Page:The Poetical Works of Thomas Parnell (1833).djvu/64

rushed upon my soul at once, and whelmed me under a fit of the head ache. Dear sir, not only as you are a friend, and a good natured man, but as you are a Christian and a Divine, come back speedily and prevent the increase of my sins; for at the rate I have began to rave, I shall not only damn all the poets and commentators who have gone before me, but be damned myself by all who come after me. To be serious, you have not only left me to the last degree impatient for your return, who at all times should have been so; (though never so much as since I knew you in best health here,) but you have wrought several miracles upon our family; you have made old people fond of a young and gay person, and inveterate papists of a clergyman of the church of England. Even nurse herself is in danger of being in love in her old age; and for ought I know, would even marry Dennis for your sake, because he is your man and loves his master. In short, come down forthwith, or give me good reasons for delaying, though but for a day or two, by the next post. If I find them just, I will come up to you, though you must know how precious my time is at present, my hours were never worth so much money before; but perhaps you are not sensible of this, who give away your own works. You are a generous author, I a hackney scribbler, you are a Grecian and bred at a university; I, a poor Englishman, of my own educating. You are a reverend par-