Boston Sept. 2. 1747. Dear Brother,

I just now Rec'd a Line from you which is very acceptable to me for I have been much Concern'd about you and Could not hear where you took up your abode.1 I am Glad to hear that you are in health and wish I Could Say I was but I am far from it tho' I am much better than I have been. I was taken violently ill Last Saturday and Continued so till yesterday but through the Blessings of divine providence I have got so well as to go down stairs this day. The family are all well but Mother2 who is much as when you Saw her, it is a very Sickly dying time in town.

Father went to Bridgwater Last Friday and return'd yesterday and his boy Asa Soper is Come down so that you have Lost your old bedfellow.

I told Sisster your dream of the mice and she Says it is Out for Freeman has destroy'd them all for Stinking Some days ago.

I have Sent Cato to Lorings3 Several times, but could get no shoes but many repeted promises and while I am writing he is gone to Claim the Last which was that you shou'd have them yesterday and if he gets them Russull will bring them with this Letter.

Please to give my Service to Mrs. Peggy Apleton6 and pray her to Lend me Young's Midnight thoughts4 and if you bring them down with you a Saturday, you shall return it when you go up if she desires it so soon.

I am Sorry for your Misfortune as to the bed but advise you to Come down as soon as you Can in Order to be better accommodated Some way or another. Mother Sends her Love to you, and Sisster and I join with her. I Remain your Loving Sisster,

ABIGAIL PAINE

Cousin Hinckley has got a Daughter.5

RC ; addressed: "To Mr. Robert Treat Paine att Cambridg"; endorsed.

1.

RTP notes in his diary, Sept. 1, 1747: “I began to lodge with Richardson." This was Gideon Richardson (1730–1758), a classmate and later minister of the First Congregational Church of Wells, Maine (Sibley's Harvard Graduates, 12:484–486).

2.

RTP's mother died on Oct. 17, 1747, after a long illness. She was buried on the 22nd.

3.

Not identified among the several Lorings who were shopkeepers or leather dressers at the time.

4.

Edward Young, The Complaint, or Night Thoughts on Life, Death, and Immortality (London, 1742) and later editions.

5.

Bethiah Hinkley, daughter of John and Bethiah (Freeman) Hinkley and granddaughter of RTP's aunt Mary (Paine) (Freeman) Hawes, was born at Barnstable, Aug. 25, 1747 (Mayflower Descendant 31[1933]:86).

Harvard College Octor. 21th. AD 1747

Trahet Sua quemq: Voluptas.1

Sir,

As I was Musing the Other Day; Logicus Came in to my chamber with a fixed Countinance as Soon as he approach'd me I pas'd the usual Compliment but he regarded me not atall nor Seamd as tho he heard me not but upon my renewing my Salutations he Started like a man waked from Sleep & gave me a Complisant return to my Salutations upon this he began to lanch forth in the praise of Lock's essay 2 Watt's Phylos: essay 3 as preferible to all others: while these things pas'd in Came Poeticus with floing Language Saluted each of us and then with the Same Sublime Style bestoed Libiral enchomium on the works of Milton Pope Virgil Homer Dryden & others, nosonner did his easey Lines Cease but we Ware joyned by Phylosophycus who as soon as he had Saluted us began to tell us the nature of this plant & the other that he had met with; the next addition was by the arrival of Astronomicus who Came in his face upward & fell admireing the rair Phenominons that was to be discoverd among the Planitary world this mans face turnd upwards was quickly turnd down by the approach of Theologus whose black garb & Venerable Countinance drew all our Eyes as Sone as entred he fell to exstalling Mr. Willard' body of D:y4 bish: Wilkins on pray & preaching5 & divars others but was interrupted by the gingeling bottels & Chinking gallipotts of Medicus who when he Shook: hands with us felt of all our pults told us wt. such & such a thing he discoverd in our Constitution 26presaged ill to us while this pas'd we ware all Surprized by the rude entrance of Agricolus who Came in with his long Cart whipp: upon our entring into discorse with him he rehersed the properties of his oxen the activity of his dog the Swiftness of his horse and the virtues of his Catt he related the firtility of his Soyle and the abondance of the fruit of the field while he is Silent concerning Sylogistick Reasonings of Logicus nor dos he mention the flowing eloquince of Poeticus the Strange appearince related by Astronomicus and the truths Spoken by Theologus ware unobserved by him, Medicus's Physical Orthore was disregarded by him nor did he Spake of any author with Commendation but Mr. Flavel's Husbandry Spiritualized6 the Last Companion we had was geograficus who entred with out any Complyment but went immediately to the Maps & Commended the accuracy with which one Country was drawn & the Stupidity of another. Thus Sir you must conclude I had got my Chamber Considerable much Crouded & as they ware all gentlemen of a different turn of mind & persueing different desines & proposing different ends to them Selves their Stay together of Consequence must be short: No souner did they depart but I (who had ben a Silent observer of all their different genuses) Could not but reflect on their admirations of different things which refresh'd the Phrase non omnes eadem mirantur amantq:7

As the observation was entertaining to me so I hope the relation of it will not be all together disagreeable to you and in order to resolve the matter pleas to give it the reading and it Shall be Esteemd an unspeakable honour by him who is Sir your Mot. Hle. Servt.,

OBSERVATOR

RC ; addressed: "to Mr. Robert Treat Paine"; endorsed in RTP's hand: "Ezekiel Dodge 1747.”

1.

All follow several games, and each his own. Virgil, Eclogues, II, 1.65

2.

John Locke, An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding (London, 1690) and later editions.

3.

Isaac Watts, Philosophical Essays, 3rd edn., corrected (London, 1742) and other editions.

4.

Samuel Willard, A Compleat Body of Divinity (Boston, 1726).

5.

John Wilkins, Discourse concerning the gift of prayer (London, 1651) and other editions.

6.

John Flavell, Husbandry Spiritualized (London, 1669) and other editions.

7.

Not all admire and love the same things. Horace, Epistles, II, 2.58.