Hall, Hugh. Letter book : manuscript, 1716-1718. MS Am 1042. Houghton Library, Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass.

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Ordered You to deferr ye Sale of, not knowing but in some time (if Business permit) I may again Return to Your Parts.

I should now send my Grandmother my Picture but hope to present her with ye Original which I am sure will be most Gratefull to her.

I now Conclude with ye Continued Subscription of, Your Sincere Friend & most Obedient Humble {Servant}

{Hugh} Hall {Junior}

To Mr. Joseph Parsons, {Merchant} in Boston {per} {Captain} Walker }

London {September} 6th, 1717

Honoured Sir,

A second Demonstration of Your Affec= tion I have for some time Received, but have not been Favoured with one Opportunity till now of Expressing my Gratitude for the same.

The Letters you Inclosed have {per}ticularly Answered, & those Retain'd in Your hands have given such a generall Response to, as I doubt not, will give ye Gentlemen You mention ye highest Satisfaction.

I cant Divine a Reason for ye sudden Start of Raffling You Inform me has been in our Island, nor how it came to be so far, Improved, unless it were purely from its Novelty; which were I sure of, I might Encourage, ye Transportation of such a Chimeri= cal Bath, as would Introduce several other very pleasant Amuse= ments of equal Success to ye Undertakers; & perhaps might Assist in ye Sale of my other Wiggs to the same Advantage.

The Recommendations of our Worthy Friend ye Judge has not had ye least Tendency of Service to me in ye business I am prosecuting, & the Repeated Assurances he gave You as well as my self, of his great Friendship seems already to Vanish into Ether, & to leave a Smoke of Insincerity behind them, & I am Apt to think he Surmises I discover it.

I am thankfull since I have been here, I have Contracted an Acquaintance with such Gentlemen only as have the highest dis=

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Distinction on ye Exchange, & are Capable of Advancing my Interest, & I doubt not of Success to some Schemes I have laid to Initiate my self in ye Guinea Business; & if You know how strangely I am Metamorphosed from a Student to a Merchant (by my early pursuit after business & Indefatigable Industry in Improving any thing that has a prospect of Enlarging it, you would easily beleive ye same.

I have several times been with Mrs Mendez, & very perticularly Informed her of ye State of her Tenement Adjoining to us & find she is very Willing to sell, but not forward to enter into a Contract with me her self; having Constituted one Simhon Massiah of Spikes-Town her Attorney there, & with whom She has left her Title (whose Assistants are Mr {William} Burnett & {William} Harris) & promises by this Oportunity to let him know its her desire immedi:ately to dispose of it to ye best Advantage, & if you will Comply to his Terms, or give what Offerrs he may meet with (to use her own Words) You shall have it before Another.

I am now to Acquaint You, I have sundry times paid my Devoirs to Mr Price upon Charles his Account, & have been so free with him, as to hint his Disrespect in Neglecting to answer several of Yours, You were satisfied he Received; who assured me he never had but one from Your self; & that he had so frequently Inform'd Mastrs of Ships of his Proficiency & ye particular books he was in; that he could not write any thing now; upon which, by an Unmannerly Digression, he would have Entertain'd me with a Sketch of News he just brought from London; but I again Introduced Yr Dissatisfaction, & Intimated ye Incapacity of his Tarrs to deliver such a Message to you. — Now since this I have often Ex: :amin'd my Brother, & must be so Sincere as to tell You, he is Ig: :norant in ye very Rudiments of Learning, a stranger to what Richard is Master of, & I am sure in a Regular School would be Degraded a Class below him.

I Intend in a little time for Oxford where I shall manually Deli:ver Mr Gordons favour to ye B...p of Bristol, & shall Endeavour for such a Curate as both by his Example & Preaching shall Merit Your highest Approbation.

I —

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I thought now to have Inclosed ye [per}ticulars of ye Citron Water (promised in my last) in order to let You know what my Unkle {Benjamin} in his Generosity disposed of; but Mr. Corderoy has now twice Successively given me two of ye most Imperfect, Unintelligi :ble Accounts I have ever seen from a Book keeper of his Charac :ter whereby he has deferred this Letter to ye very Last Instant I should now have Answered Yours by Mackey, which just now has Offered it self, but shall be very {per}ticular by {Captain} Combs in whom I have Shipt You some dry goods uppon my own Account, who tis Conjectured will Sail in a few days; so now shall Cons :der nothing further than ye Continued Resolution of being,

In every Regard Your Dutifull Son

{Hugh} Hall {Junior}

To Hugh Hall {Esquire} {Merchant} in Bardados } {per} {Captain} Cobb

London {Ditto} die: 1717

Sir:

I should long ere this have Cancelled my Promise of a perticular Information of Your Sons Proficiency, but that I thought it propper to allow him some Considerable time to pre: :pare for so Critical an Examination, as I Assured I should pass upon him, which I am Sensible has Occasioned a Closer Applica: :tion to his Studies, & I beleive given him a better Relish for the Latine Tongue.

Upon my Delivery of Your Favours to him, I let him know the Power You had vested me with, & how far he was under my Charge upon which I tend only Urged his good Deportment, Intimating the Sincere Account You Expected From me, & how free & Impart: :tial I should be therein.

Now after I had closed this his First Visit with my best Advice I gave him a second Invitation to my Lodging which he punctually Embraced; & then took ye Liberty of Examining his Genius & Sta: :tion, & find as ye former has Increased, so he has been proportiona: :bly Advanced in ye latter, & I am Confident had he a Tutor well Acquainted with his Temper; & Forming his Instructions therefrom; he might make (him) a bright Man, & fully answer Yr highest Expectations

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I dont by this Insinutate Mr Price's Incapacity, or any Irregu :larity in his own Methods of Education; but yet must be so Free as to Acquaint You (seing he cant Attend ye School) he has been very Criminally Negligent in ye Choice of his Ushers, who (from Enquiry) are not only Insufficient for such an Undertaking, but Young hot-headed Sparks, that without Rhime or Reason frequently Correct the Youth, & passionately Vent out their Prophanities before their Pu: :pills, which they without their Example too naturally Arrive to.

A second Remark is that ye Deportment of those Reputed ye bright: :est among them is attended with a great deal of Rusticity (& to my own knowledge) they are really Strangers to that handsome, Modest & Genteel Behaviour which very conspicuously Flourishes in most other Schools, & is Esteemed by Masters of ye best Education Essential to a Child of good Literature.

I might now proceed to their Indulgences in the long Vacations, & Un: :common Permissions of Rambling; to ye Prejudices in Religion they Encourage these Tender Young ones in, & several other Unaccountable Liberties, which are of very ill Consequence: but however, I think what I have already hinted, is sufficient to Evidence ye high Improba: :bility of their Proficiency either in Learning, Religion, or good Manners.

I am not so Vain as to Attempt any Direction in these Affairs, knowing You are ye most proper Person to lay out the Measures - of Your Son, & I am equally Assured Your Prudence will dictate the most Regular & Successful Methods of Tuition in ye Course or Profession of life You Intend him for; so since I have so plainly & Familiarly Gratified Your Respected Request desire you would Accept it, as ye highest Demonstration I now Assume, of being,

Dear Sir

Your most Devoted Humble {Servant}

{Hugh} Hall {Junior}

To Mr. John Jenkins {Merchant} in Barbados } {per} {Captain} Sprigmore

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London {September} 12th, 1717

Madam:

Yours of the 25th of June (as also one of ye 23d of April Inclosed in my Fathers) have Received, Intimating ye safe Arrival of sundries sent You, & ye great Satisfaction they gave You. I perceive my Father has fully Imparted ye Designs of my late Voyage, with ye time he Expects me again in Barbados, & my Views upon my Return there.

I hope e're this You have received a small Present of our Worthy Friend {Colonel} Tailor, who has given me all ye assurances of Advanc: :ing my Interest with Relation to Consignments that he is Capa: :ble of; & I hope You Improve it in ye pressing Recommen: :dations that may be,

I have now (I thank God) Establisht my self a very good Corre: :spondency here, so that I think of a Speedy Departure I am Sorry ye Estate gives You ye Anxiety You Mention, & that Your Tenants have so little Principle of Conscience as to deny You your just demand notwithstanding their solemn Promises to You; which to me Confirms ye Jealousy I have had of some of ye Petty Legators of {Captain} Richards, Encouraging their Evasions of Payment by ye Insinuation of their making a second Demand of all ye Rent, You may have Received since ye Execution taken upon ye Estate: Or I must suppose it from {Captain} Checkleys Children mking their Claim & Urging thier lawfull property of ye Pro: :mises. But however these things are I desire You would no more Place Your dependence there; For I am Fully Resolved since the Divine Being has Crown'd me so far with Success (if I dont Visit Your Parts) Upon my Return to Barbados to fix, & immediately Request ye Honour of Your good Company there, which I hope You'l Oblige me with, & I dare Assure You upon Your Arrival in our Island, You'l find a Paradise to Your Cold Climate, & the heat so Agreeable to Your Age, that I am much Mistaken if You ever have ye least desire of Returning.

I now shall offerr nothing further than ye Joyfull Subscription of (Dear Madam) Your Dutifull G. Son

{Hugh} Hall {Junior}

To Mrs. Lydia Colman in Boston