Job Orton, Salop [Shrewsbury], to Mercy Doddridge, Northampton, 9 April 1764.

Salop April. 9. 1764

Dear Madam

         I am greatly obliged by yours of March 21. and am glad to receive so comfortable an Account of your own & your Daughter’s Health. – I am willing to write now, tho’ a little hurried with Business, because I learn, that after this Session of Parliament ends, we are to have no more Franks, but under such Restriction as will, I suppose prevent my procuring any.

         I am thankful for your kind Invitation to Northampton. It would give me great Pleasure to have another Interview with you – but I am much afraid it cannot be brought about – I have not been 7 miles from home on horseback for several years, nor am I able to travel above a few miles that way without bringing upon me [bilos] & bad Disorders in my bowells, Head Achs & a painful &c of Complaints – When I have gone to Birmingham, it has been in a port chaise, & that rattles & discomposes by Brains & Nerves so much, that it is Several Days after the Journey before I am any thing capable of doing Business or enjoying Company – and I find myself upon ye whole worse after every Journey of this Kind – This is the true & indeed only Reason (& nothing in the State & Circumstances of my Relations) why I have declined my Northamptonshire Visits, which used to give me so much Pleasure. I have not been a Night from home, except at Birmingham, since I was with you; and I find a very disagreeable Necessity of confining myself at home or to a few Miles of it, if I would do or enjoy any Thing – as this is the Case I can neither promise for a Northampton Journey, waving all other Contingencies, nor hardly allow myself to hope that I shall be able to undertake one. It is painful to me to say this & no little Self Denial to stay away, tho the necessary Care of my Health & Regard to usefulness here requires it of me, especially as I have really found myself more capable of publick Service, since I have shortened the Time & Distance of my Summer-Excursions.

         I think I mentioned in my last the Reason, why I said nothing to you of wt I was doing abt the Drs Life – It was in short, that I crept on so slowly & my Design was so imperfect & my Health so precarious, that it was very uncertain whether ever I should compleat it – I have now gone, as far as I think I can go, except correcting, amending & transcribing, without your Help – Mr Clark has taken great Pains in reviewing & improving my MS. & I am going over it again with his Remarks. – But I see so many Defects & Imperfections in it, that I am almost discouraged from proceeding – and it is so difficult if not impossible to execute this Design without giving Offence to some Parties, perhaps to all Parties, that I have had some anxious Tho’ts whether it may not do more hurt than good – Mr Clark & I cannot quite agree wt shall be inserted or suppressed – He thinks some things will do Harm – I think they will do good – And since this is the Case between us, how will ye world be divided about it, if ever they see it? I should be glad of the Judgment of other wise Friends, particularly Mr Ashworth’s – but they will probably differ in Judgment about particular Parts from us both – and so my Difficulty & Discouragements will increase – In short I am quite puzzled & confounded abt it. – Pray for me, yt God wd direct & guide me. – I am very desirous to see those early Diaries & papers you refer to & wish you could send them [to] me soon – for should I come to Northampton I shall not have Time to examine them & make Extracts from them – I beg you wd immediately write down every thing you can recollect yt passed at Lisbon – for it ought to be known to your Children, if it should never be published to the world – My Work is large, quite too large – some valuable Extracts from his Papers must be suppressed – & even then I am terrified at the Thought of transcribing it – yet I neither procure, nore dare trust any one else to do it – But I would have it as compleat as I could – If I never finish it I shall leave it to Mr Clark, who I hope will do it, & should be best pleased, if he would undertake it now. – But enough of this Subject.

         I am thankful for & pleased with your  Acc’t of Tommy Steele. I hope he will do well with Mr Paul – tho I fear that to take him apprentice with nothing is ye most we can expect from him – He will see some Examples, wch I shd be sorry if he imitated – Mrs Paul I hope & believe will take a maternal care of him – I have sent him some Advice abt his Behaviour & promised him every Encouragement in my Power. I pray God to strengthen his good Beginnings – I have wrote to Mr Boyce about him & hope he will give him some assistance to improve in his Learning which I fear he much wants – having been confined so much at Home by his Fathers Lameness.

         I heard on Saturday from Dr Stonhouse, & am glad to find his Labours are so acceptable. I wish he may see the good Effect of them. – But I believe he intends faithfully & God will accept him – I wish I could send you a better Acc’t of the State of Religion here – I think it does not grow worse – Most of our young People are serious & hopeful, tho we have very few Additions made to us from without – My work my Delight & hope it is not entirely vain – May God revive his work more abundantly amongst us. – It gives me no little Pleasure to hear so well of Mr Hextal & ye Congregation, whose Welfare I tenderly interest myself in – I beg you wd present my affectionate Respects to him, when you see him, & to Miss D’s, whom I think for all the Comfort they give you & all the Honour they do to their blessed Fathers Memory & to Religion – I desire & hope they will press on to perfection

         May God strengthen & comfort you abundantly – Continue your Prayers for me, who am weak in Body & in Faith, but with all my Infirmities am

                                 Dear Madam –

                                             Your affectionate Friend and

                                                         Faithful humble Servant

                                                                 Orton

I beg ye Favour of you to [lap?] up these Letters & send them together

Address: none

Postmark: none

Notes: Mr Orton | April 9 1764 [in Mercy Doddridge’s hand]

         Remarks on the | life of Dr Dode | which he was | then writing [in an unknown hand]

Text: Aberystwyth University Library, Special Collections, GB 0982 ML/1/6/15.  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.