Nathaniel Neal, Million Bank, London, to Philip Doddridge, Northampton, 29 March 1750.

Dear Sir

         Your silence since my last letter has given me no inconsiderable degree of concern, as I could not help imputing it either to some personal or family indisposn, or else to your uneasiness at Lord Halifax’s forgetting or neglecting your appln to him in behalf of Jos Paine; if ye latter by ye cause, his Lordshiop has made me ample recompense by a very obliging letter wrote to me from Bath, wch came to my hands last night, excusing his forgetfulness, & inclosing a letter to Col: Herbert wch I delivered into the Col’s hands this morning, when the Col: told me, he was to set out for Scotland next week, where ye Regiment now is, & unless some very unexpected reason prevented it, he wod send up a discharge for him in 5 or 6 weeks time to his Agent in London, to be delivered to me, on my paying 5 Gs for another man, wch I told him I wod readily do. I shall therefore write a very respectful letter to my Lord Halifax by this post, to return him thanks for his condescention in interposing in this poor man’s favour, wch from Col: Herbert’s open & courteous carriage will I believe be effectual, but, if it happen otherwise, my oblign to his Lordships friendship & yours, is not thereby lessen’d.

Dr Avery was hinting to me yesterday, ^that^ ye same New Engld Gent: had been enquiring of him concerning me, with a view to appointing me Agent, for the Massachusett’s Colony in New Engld; and, as I understand, on your recommendn; And the Dr Himself was not I believe wanting in speaking of me to ym in a friendly way. But if any appln shod be made to me on that head, I hope you will not esteem it any disrespt to your friendship, if I shod decline accepting it. The business in genl I have no experience in, is out of ye way of my profession, will require freqt attendances on Ministers of State, wch I greatly dislike, & am very unfit for, & wch in all probability will interfere with my other Engagements, bring upon me a heavy correspondence, & plunge me in business beyond my abilities & strength; And I apprehend the profits may be much more sensible to a Mercht than they could be to me; tho’ wt they are, or whence to arise I know not. But were they ever so inviting, unless I could clearly discern that I was able to serve the Colony to their entire satisfaction, & my own honour, it wod be weak in me to accept it. Any business yt falls within ye limits of my profession as a Lawyer, I shod not decline; but I have a great dislike to undertaking wt I do not tolerably understand. Perplexity & disapptmt are the natural inconveniencies resulting from it.

I return you my family’s & Dr Lardner’s thanks as well as my own, for your excellent Sermon, wch wn I read it last Lord’s day evening to my household, I could not refrain watering wh Tears.  The Trustees have now empower’d me to acqt you they will allow £4 a piece pr year, for 2 more Lads, if you can find such who are seriously inclined, to be instructed in Grammar learning, wch will make your number 5, & ye exhibition 20£ a year.

I will not detain you longer than to assure you of ye entire & most affectionate regards of my family, & yt I am with every good wish for yours Dear Sir

                             Your most faithful humble Servt

                                         Nath: Neal

Million Bank

March 29th 1750.

The inclosed Cases are sent me by Mr Pope, as not having been relieved by Sr Jos: Jekyll’s Charity. I wod have had him recommended ym to you himself & told him, I knew you wod readily serve ym, if there was room & opportunity.

Address: To | The Rev: Dr Doddridge | at his house | at | Northampton

Postmark: illegible

Endorsed:   1750 | Mr Neal March 29 | [illegible]. [in Doddridge’s hand]

Mr Neal | July 17. 1750. [possibly the date of the reply, but this note is not in                               Doddridge’s hand]

Text: Aberystwyth University Library, Special Collections, GB 0982 ML/1/6/12. My thanks to William Hines, formerly Information Services Departmental Fellow, Abersytwyth University, Aberystwyth, Wales, for sharing images of these letters with me as well as backgrounds on correspondents and named individuals. The above letter is not mentioned in Geoffrey Nuttall's Calendar of the Correspondence of Philip Doddridge (1977) or Nuttall's Philip Doddridge: Additional Letters (2001).