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self the use of sugar and rum, that therefore I am a friend to the Slave Trade, he concludes rashly, and does me great wrong; for the man lives not, who abhors it more than I do. My reasons for my own practice are satisfactory to myself, and they whose practice is contrary, are, I suppose, satisfied with theirs. So far is good. Let every man act according to his own judgment and conscience; but if we condemn another for not seeing with our eyes, we are unreasonable; and if we reproach him on that account, we are uncharitable, which is a still greater evil.

I had heard, before I received the favor of yours, that such a report of me, as you mention, had spread about the country. But my in

formant told me that it was founded thus: The people of Olney petitioned Parliament for the abolition-my name was sought among the subscribers, but was not found-a question was asked, how that happened? Answer was made, that I had once indeed been an enemy to the Slave Trade, but had changed my mind, for that having lately read a history or an account of Africa, I had seen it there asserted, that till the commencement of that traffic the Negroes, multiplying at a prodigious rate, were necessitated to devour each other; for which reason I had judged it better, that the trade should continue,

than that they should be again reduced to so horrid a custom.

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Now all this is a fable. I have read no such history; I never in my life read any such assertion; nor, had such an assertion presented itself to me, should I have drawn any such conclusion from it: on the contrary, bad as it were, I think it would be better, the negroes should have eaten one another, than that we should carry them to market. The single reason why I did not sign the petition was, because I was never asked to do it; and the reason why I was never asked was, because I am not a parishioner of Olney.

Thus stands the matter. You will do me the justice, I dare say, to speak of me as of a man, who abhors the commerce, which is now I hope in a fair way to be abolished, as often as you shall find occasion. And I beg you henceforth, to do yourself the justice to believe it impossible, that I should for a moment suspect you of duplicity or misrepresentation. I have been grossly slandered, but neither by you, nor in consequence of any thing that you have either said or written. I remain therefore, still as heretofore, with great respect,

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I REJOICE, as thou reasonably supposest me to do, in the matrimonial news. communicated in your last. Not that it was altogether news to me, for twice I had received. broad hints of it from Lady Frog by letter, and several times viva voce while she was here. But she enjoined me secrecy as well as you, and you know that all secrets are safe with me; safer far than the winds in the bags of Eolus. I know not in fact the lady whom it would give me more pleasure to call Mrs. Courtenay, than the lady in question; partly because I know her, but especially because I know her to be all that I can wish in a neighbour.

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I have often observed, that there is a regular alternation of good and evil in the lot of men, so that a favorable incident may be considered: as the harbinger of an unfavorable one, and vice versa. Dr. Madan's experience witnesses to the truth of this observation. One day he gets a broken head, and the next a mitre to heal it. I rejoice, that he has met with so effectual a cure,

though my joy is not unmingled with concern; for till now I had some hope of seeing him, but since I live in the North, and his episcopal call is in the West, that is a gratification, I suppose, which I must no longer look for.

My sonnet, which I sent you, was printed in the Northampton paper last week, and this week it produced me a complimentary one in the same paper, which served to convince me at least by the matter of it, that my own was not published without occasion, and that it had answered its purpose.

My correspondence with Hayley proceeds briskly, and is very affectionate on both sides. I expect him here in about a fortnight, and wish heartily, with Mrs. Unwin, that you would give him a meeting. I have promised him, indeed, that he shall find us alone, but you are one of the family.

I wish much to print the following lines in one of the daily papers. Lord S.'s vindication of the poor culprit in the affair of Cheit-Sing has confirmed me in the belief, that he has been injuriously treated, and I think it an act merely of justice to take a little notice of him.

ΤΟ

WARREN HASTINGS, ESQ.

BY

AN OLD SCHOOLFELLOW OF HIS AT WESTMINSTER.

HASTINGS! I knew thee young, and of a mind,
While young, humane, conversable, and kind:
Nor can I well believe thee, gentle THEN,
Now grown a villain, and the WORST of men.
But rather some suspect, who have oppress'd
And worried thee, as not themselves the BEST.

If thou wilt take the pains to send them to thy news-monger, I hope thou wilt do well. Adieu!

W.C.

LETTER CCCLXXXVI.

TO JOHN JOHNSON, ESQ.

Weston, May 20, 1792.

MY DEAREST OF ALL JOHNNIES,

I AM not sorry, that

your

ordination is postponed. A year's learning and wisdom, added to your present stock, will not be more than enough to satisfy the demands of

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