Two Letters
&and a most extraordinary paper in your
Debt! Not my ordinary truly.

The Countess &and your humble Servant hit
it extremely well, &and many Times we 2103 (3003)
talk of you, &cetc. Her Ladyship is luckily
getting great Dispatch of Business, and
desired me oftener than once to remem-
ber you &and Mrs Gordon with Respect &and
Kindness, which hereby I do. She is
most shockingly used by her Children,
though to Her they owe an opulent
Estate &and good Provisions. This undu-
tiful, unaccountable Conduct, though
vexatious, turns out to her Advantage,
&and opens the Eyes of the World with
Lustre to her character.

I am particularly delighted wtwith your
being highly pleased with the Royal-
Oak Institution. I heartily join with
you in your Wish, May Good come
of it! This to JanryJanuary 6.

To that of 19. The inclosedenclosed you sent
me, which you might have opened,
according to my Desire, was, as you
guess, from Dunkirk, advising all
to have come safe to hand, &and to have
been dispatched to yethe Amiable Pair.1

Yes, the most excellent MSManuscript is now hap-
pily in my Custody, which I have per-
used with Pleasure. But perusal, re-
peated again &and again, will not satisfiesatisfy
me. I must take a Copy. Mr Innes
writes to me his high Relish of it as he
does to you; and, what Wonder! when
Mr Bowdler does not leave poor Mr
Brett a single Hole or Chink to peep
out at. Wo’sWoe’s me! that a Churchman, so 2104 (3004)
knowing &and learned as he is, should ex-
pose himself &and lie open to be so tho-
roughly worsted by any laical Gentleman
whatsoever. But the God of this World
hath got fast hold of him, &and blinded
his Eyes with Gold-Dust, that he will
not see. O for such a Son of such a Fa-
ther! Though the masterly performceperformance
has had no good Effect upon Mr Brett,
yet, I would gladly ^hope, it has operated wtwith
full Conviction upon the young Gentle-
man; for whose Use it was intended.
This I cannot doubt of.

You judge well, Sir; the paper is
the most impudent &and audacious ever
read. I had it read the other Day
in the hearing of 13 or 14 Friends, who
all declared, it had not a Parallel.
I wish, I could meet with a private
Hand to take it to Gask, People
would borrow it from me; but I will
not part with it out of my own Sight,
to Gask only excepted, with Orders to
return it. He is ever mindful of
you &and yours, with particular Thanks
for your Compliments of Condolence
&and Sympathy. O for many Such!

Tommy Bowdler is pure well and
hearty, &and an hard Student. He ever
remembers you &and Mrs Gordon with Kind-
ness and Affection.

All kind good Wishes from me &and 2105 (3005)
mine to the worthiest of Grandmo-
mothers, who, we hope, is by this
Time a Great-Grandmother; in
which Relation may She be happy.

The Countess is still in EdrEdinburgh,
&and with me every Day at 12 o’ Clock.
Her Ladyship is remarkably chari-
table to real Objects of Years and
Infirmities, but particularly to Fa-
milies in Want, when made known
to her.

Deus sit semper tecum tuisque. Amen. 2