Wesley Corpus

And I rejoiced in having many opportunities of assisting him both in his studies and in his Christian warfare; which he acknowledged in very strong terms, by a letter now in my hands, wrote not long after the publication of his “Medita tions among the Tombs.” In my answer to this, I told him frankly, there were one or two passages in that book, which, if I had seen before it was printed, I should have advised him not to insert. He replied, if he printed anything more, he would beg of me to correct it first. Accordingly, he sent me, not long after, the manuscript of his three first Dialogues. I sent them back after some days, with a few inconsiderable corrections; but upon his complaining, “You are not my friend, if you do not take more liberty with me,” I promised I would; so he sent them again, and I made some more important alterations. I was not surprised at seeing no more of the copy, till I saw it in print. When I had read it, I wrote him my thoughts freely, but received no answer. On October 15, 1756, I sent him a second letter, which I here insert, that every impartial person may understand the real merits of the cause. I need only premise, that, at the time I wrote, I had not the least thought of making it public. I only spoke my private thoughts in a free, open manner, to a friend dear as a brother,-I had almost said to a pupil,--to a son; for so near I still accounted him. It is no wonder therefore, that “several of my objections,” as Mr. Hervey himself observes, “appear more like notes and memorandums, tl an a just plea to the public.” (Page 80.) It is true. They appear like what they are, like what they were originally intended for. I had no thought of a plea to the public when I wrote, but of “notes and memorandums to a private man.” DEAR SIR, October 15, 1756. A consider ABLE time since, I sent you a few hasty thoughts which occurred to me on reading the “Dialogues between Theron and Aspasio.” I have not been favoured with any answer.