hold & came tumbling Amain; down the dire Cataracts of this horrid place. Almost discorag'd, I had near fainted in my Undertaking but as soon as the Noise of falling Rocks & cakes of Ice and Snow, wch. Echoed from an hundred direful Caverns, had ceas'd their horrid Din, Again the Voice of Gladness, saluted my Ear (which at a distance sounded like some joyfull Acclamations bestow'd on a Heroe in Triumph, for we can only compare our Joy to mortall things). Thus Animated with fresh Vigour & fired with intrepidity inexpressible; I rush'd on, insensible of what hapned till I reach'd the Top of the Mountain. There I beheld some few Scattering Trees oercome with horrid Frost & bowing their hoary heads in reverence to the fleecy snow. I immediately Stretchd myself up & at a distance beheld the Scene of Joy & the Glimring Light was of Service to guide me down the dreadfull Precipice of the mountain. As I approacd still nearer the Joy Encreas'd & fill'd my Soul with Impatience till I arrived near the happy Mansions of peace. Here I stop't to hesitate & sensible I had no commission to pertake such extatic happiness I dar'd approach no nearer, nor had approach'd, but that one from within the Palace beckned to me & with a freindly aspect bid me draw near. I speedily approach'd & at the first View was swallow'd up in Joy. I found my Self arrived at that delightsome place where happy Spirits by various forms, & Angels sometimes put on human Bodies, I percieved that an Experiment of the like Nature was the cause of the Present Transport, & full my View I beheld the object fair as the Moon, bright as the Sun, & comely187as the rising Morn. His Silver Locks adorn'd his beauteous Temples, his Ruddy Cheeks sent forth a fragrance, his countenance was all Chearful yet compos'd & the Viguour of his Eyes declar'd the Soul within. His Neck represented some stately Tower; his Shoulders well set & proportion'd, his Body of a most comely Mold, his Thighs, not brawney & rough as though inur'd to hard ship, but fleshy, well set & of beauteous Shape. His Legs were Nimble & Active, but as his Body was form'd for the tender Endearments of Beauty & not for rugged activity so they were similar to the whole. I could but admire the lovely Form which the Active spirit had taken possession off. It appeared like its inhabitant tainted with no Stain, nor Scar'd with any deformity. Thought I, how happy must these Spirits be who can Inhabit a Body free from mortal Corruptions. I bewaild my own Condition to wm. was alloted a troblesome Fabrick. But while I was intranced in pleasure, veiwing the various feats of Activity & Pastime wth. wch. these Refind spirits divert themselves, Lo! one, who percieving my horrid Form & knowing me not so much as a Candidate for such refind Pastime, speedily shot too the Casement, & hid from my Eyes, what had so long held them fixt & attentive. I can't express the swoon of my Spirits, nor the despair I fell into. In short the shock was too great for even Fancy to sustain. So my Soul meeting such a repulse abroad return'd to bless its own proper charge.

Dft ; addressed: "To Miss M. M. on the following in shorthand: dressing in men's clothes."

1.

The woman to whom RTP addressed this literary exercise was not further identified.

Boston April 10. 1753

I think it a pity that any Freindship that has begun regularly & proceeded gradually & rationally should come to Nothing & be Extinct barely by dint of seperation of the Parties, & it is purely to preserve our most rational Freindship firm on its Settled Foundations & rescue it from the Jaws of devouring Time, that I now put pen to Paper. Surely whatever is good, should never be neglected, but forever had in Esteem be the Subject that possess it what it will, & altho' in some Circumstances it May not be inconsistant to Regard the Subject for the sake of its inherent qualitys, yet we will not proceed that Length, but Admire Virtue for Vir-188tue's sake without any Regard to the Honour its Votaries may cast upon it. Upon this foundation our Freindship must stand secure, unless we loose the Relish for Virtue our Selves or find it deficient in the Other Party. If either of these should be the Case, Our Freindship must them Submit to Ruins of Destruction & so must the Happiness of the deficient party. But that neither of these Circumstances May in any degree happen, May the Guardians of Virtue & Freindship Make it their peculiar Charge. I could wish we were equally qualified to preserve the Noble Caracter, wch. I am Satisfy'd would advance me to a greater claim to the fruits of it. Whoever sets out in persuit of Virtue with a soul unspotted with Repeated Guilt, Undefild with loose Passions & Enjoying some portion of primitive Innocence, has Certainly the Advantage of him, who besides the Crafty Snare Subtil & delusive Temptations from without has a most Unruly soul within. Passions, fickle as the Wind and headstrong as the Ocean, An Enemy within the Gates who torments the Inhabitants & too often brings them under Subjection. But our Severest Temptation cant Excuse & but barely Extenuate our Faults. Some live a life of Triumph & continually reap the fruits of a happy Victory whilst others are continually obliged to mentain the Feild of Battle.

Thus I have shown what must be the true ground of a lasting Freindship as I doubt not it was the chief Motive of Our Freindship (for there are even some that Admire Virtue in Speculation but hate it in the practice) so I hope it will remain Unmoved tho' the wide Atlantic should Seperate us or tho' you retire to yr. Rural Amusements & heighten yr. delicate Sentiments with Contemplations on Creating Goodness and Wisdom Wonderfully display'd in the various works of Nature. There you may Enjoy Your Thoughts uninterupted with the Clatter & Racket of Trucks & Coaches, yelling of Boys & Ruffians & the impertinent diversion of a City those Enemys to Sublime Meditation.

The Calm Voice of silent Nature will inspire you with innate goodness Expand yr. Soul with Gratitude & cause you to breathe forth the sincerest Devotions. The Singing of the Birds, the Lowing of the Herds, the distant din of croaking Frogs, all of them will conspire to erase the noise & hubbub of Boston from yr. Mind & lead you by degrees to the fountain of happiness, whilst I, condemn'd by my foolish Self, a Slave to Neptune, must Submit to the hardships of fatigue to be expos'd to the Temptations of the worst of Lives, but still there is nothing in this World but affords matter for glorious Meditation, no flower without some honey, &189no place without the proof of a God. The Wide Ocean abundantly declares his Power, fierce Storms his Anger, & Serene Weather his Universall Benignity. Happy the Soul that can retire from the World & calmly reflect on a life well Spent & on a Natural Innocency of Disposition. But altho Innocence be a good & an Amiable Charecter yet it is not a Compleat one. At best 'tis but to be free from Vice but surely 'tis the Next Step to Virtue, but if we rest there ten Thousand to one if we mentain it long, for it in some sence lays us Open to the Deception of Mankind. He that is conscious of no Vice in himself suspects it in nobody else & by that mean is expos'd to that great Enemy calld Credulity, wch. in as much as it is a female Weekness, I have taken Occasion to mention, that so you may be guarded Against those Advantages wch. the crafty & designing May Make of yr. Innocence. Be harmless as a Dove, yr. compliance with this precept can scarce be calld a Virtue for 'tis the Gift of yr. Nature. But then be wise & cautious a Serpent, O My Freind be like the Tyger bereft of her Whelps when Vice comes Cloathed in Eloquence or rather (forgive the Metaphor) like the faithfull Mastiff that cautious of some ill design growls at him that offers a Crust but treats with civility those that come boldly. The World is so decitfull that we can scarcely be too cautious. It was the Rule of a Great Philosopher in England, to think all Men Rogues till he found them otherwise, wch. I believe is good in a qualify'd sence. But whither am I Stray'd. This my oblation to Freindship is Swell'd beyond size wch. if I should pretend to make it equall to my regards would take me my Life. But we must part! Alass it were scarce Worth while to begin Freindship if this World were only the Scene of it, but there are the Elisian Feilds where nothing that defiles enters. Our Freindship imperfectly began here Shall there have a glorious Completion. There'll be no difference of Sexes to divert of Thoughts. But our Souls freed from the passions of a Body exalted with improv'd facultys will Join in one Eternall Hallelujah.

Dft ; addressed: "To Miss M. M. on Freindship."