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216 Election-Letter to Sir. W. Meredith. --His Answer.

Fortune promised to make their voyage prosperous.

From the moment that Ernest Augustus was affiance to the Princess Palatine, grand-daughter to James the First, the Court of Hanover became celebrated throughout Europe. To this Court, so brilliant before, the late marriage made no small addition of splendor. The young nobility then at Zell, as well natives as strangers, thought it a point of duty, as well as gallantry, to wait upon the bride to the Court of the Prince her husband; and at their head appeared young Count Koningsmark, a noble Swede, in the flower of his age, full of vivacity, and equally formed for love and war. 

Tho' born in Sweden, he had been trained up at the Court of Zell; and, while both the Princess and he were children, he was particularly happy in being distinguished by her. Approbation on the one hand did not fail to produce zeal and assiduity on the other; and tho', in the infant state of their minds, neither could be aware of the cause, yet the Princess was never so pleased as when young Koningsmark was with her, nor Koningsmark so gay as when waiting upon the Princess.
(To be concluded in our next.)

Mr. URBAN,
The following letter was written by the Rev. G. S. a Dissenting minister at Liverpool, and sent by him (before the last general election) to Sir William Meredith, while he was canvassing votes for that Borough. I have likewise enclosed Sir William Meredith's answer, containing his sentiments of a sacramental test, &c.

By inserting these letters in your useful collection, you'll oblige
A constant Reader.

To Sir William Meredith.

SIR,

I am free of this borough, clear of all engagements to any candidate, and without attachments to any party, but that of honest men who wish well to the civil and religious liberties of mankind: I, therefore, intend giving my vote in the manner that shall have the truest tendency to preserve and extend rational liberty to the whole community. But, previous to my determining anyway, as I would hope you have made the civil, political, and religious liberties of mankind the subject of your studies; I take the liberty of asking you, if a bill or bills should be, during your feat in parliament, brought in, praying a full and entire toleration, free from subscriptions, for Protestants of all denominations, and repealing the sacramental test which now deprives the community of the good services of many valuable members, Would you, upon your honour, vote for it? I shall take an answer in writing a favour, and if your sentiments should prove contrary on the important subject, I will return it without making any dishonourable use of it to your prejudice, and vote as to myself shall seem best.

[To the above Letter Sir William Meredith was pleased to return the following lowing Answer:]

SIR,
I Received the favour of your letter this morning, and am happy to retire a little while to acknowledge it. This question you are pleased to propose is of such a nature, that, in my present state of absence from reflection, I durst not perfume to answer it, had I not considered the subject before. I apprehend the only difference that subsist between many of its ceremonies are retained, in others fewer, in some none at all. Every exclusion from a common national benefit is, in its own degree, perfection, which nothing can justify but necessity, and that necessity must arise from the danger of admitting persons to a share in government which from opinion and principle they don't assent to; but all Protestants are agreed in this one point, to support out present constitution, as a republic, a under the administration of a king, whole title is faced whilst he deserves our laws, but forfeited if he attempts to break them. Since, then, we are all united in our principles of civil government, there can be no cause to deprive any Englishman of the emoluments of his country, nor our country of the benefit of any man's services, merely because he is a degree further from Popery than this neighbour. The [   ] religion is not bad for society on account of its superstition, but the doctrines it maintains with regard to civil power. If, therefore a bill is ever brought into parliament to extend the toleration of all Protestants to a free communication of every national good. Should I be chosen into Parliament, upon my honour, I will not only assent to it, but use every faculty I have to support of it; and am so far from desiring you to conceal, that I wish every man knew, my thoughts on the subject, though I should have expressed them not in to rude a manner, had I leisure to be more correct. Were you to submit to read my sentiments of toleration, I would some time hence communicate my poor opinions why it has not yet and why it ought now to be carried to the length yo, and I am sure I myself, this ought. 
I don't take the liberty to solicit the interest of one in your station, as you will give it on better motive than my request; but will take the first opportunity of waiting on your whenever I can command an hour. I am, &c. 
W.M.

Mr. URBAN, 
The following letter, being curiosity, may perhaps entertain your readers. It was occasioned by a presumptive successor's enquiring, in a feigned name, the state of health of a very old incumbent on a valuable, college living Dorsetshire. The letter of enquiry being sent to the clerk of the parish, was delivered by him to the rector, who answered it immediately in the following manner:
SIR, Stalbrige, Nov. I, 1736. 
My clerk being a very mean scribe, at his request, I now answer the queries of your letter directed to him. My distemper was an acute continual fever, holding, from the beginning to the end, about a month, with an intermittent delirium for ten days; contracted (as I suppose) by taking cold, after a walk of four miles, in the midst of a very hot day in July last. I have been perfectly recovered by the blessing of God upon  my son's (a doctor or physic) prescription; an I have officiated both in the church, and at funerals in the church yard, about three hundred yards distance form my house. The discourse of my release was grounded upon a flight disorder looseness for two of three days, but not so violent as to require any confinement within door. As to my present state of health, with respect to my appetite, digestion, sleep &c. it is equally good, or rather better, in some things, than before; particularly in the steadiness of my hand. I never use spectacles, and, I thank God, I can read the can read the smallest print by candle-light; always free from gount, stone, or any habitual illness: And though I entered into my 81ft year on the 2nd of March, the greatest incommodity I yet find in my old age, is some little defect in my hearing and memory. There are mercies, which; as they render the remaining dregs of life tolerable, so I desire with all humility and gratitude to acknowledge; and do heatily pray, that, together with all other blessings, they may descend upon my successor (whoever of that worthy and much honoured society he shall be), whenever it shall please God to call. I am, Sir, 
Your unknown humble Servant, Richard Wright
My clerk's name is Robert Dowding. Your letter cost him 4d to the footpost, who brings it from Sherbourn.
N.B. This worthy old divine, whole temper of mind seems truly edifying, survived this letter about a year, and was then succeeded by the enquiring expectant. 

Critical Remarks on M. de Voltaire, 
Continued form P. 129.
"DAVID, whole predecessors had not even iron, left Solomon his son, twenty-five thousand millions (six hundred forty-eight millions present currency), in ready money.
Miscell. Vol. VII. Chap. I.
"Could Solomon be so rich as is pretended? The Chronicles affirms that the petty kind David, his father, left him about twenty thousand millions of our money present currency, by the most moderate calculations. There is not so much ready money in the whole world, and it must have been difficult for David to amass this treasure in the little country of Palestine. 
Phil. Dict. Aft. Solomon. 
First, we observe, that in the Miscellanies, the sum left to Solomon by David, is raised to twenty five thousand millions, and that in the Dictionary it is reduced to about twenty thousand millions:  there are therefore about five thousand millions, abated. This difference well deserves to be noticed: above a fifth more or less, in a sum, is an abject. 
We are told, that, in this last calculation the most moderate compilation is adopted (a)' proof that the 
(a) In the Treaties on Toleration, M. de V. reduces the sums left by David to nineteen thousand and sixty-two millions, though he includes in them the sums which the officers of that Prince also gave for the building of the Temple. So many variations, sufficiently prove the uncertainty of his valuations.  

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