[from Memoirs of Bishop Hildesley]

LETTER XXXV

To the REV. PHILIP MOORE

Bishop’s-Court, Feb. 3, 1764

I am heartily sorry for poor Mr. Clare. I wish I had any thing in my magazine of medicines that could serve him: he should command it, even if I brought it to him myself: but that which you mention is too choice and uncomrnon for my reservoir

Have you my Cornish history ?—if not, I know not where it is. We have some curious thoughts here, you must know, of attempting an English and Manks Dictionary¹; and thereby of recovering some of the many words that seem to have been lost in the latter tongue. The word chumbach, for power, is one : pooar is manifestly English. I have been teasing all our connoiseurs for a derivationof sushtal, which, at first,. to a man, they were at a loss for: but we, (observe WE) are now: agreed, that it must come from scose-skeall.

The Manks is a very ancient language, beyond doubt ; and could we but get such a thing as an Erse Dictonary, we should be capable of improving, , or; rather restoring it. - We have been able, with a little study and attention, clearly to make out the sense of every word in the Erse Lord’s Prayer, baring two or three at the most and the specimen I sent you is, if possible, still more intelligible.

Very formidable weather still ! I hope it will mend, before somebody turns his face northward. Ralph, my gardener, says, by the way, that you used to remember to furnish him with predictions of the weather. Such is the force of precedents in this country, that they proceed to custom, and then to prescription. My sister has given him an Almanack, but he says " there is no weather in it."

Once again, before I fold up the paper, I cannot help repeating my sympathetick concern for our poor brother Clare ! I wish I had, or could prescribe, any thing for his relief. He has himself helped many ; none of whom, I should hope, would retort the taunting proverb, " Physician, heal thyself ²." I have often observed that the most eminent of the faculty are bad judges in their own case : insomuch, that even 1 have prescribed to one, who was of great repute in his way, at the place I came from. The best comfort I can propose to Mr Clare, he will find in Romans viii. 18 : not that I suppose him a stranger to such sort of comfort ; but, if physicians, why may not divines prescribe to each other ? I am,

Faithfully yours,

MARK SODOR and MANN.

1 See memoirs, p. 97 ; and Appendix pp234,239

2 Luke iv. 23.