Boston Augt. 29. 1755 Dear Brother,

Since I have an opertunity of Conveying a few lines to you I shall take the freedom of writing what I did not chuse to speak, lest I shou'd betray a weakness that in this Case I am asham'd of. I have throughly weigh'd your reasons for entering into publick Service for the good of your Country, and the arguments you design to make use of to animate the Soldgers to Courage have had a great influence over me & I think upon Mature Consideration I can freely Consent to part with you since your motive is the Service of your Country and the good of the rising generation this undertaking is of a very different nature from any others that you have Engaged in, but I think it must be Confess'd a more Laudible and Generous Spirit seems to animate your Courage to Engage with the Enemies of your Land than that which Call'd you forth to war with the fishes of the Sea. You were Protected by the Care of divine Providence and return'd to us in Safty then and at other times you have been made to See the Salvation of the Lord upon the great deep when all humain help was vain he by his Strong hand and Mighty Arm brough relief. When I thus take a vein of former mercys either to my Self or friends I dare not distrust the goodness of the Same Allmighty Power in Gaurding & defending them for the future. I therefore offer this petition with Strong Faith, that you will be secur'd against all the dangers of Sickness and that your head will be Cover'd in the day of battel and your Labours blest for the Good of your Country. But if an Alwisse Providence has other designs and you must Lay down your life in this Honourable Employment may it be to his Glory and your Eternal rejoicing. I make no doubt but that you are always preparing for this great Event which Sooner or later you must Experience. May you be found ready to Sing that Tryumphing Song O Death where is thy Sting O Grave where is thy Victory &c. Oh! how you will Clap your wings & with Joy to us poor Mortals unknown Soar above thesse regions of disapointment, disease & Sin that drag a long train of evills that put our Virtue to the test so often. How! will you Exult in your freedom & rejoice in the full fruition of that happiness not to be describ'd by mortal Language. We may never be permited to meet again in this life. I may be the person Call'd to leave this frail Cottage before your return but however that be I hope to meet where we never shall have this hard task of parting more but where we303shall forever join to adore the Glorious Author of our Salvation and where it will be our highest joy without interuption to Contemplate that wisdom & Power that we now behold as through a Glass Darkly. I shall be often puting up my petition for your Safety. I ask the same rememberance of you and I hope that the perfume of thesse Sacrifices will mingle a Sweet Smelling Savour before the throne of Grace and return unto us as the dew upon the tender Grass. I Recd. a line from Sister last night. She writes to me of you much in this manner and seem quite resign'd having a lively faith that your determination is for the best. If you have time pray send us a few lines to Strenthen our present heroick disposition and increase our dependance upon him who is alone able to Lenthen Life or cut Short the tender thread.

I now think it time to Lay asside my pen but first wou'd repeat my earnest request for your Safety and beg to be often in your rememberance as your Sencere Friend & Sister,

ABIGAIL GREENLEAF

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

Lancaster Sepr. 1755. Dear Samll.,

The constant remembrance and inexpressible regard I have for you, extorts from me these Lines tho' in the midst of hurry and preparation, and at the same time almost delirius with a cruciating Headach. But 'tis neither confusion nor anguish, tho' they hinder my necessary business, can prevail on me to forget the Man whose Image is deep engrav'd beyond the reach of Headach or the distraction of worldly business. Tho' I cannot from this perplexity transmit to you any regular Composition (the forc'd Machinery of the Brain) yet I can leave behind me, tho' in unconnected words, the warmest well-wishes, the sincere emanations of a Friendly Soul. Nor do I much regard the unpoliteness of my address, when I consider that your appetite chooses out the wholsomest meat, unmindfull of the Cookery.

My Friend, we now no more converse in the soft accents of Love, or the more rational strains of Friendship; Mars has forsaken Venus, and joining concert with Bellona, rouzes up all his Offspring to whirl the Javelin,304and right the cause of the injur'd Muses. Forgive me that I roil your peacefull Soul, or spoil the Symphony of your Lute with the harsh gratings of the Trumpet. I mean to leave my Friendship with you, that if I fall in the open Field, the unpolish'd sons of Fate mightn't trample on sacred things. Perhaps we shall never meet again in time, suppose the worst—why then my Friend, from the fiew seeds of Friendship already sown, must arise the Harvest of all our Friendly Joys in a better World; feign would I encrease it.

My uncouth soul requires much of your tender composition.

My Friend you stand the desire of the World, perhaps its envy; the benign disposition of your Soul subjects you to a thousand snares, and your natural Innocence blinds your Eyes from Danger. You are now scituated where folly comes cloathed in pomp, and Vice endues the most engaging appearance. Innocence will no longer protect you, for that is but the absence of Vice, and has not a resisting property. Agreeable quallifications (abstractly consider'd) such as pleasing Personage, Gentility, Adress, Affability, and universal Politeness, do but expose a Man to many alurements which take his mind from his Business, and fix it on folly, and draw his tho'ts from real improvements to pursue those steps which may end in Destruction. All these accomplishments without a regulating principle of Virtue, are like a fair Gale of Wind which will destroy a Vessell without a skilful Pilot at the Helm.

Forgive me, my Friend, if I tell you that you are now on the Equator, between the noblest accomplishments and improvements which will render a Man both acceptable and usefull, and the trifling effeminate embellishments which will render a Man despis'd by the wise and tho'tfull, and esteem'd only by his kindred Froath. Your talents and scituation are such as will render it difficult to avoid the pursuit of that pleasure, which however innocent, is nevertheless enervating and unworthy severer Studies. But I place great confidence

Copy in the handwriting of Richard Cranch; endorsed: "Coppy of a Letter from Mr. R:T. Paine to Mr. S: Quincy Sepr. 1755. Mr. Paine was then going into the Army." The letter is unfinished and was probably written on or before Sept. 12 when RTP left Lancaster for Albany.