Jany. 17 18. 1768

The thing that I greatly feared is come upon me; a Trimmation administred in yr. No. 6 for not enjoying that happiness which I am sure I feell in communicating Sympathy to all my fellow Creatures but more especially to any few some perticular ones that know what it means; I flatter myself you have not set me down totally inexcusable; I think I can account for my Conduct from such Principles as only would have given merit to an Adress.

I'm oblig'd to write now to improve a Conveyance to morrow, tho my Head aches too bad for such business. Take a plain Detail of Simple Facts; I saw the Fire exceeding plain at my home took it for a Northern Light; spent 1/2 an hour in Considering how such a Pheenomenon could be in a cloudy night, heard nor thought any more of it. Next Week went to Barnstable. next week to Plymouth & by Mr. Adams heard of the Catastrophe with no great external Emotions, but deep inward Ruminations wch. threw me into sober Meloncholly, attending rather to the Consequences than the Facts, & not having seen the House nor heard any description of it nor seen the owner for a long time, I was not so much moved by Passion as by Reasoning on innumerable Conjectures & felt more disposed for a personal Interview than a pathetic address. Nevertheless I was instantly determind to write on the occasion, and to have sent by Mr. Adams, but it is a most sober Truth I could not get time to write any thing till we parted. You readily concieve that the Occasion required a Collection of Consolatory Sentiments drawn from the best principles digested & refin'd, barely to tell them I was sorry & condoled & all that would not commonplace Civility would not satisfy me, nor can they doubt the Truth of that, but to present that offering which my Heart suggested & their merit demands was not in my power, nor has been since in my power, & so because I could not do what I would I did nothing; (all of peice) however I determind to write from Taunton but was obliged to go a Journey immediately & have been incessantly taken up ever since, three Weeks at Worcester Lancaster & the Regions there419about two of which detain'd by the sickness of poor Pomposity,1 came home, a thousand things to do & think of 2; I must therefore beg the Excuses of your suffering freinds, refferring them to what little they can recollect of me and console my self with the Consciousness of that sympathy which has made me unsociable and the Benificence which stands Ready to assist them; I cannot even now write as I would do, but must trust to you to argue on my Odditys; I expect to be at Boston the begginning of February.

Remember me to Mr. Cranch & spouse & all Freinds & let my suffering Freinds know that if I had felt less on their account, I might have expressed more. 'Tis easier to say something suitable to occasion as polite Civility Phrases it than to express the feelings of Discomposure.

My time is spent & I must Conclude yr. affectionate Freind

JOSEPH MOYDORE3 No. 6

Freinds at Lancaster & Worcester salute you.

RC ; addressed: "To Miss Eunice Paine at Boston. To be left at Mr. Cranch's Watch Maker near the Mill Bridge?

1.

On Pomposity, the horse, see RTP to Eunice Paine, Feb. 25, 1767.

2.

An illegible line of cancelled matter.

3.

A moydore was a gold coin in use in England during the early 18th century (OED).

February 1st. 1768 Dear Sr.,

I sit me down to hold half an hours conversation with you hoping when I get to Boston (if I dont meet you there) I may find Some freindly traveller by whose assistance the Remembrance of you me may once more be revived in yr. mind. When I talk of Conversation I mean of the Communicative sort, Such as is Compatible to our bodily Organs for of the Intellectual & Imaginary kind those pure Efforts of Struggling Spirit I have had many since I left you, who can Say but our Souls while Nature Sunk in Slumbers have Soar'd into the Air & held mutual Gambols at some place of Rendez-vouz as the good Mothers run a gadding when they have tuck'd their Children to sleep. The pleasures we recieve in this Case are of too refined a Nature to be Retain'd or even Comunicated to the Body hence it is we often wake with wandering Sensations of pleasures but what or where or how we cant conceive 420recollect much less express. In this manner I have conversed often with you & Suspect Ive been Several times to Worcester tell me honestly have I made my Appearance there?

Had we met soon after my return home you would have naturally askd me how I sped on my Journey, why Ill tell you I worked exceeding hard to get home by Mondy Noon with great difficulty got to Coll. Leonard Saturday near 8 o'Clock having walk'd my horse all the way & walked on foot near half the way my self, my horse Could do nothing but walk & that but slowly, but is now well recovered & thanks you Kindly for yr. Care of him. I return'd from Worcester with my head brim full of Speculation & during my Solitary Walk home had pritchd on many Subjects of Enquiry, but the Cares of this World & the Importunitys thereof very soon routed my contemplation & forced me into the feilds of you know what Rubbish & Confusion, however I have considered over Propertious's1 inequality of Mankind with curious Entertainments from his many whimsical inconsistencys, he puts ranks our species by in their Nature below the very Brutes even the most Savage of them, he don't allow us to be a gregarious animal which consideration alone would solve many of his Supposed difficultys and weaken a great part of his Argument. However there is a brilliancy that pleases & much matter that instructs & at least it setts the mind to work; When I read the peice I intended to have wrote some Sentiments that Occured but I have not time now to review it; the Subject he has undertaken is of the most Curious kind & I dare say has often engaged the Enquiry of the Philosophic & affected the Passions of the Benevolent Modest for the modest too for us to think; I purpose herewith to send you the Tour thro' G Britain2 the perusal of which I think will entertain you, 'tis necessary to have a Map in Company with the description, I made use of Salmon, in his Gazeteer Geography.3

I hope these Lines will find you & all yr. family in health & happiness in a very perticular manner yr. Dear Lady I should have said yr. Spouse yr. Wife that most honble. & endearing of all Tittles to her Remembrance in consort with you I you present my most sincere Respects, upon my Word I'm at a loss what to say on this interesting Occasion, had I tarried with you a day or two & play'd off a round of External & barter'd never so hastyly in formalitys; with my small learning in formalitys punctilios I could have cook'd up something tasty to be Said on the Occasion but when I recollect the warm Reception the growing Notice as I421every day the easy kindness, & reluctant Parting wch. I experienced from you my heart Gladdens and my Soul oerflows and I would feign Communicate to you that pleasure I feell from Gratitude Sympathy & the recollection of Social Kindness Benevolence tho' I would not disgust the delicacy of that Goodness wch. is Sufficiently happy in its own Exertions; Thirteen Years since I first assigned a place for you in my heart, unmolested & triumphant you have reign'd there in concert with other Souls blood kin, & my chief Solace on Earth; among wch. are found Souls that Germinate & quote for Sprout forth other Souls of like fibre & Sap to Supply the places of the old Stalks and keap up the Continual Claims of heaven to Earth, with prodigious pleasure do I consider yr. Olive Branches & when I speak of yr. Family they are full in my Remembrance.

May every Blessing wch. a cultivatd Spirit hankers for & which a goodness of Soul prepares one to enjoy be the happy portion of you all & while Life glimmers round us with his Wasting Taper let us enjoy all those pleasures which afford us the Most pleasure in recollection.

Ever since I first knew Worcester I have always heard it named with peculiar pleasure & desire, & with perticular Satisfaction I recollect the many Civilitys I recieved there on my last Visit, there are many of whom I would take a respectable notice & if the avocation of Life should hinder you'll kindly make known my Remembrance to them, I'm determind if I can to write to my Brother Gardiner,4

Dft .; addressed: "James Putnam Esq."

1.

Possibly Sextus Aurelius Propertius (fl. 30–15 B.C.), the Roman poet. An edition of his works was issued in 1608 by the French poet Jean Passerat (1534–1602) under the name Passeratius (NUC).

2.

Daniel Defoe, A tour thro' the whole island of Great Britain, which was first printed in London, 1724–1727 (NUC).

3.

Thomas Salmon (1679–1767), A new geographical and historical grammar (London, 1749). He wrote various works on geography many of which were in RTP's library.

4.

Presumably Gardiner Chandler (1723–1782). On this particular form of address, see Adams, Diary, 1:2.