You see I write to you as an old friend. Believe me, With great truth and respect, Your sincere friend and obedient servant, G. LINCOLN Elect. Great George Street, March 2, 1787. The Rev. Gilbert Wakefield, Nottingham. DEAR SIR, I RECEIVED the favour of your letter this morning, and am very glad that you have given me an opportunity of explaining my behaviour, which must appear very strange to you. I sincerely hope that I may be more fortunate upon any future occasion of the same sort: if any thing should bring you to Buckden, or to town, I shall be truly glad to see you. I thank you very much for your new edition of Virgil's Georgics; I am going towards the sea in a few days, and shall take it with me. I am very glad that you have leisure, and retain inclination, for such pursuits. I have to regret, that my time is almost wholly occupied by the duties of my situation. Believe me with great regard, YOUR letter found me at this place, and I should have taken an earlier opportunity of acknowledging it, if I could have answered it in a manner more conformable to my wishes and feelings. I flatter myself that you will not suspect that any alteration has taken place in that re spect and friendship which I always professed for you. Be assured that it will give me most sincere pleasure, if, contrary to my expectations, I should ever have it in my power to promote your wishes. I am, dear Sir, Your very faithful friend and G. LINCOLN. The Rev. Mr. Wakefield, Nottingham. In addition to these letters, it has been signified to me, since I came to Hackney, several times within these last seven years, through intermediate acquaintances and relations, that the bishop would be gratified by seeing me at the deanery in London; and his particular compliments were conveyed to me by a relation on a visit to him in town, a former pupil of mine, who came immediately from St. Paul's to my house at Hackney. It must be noted also, that my most obnoxious and observable religious publications, my Commentary on St. Matthew, and Enquiry into the early Christian Writers, made their appearance in 1782 and 1784. What sort of testimony my old friend Pretyman could have given to my sincerity and integrity, I will not take upon me to affirm: but certainly I have enabled all men to discover what he has given to HIS OWN. The same remark is unhappily applicable to the following letters from the Bishop of Norwich; and with most sincere sorrow of heart have I experienced on this occasion the melancholy operations of security and ambition in corrupting such an affable, unaffected, and intelligent man as Dr. Pretyman, and a person of manners so truly polite and amiable and engaging as Dr. Sutton. How should I have exulted on their account, as well as my own, if they had not abandoned me in an extremity, which would have done so much honour to that disinterested testimony in my favour, so reasonably expected from them; so much honour to their friendship and humanity! 1 Norwich, Feb. 3, 1799. SIR, YOUR letter of the 29th ult. reached me yesterday, but, because of the intemperance of the weather, too late to be answered by that night's post. The nature and extent of that evidence which I shall be competent to give, if called upon in a court of justice, respecting your character for veracity and integrity, you are as able to estimate as I am. The intercourse that subsisted between us, was at no time of that intimate nature that should entitle me to speak, of my own knowledge, to either. I respected, and respect you as a scholar: and of the rest of your character I KNEW and know nothing, but in common with the public. I have the honour to be, Sir, Your faithful humble servant, C. NORWICH. Mr. Gilbert Wakefield, Hackney. MY DEAR SIR, AMONG the many letters of congratulation on my late advancement, none has given me more pleasure than that which I have this moment received from you. The favorable testimony of an OLD ACQUAINTANCE, and a man of great learning, cannot but be highly flattering to me. If business |