P.B.

“Whatever good books the worthy Mr. Peters will be so kind as to recommend to you, and to those under your direction, send for them either to Lincoln, Stamford, or Grantham, and place them to my account:  and may they be the effectual means of confirming you and them in the good way you are in!  I have done as much for all here:  and, I hope, to no bad effect:  for I shall now tell them, by Mrs. Jervis, if there be occasion, that I hope they will not let me be out-done in Bedfordshire, by Mrs. Jewkes in Lincolnshire; but that the servants of both houses may do credit to the best of masters.  Adieu, good woman; as once more I take pleasure to style you.”

* * * * *

Thus, my good lady, have I obeyed you, in transcribing these two letters.  I will now proceed to your ladyship’s twelve articles.  As to the

1.  I will oblige your ladyship, as I have opportunity, in my future letters, with such accounts of my dear lady’s favour and goodness to me, as I think will be acceptable to you, and to the noble ladies you mention.

2.  I am extremely delighted, that your ladyship thinks so well of my dear honest parents:  they are good people, and ever had minds that set them above low and sordid actions:  and God and your good brother has rewarded them most amply in this world, which is more than they ever expected, after a series of unprosperousness in all they undertook.

Your ladyship is pleased to say, that people in upper life love to see how plain nature operates in honest minds, who have hardly any thing else for their guide:  and if I might not be thought to descend too low for your ladyship’s attention (for, as to myself, I shall, I hope, always look back with pleasure to what I was, in order to increase my thankfulness for what I am), I would give you a scene of resignation, and contented poverty, of which otherwise you can hardly have a notion.  I will give it, because it will be a scene of nature, however low, which your ladyship loves, and it shall not tire you by its length.

It was upon occasion of a great loss and disappointment which happened to my dear parents; for though they were never high in life, yet they were not always so low as my honoured lady found them, when she took me.  My poor father came home; and as the loss was of such a nature, as that he could not keep it from my mother, he took her hand, and said, after he had acquainted her with it, “Come, my dear, let us take comfort, that we did for the best.  We left the issue to Providence, as we ought, and that has turned it as it pleased; and we must be content, though not favoured as we wished.—­All the business is, our lot is not cast for this life.  Let us resign ourselves to the Divine will, and continue to do our duty, and this short life will soon be past.  Our troubles will be quickly overblown; and we shall be happy in a better, I make no doubt.”