[From Letters of Bishop Hildesley]

Letter LXXIX

Bishopscourt, Jan. 19, 1769.

Dear Sir,—Yours of Jan. 14 is before me and I wish you and your consulter Mr Postmaster may bo true prophets about my letter to Durham getting there by the 1st February. As to Liverpool I have no great affection for that passage at this dangerous season, either for person or packets.

Your absence from the Trade Convention you have no reason to regret, even Mr Wilks, inter nos, was doubtful about his going, though greatly importuned, as being known to be adroit at all business whatever. He consulted me about thie expediency and my answer was the same as when he went to London on the mercantile affairs. That his absence should not be charged to my account, notwithstanding the impropriety of a cleric's being concerned in such matters; nor do I yet know the event of the consultation lately held at Douglas. ;

With regard to you paying postage on your letter to Sir John Thorold or the Society; your doing it to the former would be an affront, He so little regards it that he never uses frank covers to me, though he could have plenty for asking for, and therefore I have left off sending any to him. And the Society's letters from their corresponding members are placed to publick account.

There was no mistake of your meaning in sending young Kelly (140) to me. I was glad of the opportunity of seeing and talking with him, so far as my time and interruptions would then permit. And what I said about taking him into my house was no more than a self caution against my natural disposition, owing to long habit, for exercising my tutorial capacity. 'Tis what I take pleasure in; and when I had men of large fortunes son's with me, they were much younger for the most part tham what I have taken gratis here, and gave me far less trouble. The young lads of this Isle are hard to be brought to know themselves, and when they have been with me a while are apt to think too highly of themselves.

Corlett has told me if I had not taken him, be was to have been put to the school ; there was his gratitude, neither do I believe what he asserted was true. And Christian (141) when I appointed him to Peel said it was not so good a thing as I imagined it, and was less than many of the clergy enjoyed in this Isle, till I come to reckon up what his several appointments amounted to, viz., to no less than £65 Manks currency, and then he drew in his horns and said that, indeed, it was much more than he had reason to expect. This is the consequence of taking Manks pupils, and which you will allow to be no small discouragement to the making more trials. And yet I do not absolutely resolve against it.

And so Mr Birket has once more got safe again to his native place, where I doubt he will sensibly feel a great chasm; as somebody else did when he returned from Bishopscourt — I beg my kind compliments to him and my sisters when you write next to him.

I have here at last sent you my long intended epistle to Castle Hill, which I commit to your care to transmit.

This wind though partly fair, being S.E. and by East, I doubt is too fierce to let the pacquet venture out. If it falls to be more gentle, and holds where it is, I shall begin to expect it. And in the meantime I am

Your and Mr. Postmaster's obliged friend,

M.S.M.

Friday evening.—I hope the pacquet did not set off till this morning when the wind was moderate. But the three preceding days were too tempestuous for any vessel to be at sea.

(140)—Afterwards Dr. Kelly. See "Manx Worthies" pp. 94-5.

(141)—Thomas Christian, afterwards Vicar of Marown.