fhe was fpared from apprehended death in fuch a wondrous manner, as has been related. The difficulty methinks may be thus folved; " that it feems to have been her judgment and will, in her advanced years, that this fingular providence in her favour and honour should be kept fecret; and this might well become her native humility and prudence, or the ripeness of it rather in her advance in life, avoiding what might feem vain glorious to divulge, or indeed what fuch an age as ours might probably treat with ridicule and derifion. But nothing of this nature can make me afhamed to own the perfect credit I give to the relation from fuch a mouth as Mrs. Singer's. I doubted there might be an error, p. 9, in the date of this young gentlewoman's age, making it her twentieth year: Mrs. Singer was but in her twenty-fourth and twenty-fifth years when I was at Bath; and if I mistake not her fifter's death had been more than fix years paft; but in this I might be mistaken; and the rather, because I knew not her age, but judged her to be five or fix years younger than myself, and now find fhe was but one. The last letter I had from Mr. Singer was in the year 1709, part of which, if I durft communicate to you, would fhew the high intereft I had in his heart, and the vaft freedom with which he let me into it. I have placed my beloved friend (my acquaintance with her being the great honour

of my youth) in our library at Cambridge, for the admiration, veneration and instruction of our youth, in all that is pious and polite. I thank you again for the feparate pictures, which fhall adorn my beft rooms. If I can find a fafe hand I will fend you fome gold to discharge your generous advance for me, with this letter. I pray God to reftore your health, and continue your useful life to more glory to his name, and good to fouls. To hear of your illness ftrikes me; but God who has fo often reftored, and fo long ufed you, will I hope ftill preserve you in favour to his church, and to your many friends, and among them to him who earneftly asks your continued love and prayers. Sir, your affectionate brother and humble fervant,

BENJ. COLMAN.

P. S. The work of God goes on at Honftatonock, and as you will fee by the enclosed, another door feems to be open above them; may God make it a wide and effectual one. I enclose to you my small late prints; and give you the trouble of others to my friends,

An uneafy spirit revives here among us, about our currency, and want of more paper money, the emiffion of which is forbid by the king's inftructions to the government, above the rifing charges of every year. Great changes have been made in

the

the election of reprefentatives, but when met they have chosen juft the fame counfellors; and as within doors they feem quiet, we grow ftiller without. We hear of, and read the uneafineffes of the nation, about the convention with Spain; it is much the fame in the plantations here. We must crofs near their fhores to our own iflands, but nearer or further our veffels are fearched; which who can fubmit to ?

Your fongs for children, being out of print here, and much wanted to scatter among them, I engaged two of our young bookfellers to reprint them; which the rest hearing of, fome of them fell in, and about three or four thoufand of them are printed; and as foon as my little birds learn two or three of them they come to me, fome to my home, others as I vifit their parents, finging and making melody with their stammering lips, and thanking me for their book.

You will fee by the enclofed, the liberty that Mr. Smith of Carolina has taken to borrow fome of your tender lines for the embalming the name of his brother Baffet. Mr. Baffet was born and educated in N. E. Mr. Smith came from Bermudas for his education, was a moft diligent ftudent, made great proficiency, and came out a bright preacher. Both of them were ordained in our koufe, and were about the fame age, (thirty-five).

I had, however, no hand in publishing this fermon. The congregation chofe Mr. Smith to be their paftor, but he declines the cure for want of health, and I hear they have fent to London.

Your book of hymns is reprinted here, in a handfome manner for us; not one yet bound. Your guide to prayer is going into the prefs. Enclosed is half an ounce of gold.

LETTER III.

REV. AND DEAR SIR,

Bofton, Aug. 20, 1739.

I HAVE HAVE your new and great favour of June 6th, with your packets for Harward and Gale college, which I have forwarded. My laft to you was a packet by capt. Marrier, which he promised to fee delivered at your friend's house, near the Exchange; in it was half an ounce of gold, in rings, to pay for your kind advance of Mrs. Rowe's first volume, and her pictures, to me, with which you greatly obliged me. Please to reserve enough of the faid money to pay for the whole fubfcription to Dr. Dodderidge's volumes, if you have not done it before; and as I have left it to you to buy me what pleafes you beft with what is left of my money, fo I readily fuppofe you will fend me the discourses of preaching Chrift, which the prints

tell

tell me you defire always to have at your right hand.

Mr. Prefident Williams has been followed this year with a dreadful head-ach, which has greatly endangered the lofs of his fight, but through the favour of God he is much restored, yet often thinks he must leave New Haven, and live farther from the fea air, to which he imputes the pains of his head, finding them return with the bleak fea winds. He is a most valuable man, and his ficknefs or retirement would be a great lofs to us.

Our dear Mr. Mather has also suffered much this year and last by fickness; with great constancy he went through much incifion on his face, and is now recovering from a flow burning fever, very diftreffing. I preached for him last week, and found the world to come on his table, but his eyes not able then to look into it.

How much do I rejoice, my dear brother, in your recovery, fo far as to write again at large to your friends, and to send us new fruits of your labour. We are a great expence to you from year to year, and I am ready to blush at the great charge you are put to by your correfpondence here with fo many of us; but you gladly spend, and are spent, for the benefit of many, at home and abroad. The Lord render you a full reward in the comfort of your foul, for its travel for us, in the way to your crown.

How