Taunton Feby. 25th. 1767 Dear No. 1,

I would as soon undertake to write a compleat history of the Stamp Act, my own life or a Body of Orthodox Divinity as answer in an ample manner one of yr. own Letters. When I got home I recd. your last & have been labring with the thoughts of an Answer ever since, not daring to attempt what must cost me so much time study & expence of Spirits. At last an Opportunity of conveyance approaching I set down to write what comes uppermost; when you get into yr. pensive Mathematical Moods & adhere to one head of Discourse a body may say yes or No & it leaves the mind in a kind of quondary. Theres a little learning for you, but whether so small a scrap will make so much as a Shift for yr. Naked Sentiments you must tell who understand those things.Ive been in a sort of delirium since I left you, such a kind of state as we may suppose of a Roman Catholic Soul before he gets to H--n H--ll or Purgatory. However I have bought Pomposity cloathed in Horse flesh, but have not yet proved him; & am so far prepared to run away. What still remains to compleat my Wishes is full as modest as yours, the discription of which made me think of this line "and give Humility a Coach & six" saving that you intend your Body shall be as naked as yr. Sentiments, for you say not a Word of Cloaths unless you call 'em Diet for the Body. Some Peoples Cloaths are food for Moths, Lice &c.; & some Cloaths for matter of Greese would be Diet sufficient to keep a human Creature from starving; but I rather think yr. sex includes them under Diet for the Mind, & truly having acquired yr. Catalogue of Necessarys, I know not what a rational mind could want more or better, unless the enlarged means of doing Good; what business you have to want the very things I do, I cant imagine?, rely upon it I am, except the aspect of the Room as much destitute as you, & quite as much puzzled to relieve my self; there's so391much Bran comes with the Wheat that I'm afraid to alter for fear of making bad worse and so I comfort my self with looking only.

In yr. last you told me of Strange Temptations you are under, which put me athinking, but this letter opens to me further grounds of Suspicion; I find you labour with Sentiments & are almost determind to make away with them because you have got no Cloaths for the poor little Rogues. Fye upon your Pride you had better act like

"one of Appollo's little Flirts

And dress 'em up in Doggrel Shirts"1

If Language is unkind to you, I would discard the false hearted wretch, or else sue him for Damages, & if yr. Words fly you, put out an Advertisement after 'em & when you catch 'em put 'em in Trammells & send 'em along to let me know.

If yr. Elbows want Room cut a hole in yr. Gown, or as sailors say take a sheep shank in 'em; you dont seem to want Composure; I think you Compose pretty well tho you nor Jno. Lock could tell how many 2 + 2 make. Thats a flight in yr. mathematical way & not in yr. skill at Composition; I often feell in the same mood of want of Composure, & begin to project this & that & tother, when in comes a Son of the Woods, is Lawyer Pane at home. At the rueful sound, away fly projects, doubts, Prospects & anxietys, & down to a little Consultation of some Body's else troubles, & in short I see so many people happier more miserable than my self that I never complain without being ashamed, but some alterations will be soon. Scoggins2 is to be hangd to morrow; But when or where or what I can no more devise, than yr. August the Biscuit seller & I had lik'd to have said dont much more Care; the hint in the P: S. of yr. No. 1. I am aware of, a long talk going home. I must stear to a hairs breadth, or right down afore the wind, but I want to fight first; you abuse me most egregiously to suppose that wn. I say that such a one is an ignorant Clouterheald Vain Proud Revengeful Malicious Tawdry stinking, selfish—or make any observations on Men & Manners, that I mean it as a lecture to you; however you do notoriously fail in one point I have long wishd & endeavoured you should attain, & that is yr. perfect Health; however but to return your Compliment of Lecturing, I must observe to you that I take your sly insinuation, in recomending to me to hire the Poarch of the Brick Meeting House3 for an office, (to say nothing of the wickedness of the thought, in making the old Brick Meeting House a house of Office ), for as you manifestly compare that Scituation with my392present you plainly allude to the Text "it is better to be a Door Keeper than dwell in the Tents of Wickedness"4; this is giving me a Lecture in Manner & form, for you have taken an appropriated Subject for it, & got as near the Pulpit as you dare. What shall I do on Thursdays? The Author who you say treats of hunting a Metaphor, is one I never Met-a-fore, & so can say nothing about him, nor can I tell what your genuine Bowl contain'd which you say you drank to enable you to write yr. Letter, for I cant read the word & so must suppose it to be some rare liquor which is not known to any but those who dwell in Tents that be taken down & put up again at pleasure, & so I cant return any Effects of the same draught but to invigorate me for this undertaking I took a good hearty Quid of the true genuine hgdrgadkgprwooonstond Tobbacco & think it has produced as much nothing about something as yr. genuine unintelligeable did something about nothing, & think I may now venture to subscribe myself yr. affectionate

No: 2

RC ; endorsed.

1.

Quotation not identified.

2.

Not identified.

3.

Following a fire in 1711, the congregation of the First Church, Boston, erected a new meetinghouse in brick in 1712–1713. Called the New Brick Church until the New North Church was built in 1714, when the First Church then became known as the Old Brick Church (Arthur B. Ellis, History of the First Church in Boston, 1630–1880 [Boston, 1881]).

4.

Psalms 84:10.

Taunton Feby. 25th. 1767 Sr.,

With Regard to the Uneasiness between myself & your Family shall without any farther Preamble confess myself to blame in a twofold manner.

First—For proceeding so Rashly & Inconsiderately in the affair between Miss Peggy & my self.

Secondly—for some imprudent speches I have been guilty of since that affair Happned; For both which, if I know my own Soul, I'm sorry. Yet Let us Lay aside Rashness & Consider deliberatly; Must a man Die for one peice of Rashness. Must he be Dragd. to the place of Execution & suffer Myrterdom for a peice of Imprudence. Must he be cut in peices393because at one time he thot. one thing & at another time thought another thing. (This is Contrary to the Oracles.)

When I Return'd of my Journey my Ears were fill'd with proclamations of Disdain. I thot. had the world been on fire there Could not be a greater Flame, amongst the warmest of which I took Care not to Burn my Fingers. I can safely say I was very Cautious of Medling; untill I had heard ten thousand Cruel asseverations Comeing from your Family some of which Doubtless were falshoods others in all probability were undeniable matters of Fact; which I allow Exasperated me to that Degree that I spoke somthings which I should not have said in Cool Blood, and am Ready to Confess & make all proper Recantations for Every thing in the whole affair wherein I shall be between Christian & Christian & Judgd. Blame worthy. What more Can or shall I say By way of Retribution.

Common fame is a lyar, & Solomon observes that the words of a Tale bearer are as wounds, therfore I have been carefull of Believing Either, & with Truth in my Right hand Can say that the Cheif of the tittle tattle that I have heard concerning the present affair has gone in at one Ear and out of the other. But some things which I have had Tollerable Evidence to support Lay with weight upon my mind a Few of which I shall Relate.

1st. With Regard to what Mr. Thos. Leonard Declar'd in Company Viz: that I was a Lyar & He always knew it. Let him tell me so to my face & support it if he Can, if not His blood be upon his own Head.

2ndly. That my being Treated like a Gentleman at their House was so Contrary to my Taste & Disposition that I could not bear it & Left the House upon that account; I think wt.out vanity I can acquaint Mr. Leonard that I was brought up in as Gentell a manner as he was & have kept as good Company as He not withstanding my being thus asspersd. & Ca11'd Every Dirty Rascall that His Rhetoric would admit of.

3rdy. With Regard to Mr. Leonards saying I was a fool I have nothing to say Only would observe that Human Nature is Subject to various Infirmities but notwithstanding the above Cruel Assertions of Mr. Leonards shall Treat Him like a Gentleman Whether He Uses me so or not & shall Esteem him a man of Sence & Gentillity; and after he has prov'd me a Lyar shall Esteem him a man of Veracity. With Regard to what Mrs. McKinstrey has said Derogatory to my Charecter it would weary my patience to write & yours to Read. So would Dismiss that after observing what She said Concerning my sister Nabby (who was as Innocent in this affair as the Child unborn) Viz: that she was a Lying False Deceitfull394Tatling Mischeifmakeing Crettere, these assertions are heavy Even for a Relation to bear, much more for the person offended, & I Doubt whether an unprejudisd. person would assume to say that of Five persons in Taunton, but thats between Mrs. McKinstry & She so I shall say no more upon that Head.

Again I Heard that you said I Run about villifiing your Charecter this I absolutely Deny For I always heard you was very Cautious of speaking save in one affair, & that I beleive you will Readily Remember Viz: what you observed to a young Gentleman that you thought I should not Stand it above two or three years this never put me much out because I knew my own affairs best.

I have heard that Mr. Paine Has made very Light of name & Charecter with Regard to that I would give you a short account. Last summer he was at our House & when he was going away I askt him to take frequent oppertunities & visit me. Likewise I asked him why he did not Come oftener. He answerd me in a very Friendly manner as I thot. Thus, I Can assure you Mr. Leonard it is not out of any Disregard to you or yours but mere Hurry of Buisiness; this I thought very Friendly in Mr. Paine but Ever since he has been growing Colder & Colder towards me. Till at Length he will Hardly Take any notice of me as he passes, this arose from what I know not. He knows best.

However to Cut Short I beg the matter may subside & no more be said for I'm sure I scorn to be so Much at varience with a Townsman as not To bow To them as I pass them, & to be so bigoted to one's own way as not to Take notice of their Fellow Cretures is not the Christian.

Sr. with Regards to those of the Family I Remain yours to Serve,

APOLLOS LEONARD

PS, Sr., give me an answer to this and you'll oblige him who is Yrs. as before,

A L---D

RC .

1.

This letter was sent to Dr. William McKinstry of Taunton, who later turned it over to RTP. Apollos Leonard (1744–1799), the writer, was the son of Maj. Zephaniah Leonard of Raynham and a 1765 graduate of Yale. He established himself as a lawyer in Taunton and in later years held many public offices (Dexter, Yale Biographical Sketches, 3:134; Sibley's Harvard Graduates, 16:188–189).

This family quarrel with other members of the Leonard family seems to have been ignited by his ill-treatment of "Miss Peggy," probably Margaret Leonard (1741–1769), McKinstry's sister-in-law. In 1769 she married Robert Luscombe, and upon her death a few months later was characterized in the395 Boston News-Letter (Jan. 4, 1770). "By the meekness, humanity, and modesty of her deportment, she discovered a mind possessed of that meek and quiet spirit, which in the sight of God is of great price: And which rendered her peculiarly engaging and amiable to all who knew her."

Through the complications of colonial genealogy, Apollos Leonard was a second cousin of David Cobb and RTP's future wife Sally (through their mother Lydia Leonard); as well as a third cousin of McKinstry's wife Priscilla Leonard, "Miss Peggy," Judge George Leonard (1729–1819), and Daniel Leonard (1740–1829), the loyalist. The latter two also became his brothers-in-law after the three had married sisters (NEHGR 5[1851] 403–414).