Dear S^r
I have been a long time Silent, w^ch has deprived me of the pleasure
of hereing from you, the chief reason has been for want of a Subject
worth Intertaining you with, and tho their has nothing new occan’d to
& my thoughts, I rather Chuse to seem trifleing than quite negligent
and what can be a more universally pleasing Topick than this
world, that we are all so fond of, so loath to think seriously of
leaveing, & I belive few if the Cou’d still Continue in Middle Age
but wou’d be Content to have it for their Everlasting home, with all
it’s unhappiness’es and Afflictions; I say few, not but I believe their
are some to whom the thoughts wou’d be shocking, but how few are
that number? there seems to be I own a great deal of reason Naturaly
for this (in the truest Sense) Unreasonible disposition of the mind,
but as the are such as naturally flow in our own Mind I shall not
trouble you with repeating them, but believe I shu’d do you and my
Self the best servis if any thing I cou’d say I cou’d loosen Our Affections
from this Unncertain good. And herein I wou’d not be understood as
if I was for perswadeing to renounceing all that was delightfull to
Sense, I do not think any such thing needful, I think there is the
pleasing amusements of it w.^ch may be injoy’d Innocently, ye that
the are Sometime very necessary both for ye health of the body
and (if I may be allow’d the Expression) the mind too: But then as
Lady Grace saies in y^e provok’d Husband the must be used soberly
which as I take it Ceases to be so, when we as it were make it Our
chief {^^imployment} and delight and as the vulgar Expression is do not know how
to pass away our time with out it, like y^e Isrealits of old sit down to
Eate and to drink y^e life up to play: But why (you’ll Say) all this to
me, am I guilty of this? I do belive you are not, but yet as sometimes
anyidotes are taken to prevent the effects of poison before any poison
has been given so it may not be amiss to reflect sometimes on
these things, him that thinks he stands must take heed lest he fall.
But the Grand Question remains yet unresolved, what we must do
to prevent the world getting so great a share of our affections?
and I own I want your assistance, there is nothing that to me shows
the folly more that is Considering it bearly from the light of
nature that the Shortness of Life, one shu’d think this shu’d
Cast to damp on our Greatest scheme & Projects, and even be an
allay to our Greatest troubles in this life, when we Consider the Can’t
last long, and I belive ‘tis Pride only that make a great deal of troubles
w^ch we have here, so that if we had but that bright Virtue
Humility, we shu’d not have one half as we have, and if we
loved the world less one half of the remaining troubles wou’d be
removed. what is that Formidable thing Call’d Poverty wⁿ these two
things are removed Pride & love of the world, and what in Comparison
is the death of near relations that we love as our own soul
but from our love of the world we Cannot bear the thoughts of following ‘em
thither and our reasons tell us the will not Come back to us therefore we often
mourn as without hope, where as did we but often meditate of the shortness
of life and make the proper Improvement from that meditation I belive it
wou’d be a soverign help against that Great Evil, your assistance here in will
highly oblidge
Honoria
Liverpoole ap:^ll 23: 1739

Dear Sr
I have been a long time Silent, whi^ch has deprived me of the pleasure
of hearing from you, the chief reason has been for want of a Subject
worth Entertaining you with, and though there has nothing new occan’d to
to my thoughts, I rather choose to seem trifling than quite negligent
and what can be a more universally pleasing Topic than this
world, that we are all so fond of, so loath to think seriously of
leaving, & I believe few if they Could still Continue in Middle Age
but would be Content to have it for their Everlasting home, with all
its unhappiness and Afflictions; I say few, not but I believe their
are some to whom the thoughts would be shocking, but how few are
that number? there seems to be I own a great deal of reason Naturally
for this (in the truest Sense) Unreasonable disposition of the mind,
but as they are such as naturally flow in our own Mind I shall not
trouble you with repeating them, but believe I should do you and my
Self the best service if anything I could say I could loosen Our Affections
from this Uncertain good. And herein I would not be understood as
if I was for persuading to renouncing all that was delightful to
Sense, I do not think any such thing needful, I think there is the
pleasing amusements of it whi^ch may be enjoyed Innocently, ye that
they are Sometime very necessary both for the health of the body
and (if I may be allowed the Expression) the mind too: But then as
Lady Grace says in y^e provoked Husband they must be used soberly
which as I take it Ceases to be so, when we as it were make it Our
chief {^^employment} and delight and as the vulgar Expression is do not know how
to pass away our time without it, like y^e Israelites of old sit down to
Eat and to drink the life up to play: But why (you’ll Say) all this to
me, am I guilty of this? I do believe you are not, but yet as sometimes
antidotes are taken to prevent the effects of poison before any poison
has been given so it may not be amiss to reflect sometimes on
these things, him that thinks he stands must take heed lest he fall.
But the Grand Question remains yet unresolved, what we must do
to prevent the world getting so great a share of our affections?
and I own I want your assistance, there is nothing that to me shows
the folly more that is Considering it barely from the light of
nature that the Shortness of Life, one should think this should
Cast to damp on our Greatest scheme & Projects, and even be an
allay to our Greatest troubles in this life, when we Consider they Can’t
last long, and I believe ‘tis Pride only that make a great deal of troubles
whi^ch we have here, so that if we had but that bright Virtue
Humility, we should not have one half as we have, and if we
loved the world less one half of the remaining troubles would be
removed. what is that Formidable thing Called Poverty wheⁿ these two
things are removed Pride & love of the world, and what in Comparison
is the death of near relations that we love as our own soul
but from our love of the world we Cannot bear the thoughts of following ‘em
thither and our reasons tell us they will not Come back to us therefore we often
mourn as without hope, whereas did we but often meditate of the shortness
of life and make the proper Improvement from that meditation I believe it
would be a sovereign help against that Great Evil, your assistance here in will
highly oblige
Honoria
Liverpool April 23: 1739