laws in favour of it. Pray let me know what progress it makes. If you should come across the Connecticut law, and could get me a copy of it, I should be glad. You have got, by this time, the 1st chapter of my work, and an extract from the 10th; which, I suppose, may be as proper a specimen as any part of it, if it be not too long. I have not yet heard from Longman. Mrs. B. desires her cordial respects, and I am, sir, Your obliged and affectionate friend, J. B. BELKNAP TO HAZARD. Evening, July 4,1784. Dear Sir,— This morning I received yours of 28th ult. It would be needless now to endeavour to abate your surprise at my not receiving one of yours of the 13th inst., since you must know that it came to hand while I was in Boston. The communication between here and Portsmouth is irregular and accidental, and some of our "uncircumcised generation" will keep a letter for several days before they will deliver it. This was precisely the case with the letter referred to; and, if I had added " stiffnecked" as another epithet, it would not have been impertinent, since the fellow who had it is a Quaker. I hope my last letter is on its way and will arrive before the binding of the books, because it contains one material correction which I wish noticed. I wrote to Mr. A., as well as yourself, about it. . . . 1 have this day been preaching on the duty of grand jurors, and explaining their oath to them. You may think this an odd subject for the pulpit; but, if you recollect some of my accounts of this part of the country, you will not judge it impertinent. But, like many other sermons, I suppose it will be disregarded; and I am too much used to this to be mortified about it. There is no part of my book on which I set an higher value than the paragraph on the back side of the titlepage, where your name appears in such a connexion as reminds me of two of Pope's lines to Bolingbroke: — "Shall, then, this verse to future age pretend? I did wish it might somehow be published that I had a friendly connexion with Mr. Hazard, and had some thoughts of contriving to mention it; but you have saved me the labour, and that in a way peculiarly graceful and agreeable. It is only for your sake that I can be reconciled to having the addition which you have put to my name on the title-page. To be, as Pope says, " stuck o'er with titles," is not my ambition. I could even dispense with the humble A.M., and let my name stand single, as does Oliver Goldsmith in the title of his "Natural History." But as my good friend, " of his special grace and meer motion" (to use the royal style), has procured the title for me, I am content that he should indulge the pleasure of seeing it annexed to my name. I thank you for interesting yourself so much in my feelings as always to mention my son. I hope he is a good boy, and will prove an useful servant to his master. Pray do you intend to take an aerial voyage in the new balloon? The proprietors have invited the assistance of everybody to forward their project. If I was acquainted with them, I would write them a letter of recommendation to the Man in the Moon, if they should happen to make a port there in their cruise. I expect, next week, to set out on a land tour to the White Mountains, in company with several gentlemen of a scientific turn. I may write you again once before I go j but, if I live to come back, you may depend on such a description as I may be able to give. I shall wish you one of the party. Mrs. B. wishes you and Mrs. H. all the comforts arising from the nuptial connexion, and we rejoice in the prospect of your domestic happiness. I am, dear sir, with much respect, your very much obliged and obedient • Jere. Belknap. HAZARD TO BELKNAP. Philadelphia, July 18,1784. This is the ninth day, my dear sir, that I have been confined by the gout. My pain has been great enough part of the time, but I believe the severity of the fit is over. My feet and ancles are yet sore and stiff, and extremely feeble, so that it is uncertain when I shall be able to visit the office. This will prevent me from sending you the newspapers, unless I can pick up one now and then by accident. I send you two last sheets. Mr. A. is going on with the binding. Since my confinement, I have been looking over your letters, to see what directions you have given from time to time, that I may compleat your orders when I send your books. I miss one letter, in which I think you told me how many books to send Mr. Hastings. It is probable I may find it when I can go to look for it myself; but, least I should not, I wish you would, by return of post, tell me how many to send him, and how many you want, and whether in boards or bound. In the letter with which you sent Governour Belcher's to his friend, about his son's marriage, you say, "It is probable 1 may send you something more out of them" (the letter-books). Have you yet met with any thing else for me? By the bye, are those books your own? Will you want them after you have done your History? If not, will you oblige me by letting them become a part of my collection? Yesterday a large balloon was sent up, which was intended to carry up a man; but by an accident the ropes by which his chair was suspended were broken, and the balloon ascended alone. I had a fine view of it from my chamber window: it rose, as near as I could judge, about a mile perpendicularly, when it took fire and was consumed. It is said that, had the man gone up with it, he would have regulated the fire, prevented its being burned, and have raised it much higher, which I think probable. It was a grand and pleasing sight. Our child is better. Have not seen Josey lately, but believe he is well. Mrs. H. joins in respects to Mrs. B. with your affectionate Ebek. Hazard. P. S. We have had some capital failures in trade lately. HAZARD TO BELKNAP. Philadelphia, July 31, 1784. Dear Sir, — This will probably find you returned from the White Mountains, to which yours of 11th and 19th inst. told me this morning you intended a visit. 0 that I could have gone with you! It was once my expectation. But I have no right to expect to visit every place in the world, and I can fully rely upon the testimony of your senses. Should you not have been disappointed, I dare say I shall have a very accurate description of those famous hills; and, probably, such an account of them as may make a suitable memoir to be laid before the Society. Your " last letter" did arrive " before the binding of the books," and I communicated its contents to Mr. A., who has furnished me with a copy in which there is no such error as you mention; and he says he intends to ask you where you learned to read? He feels quite funny about it. But you must know that he was as much mortified as myself that there should be so capital an erratum in a book with which we had taken uncommon pains; and, rather than correct the error in the way you proposed, he has printed the whole leaf over again. I assure you he stands very much upon his P's and Q's; and I dare say would have taken three times the trouble rather than his work should appear clumsy to himself. By the bye, have not you directed people to take notice of an erratum where there is none? You say, "page 291, lines 10 and 21, for from read to." Do look at that again, and tell me what you think of it. diversion to! Suppose we put it in Latin, ^Lvertere ad: that won't do. "Avertere ab " is right. I think you will find that Blair uniformly writes "averse from" though I cannot at present point out to you particular instances. ... It would be well if grand jurors were more frequently informed of the nature of their oath, and the duties arising from it; for they do not appear to be sufficiently attended to in many places. I had my views, in giving you your title; and, indeed, thought it could not with propriety be omitted. It appeared to me that to omit it would be treating the Society with disrespect and ingratitude, which I am sure neither you nor I would be willing to do; and though titles, merely as such, are vox et prceterea nihil, yet they have a prodigious influence upon men, both learned and unlearned. The former consider them as indications that the person who possesses them has merit, at least in the opinion of those who confer the titles; and, if their reputation is great (as is the case with the Society), the greater will be the opinion of his merit. The latter think a man cannot have a title without deserving it, so that both have a confidence in him; and he derives from his titles a recommendation which he could not so easily obtain otherwise. This, in the case of an author, is peculiarly advantageous, and will lead many to purchase his book who could have no other reason for |