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you from any consideration of me, & that you may use your interest with that noble Lord & Lady on behalfe of these virtuous & good gentlewomen, whom I have assisted out of my little pittance, as much as I am able, & would do much more, if it lay in my power, for I thinke no family wants it more, or deserves it better. It is a great satisfaction to me, that your Lordship has been pleased so favourably to approve of my new edition of St. Ignatius & the other monum's of true genuine, & apostolical antiquity; & your acceptance together with that of other learned men, as well foreigners as those of our own country, has sufficiently counterbalanced the great trouble & charge I have been at, in the publication of them, without the least advantage from any one, no not from the university, from wch I might reasonably, & without the guilt of presumption have expected a gratification. They have only thought fit to present me with forty copyes of my own booke, in quires with wch I ought to be contented, and am very glad, that it will turne to a good account, they having sold about one hundred copies in Oxon, and about five months since the remainder of the impression to a bookseller. But why do I trouble your LP with these little trivial & silly accounts of things relating to myself? You have I am sure goodness & charity & kindness enough for me not to impute this lavish freedome to me as a fault.

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In my next, I may possibly entertain your L' with better thoughts, and with a more agreeable argument, being at present straitned for want of time, designing to go immediately to my Lord's house, to put this letter into the hands either of Mr. Jenkins or Mr.

Harbin. I heartily beg your Lordship's blessing and prayers, and am, with all humility & deference,

My Lord,

Your Lordship's most faithful & obedient Servant,

London. May, 1709.

L3

T. S.

I delivered upon the receipt of it your LPs kind

present to my Lady D, wch she received with all due acknowledgm's of the favour.

LETTER XLVIII.

FOR DR. SMITH.

"All Glory be to God."

MY WORTHY DEAR FRIEND,

I have already putt his Lordshippe in mind of your distressed Lady, & her two daughters; but in regard the Legacy will not be suddenly raised, I could not further presse their relief at present. I am sorry that the university made you not a more respectfull return 1. I heartily congratulate you in the happinesse you enjoy in a good conscience, which is an anticipation of heaven, & am scrupulous of taking up too much of your time, which you so beneficially employ for the public, & for the future generation, to whom you will make your memory pretious. God keep us in his reverential love, resigned to his will and mindfull of eternity.

May 23.

Good Dr Smith,

Yours very affectionately,

THO. B. & W.

1 He means for Ignatius. The Dr. had only fourty copies for

his pains.-Hearne.

THREE SERMONS.

I.

PREACHED AT THE FUNERAL OF THE RIGHT HON. THE LADY MARGARET MAINARD, AT LITTLE EASTON, IN ESSEX, JUNE 30, 1682.

ON PROV. XI. 16.

II.

PREACHED IN THE KING'S CHAPEL, WHITEHALL,
IN THE YEAR 1685.

ON DAN. X. 11.

III.

PREACHED UPON PASSION SUNDAY.

ON MICAH VII. 8, 9.

DEDICATION.

To the Right Honourable William Lord Mainard, Baron of Eastains, and Comptroller of His Majesty's Household.

MY LORD,

Though I am unwilling to decline any service which your Lordship expects from me, yet when you enjoined me, the printing of this sermon, I could not obey your command without disputing it. For I considered, that in such an age as this, where an exemplary holiness is very rare, I shall be thought guilty of most gross flattery, in the character I have given of your incomparable lady now in heaven.

But knowing I have so many unexceptionable witnesses to attest every line I have said, especially yourself, who best understood her value, and are most sensible of her loss; and being conscious to myself that I have spoken no other throughout than the words of truth, I soon broke through all the discouragements I had, either from the just censures the world would fix on the meanness of the discourse, or from the unjust ones it might pass on my insincerity; and resolved to do all that little honour

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