[From Letters of Bishop Hildesley]

Letter LX

January 15, 1767

When a man demands money after 'tis paid, doesn't he deserve correction as much as he that witholds it after 'tis due? There is indeed this difference: that the wrong demand may be founded on error or misapprehension of the Demander ; and so it may be the case of the witholder But not so likely. However, all faults are more or less deemed such in proportion to the ignorance of the transgressor. Ignorance will not wholly excuse, unless it be invincible. To apply to the case of the late demand on the Vicar of Lezayre. Through hurry in transacting and deducting of several articles due to the Vicar, the receiver of the ballance had unaccountably forgot or neglected to enter it in his paper among the rest. And this being the only one of the whole set, and heretofore more than once tardy, I was led to conclude this formerly slack brother was such this year for the latter moiety ; which induced me to speak to his Brother Wood or Cosnahan, or both (111). After, upon looking into his receipts for Royal Bounty, etc., I find them dated on 12th October, which was a Sunday; and which occasioned my asking my sister to consult her diary when or whether Mr Gill (112) had been here? When upon her consultation it appeared, he was here for about half an hour on the 10th October, Kk. Michael fair day, I then began to suspect and accuse my memory ; and even to be afraid, that though I had not the least remembrance of it, he most likely then came to clear with me; and which gave me so much trouble of mind to think I had accused the poor man, though unwittingly, yet unjustly, that I dispatched little Dan through the snow to Ramsey with a letter to be forwarded to Mrs Woods confessing my error, leaving it to the mercy of the party wronged whether to publish my shame or not. I remembered the case of a demand of a rich alderman of London upon me for a bill of grocery, in answer to which I sent up his receipt; and to his saying "it might possibly have escaped my memory," that "though my Memory was sometimes wanting my books were sure and well kept." Mr G.'s letter, which you enclosed, was very temperate; attributes my demand to mistake, and humbly requests a renewal of his lease, which is near expiring, and which I have now promised him, though it will very well bear raising, being not above half value, he shall have it on the same terms when it shall be convenient to him to come to execute it.

I am very ready, moreover, to submit to auch censure as our common friend, the Rector of Bride (113), shall think I deserve ; but have not told him so, lest he take me at my word, and I should be doomed to stand at Douglass Cross with . * . on my breast and . * . If he knew what I suffered in mind on discovery of my .* . and erroneous charge, I am sure he would acquit me of all further censure. I have certainly given him great advantage over me, wnless he is too generous to take it, and humane enough to excuse it.

We are all subject to error, but this is a sort of error less excusable than most; how- ever, tis, at the worst, less blameable than designed injustice, which all that know me will say, "far be it from him. This slip, however, has humbled me, as you may see, by my dwelling so long upon it; and I hope will do me good, by making me more careful for the future, and will be far from doing my good Proctor harm, for it will incline me to be (as I have hitherto been in some instances) particularly his friend,— and so much for this blot in the Bishop's coat, which, 'tis to be hoped, is not indelible.

And now to proceed to other matters, my pen being on the run, and when it is to stop I know not. I had this day a polite answer to my card from the Governor, signifying his intentions of being at Bishopscourt, had not this weather intervened. -I could have wished also for some sort of acknowledgement from Comptroller Bromfield, to whom I wrote at the same time, enclosing some papers to his care for Mr Quayle, his landlord, which I would have been pleased to hear reached his hands; but probably Mr Bromfield is waiting for an opportunity directly from Castletown, without thinking of the same method of conveyance, by which mine went to him. If you was to give him a short hint that any line from him to Bishopscourt (though you have a great deal of trouble from that quarter) you would safely forward, I should be obliged to you, as it will be only one article more to my insolvable debt to you.

We have plenty of snow here, however it may be with you; and yet it did not discourage the Vicar of Marown, with Mr Clucas, from coming hither to propose the latter's son to be ordained for Mr Christian's (114) assistant. He has somehow a notion, I believe, of setting up a Grammar School, for I think his strong body cannot want help in the duties of his Church.

I think you mentioned something of the new Naval Officers, among the rest, Captain Man, whom I never heard of before. I hope they are as agreeable Gentlemen as they were whose room they supply. If you told them I should be glad to see them at Bishopscourt you . * . And if you had added, that it might be for my interest to be better acquainted with them, though it might not be so proper to say, would be not less true.

I have no answer yet from Captain Otway, of Ireland; and yet I am not willing to suspect the fidelity of Captain Lockart's care and memory, as you seem to make no doubt of it.

I suppose it no more fit to look a gift dog in the mouth, than a gift horse, otherwise I should take the liberty to say, "Mr Sancho is no beauty." But perhaps I may have some prejudice, because he takes wholly to females and gives me little or none of his company. He took to my sister at first, and to Peg, and dangles with them to the hen-house and pigsties. And Hetty says he certainly was brought up by some old woman. I see no signs of madness in him, but he seems not over wise; that you'll say is because he don't take to his master. Mr Curghey has been forced to kill his, and John Hughes his also, which were both of Prince's breed. Theirs and many more have been bit at Ballaugh and Jurby, and all killed, whance it may be inferred, they are wiser folks than those at Bishopscourt However, all that are destroyed began to fall off their food, which ours never did, but has still a stomach for every thing, from a cake to a custard, and from a bone to a beefstake

I am sorry I am not to have the opportunity of performing a good office for Mr Birkett's nephew. But confirmation, you know, is not otharwise necessity, but when and where it ia conveniently to be had. I have sent to Mr Forbes to dispatch his nephew hither, for he waited only for me, that he might send him to Douglass to Corbet for writing and arithmetic, The youth, it seems, has no stomach for Latin but is a perfect * * (?) of all books of history and antiquity, and even of physics, which is very extraordinary in a boy of 15, for which he is often ransacking all the Libraries he can come at; but, I fancy, he is rather too volatile to stick close to anything he meets with, which is but the too common fault of youth. And, what is stil! more remarkable, Mr Crellin tells me he never plays with boys, and instead thereof is hunting after new books of curiosity. I had him here with me for a week, and he discovered a date on a stone of the tower, which had escaped all other scrutinies. But it is not above a century standing, and therefore must probably be done by some workman that was repairing the wall.

Past eleven o'clock! and why do you sit up so late, and when you have no company ? Why ? because I have got a trick of not sleeping till after one, owing to the complaint you have heard me speak of, which seldom or never troubles me in the day nor till about an hour after I am laid in bed. In other respects I am in tolerable good health. But this defect occasions me often not to rise till after ten in the morning. So very irregular is your friend here grown!

These are only gentle prognostics of the decay of the human system ; which, if it concludes not in 1767, cannot probably, if it last till another year, be much better off.

To which I have only to say Fiat voluntas (115). I have no children and few others to miss me, and if I was or could be sure, my name would never be mentioned after I am gone, it would give me no concern. I have neither right to nor care for posthumous fame. I shall be an individual of those millions that are gone before, and forgotten. You see I am in a scribbling humour. When my eyes are tired with reading small prints, though what I choose, I may then as well take up my pen and prate away upon paper. But, I pray, don't expect: the usual apologies for detaining you so long on what might have been deferred till we should meet. But when will that be? At Easter, you say. Very well; Easter, if we live, will soon be here. In the meantime, make my bow to madam and to sir, and two other madams whom I need not point out, for you know who I mean.

Mr Black, I hope, is safe and warm by his Brother's fireside in Bell Abbey, and so don't let her dear wish him coming on toward her through the snow.

Hetty asks what has become of the great prizes in the Douglass lottery? You never told her of such a chance for replenishing the expenses of her English tour.

I think you may as well enclose the Castletown letters under cover to Mr Castley, and you may say, why could not I have done that myself without troubling you? I answer, because, I will suppose, the more trouble I give the more I oblige you.

And here endeth this card from Your Friend,

M.

Footnotes

*Torn or Ilegible.,

(111) — Thomas W. J. Woods, Vicar of Maughold; Joseph Cosnahan, Vicar of Braddan,

(112) - The Vicar of Lezayre.

(113)—Viz., Philip Moore himself,

(114) John Christian. Mr Clucas's son, William, became Curate of Marown and was afterwards Vicar of Malew, and then Rector of Bride and Vicar-General

(115)—" Thy will be done,"