Phillips Family Papers

August 10 1767

Dear Sammy

We are much pleasd that you are so well satisfid & contented with your Birth [berth] hope you consider a kind providence as the first cause in this as well as in every other favour now whether prosperity is best if it make us either cannot or secure on if not thankfull we must expect adversity sure its much more greatfull to heaven to be Drawn than Drove

its uncertan when your father will come Down we are full of Business —have bult the sisturn & other things

Seing your father Dident see cause to send the spoon dont think it wood be prudence for me to send it—he knows you coved [covet] one spoon hope your wnts will be supplied soon

have sent 3 shirts 2 [ ? ] caps & towel 1 pr stocking

we are all well & scend our Love

from your effictionate

Mother

PS your granmother has been to our house John Ponter is dingeresly [sick] with a nerves fever

If I have recond right hear is linen enough to last til you come home But send more the first oportunyti if you want.

Mr Samuel Phillips

Student in hearford Coledg

In Cambreg

Dear Samuel, March 4 I am sensible of your love to us hope you dont doubt of our love to you my constant love and concern is for your temporal and eternal welfair- hope your various employments wont take your mind of from the greatest things of the Greatest moment these is no compare between time & eternite between the forever of God and the friendships of the world you are in the midst of temptations enemies within as well as enemies without if it should be suggested such a sin is littel Let it be illegible is the end a Little hell Let us reverence conscience now it will be as a thousand witnesses Let us labour more and more to know our State own Savior except a man be born again he cant enter into the kingdom of heaven Leet us plead his free Grace I commit you to the care of a kind providence

I remain your Ever Effectionate mother Elizabeth Phillips

PS so your father has subscribed toward the Library? beside yours keep your mind easy it will be much for your Advantage upon all accounts Endeavor to conduct so as to lay now foundation for uneasiness

To Syster Hannah Osgood. Dear syster this coms with our love to you hoping that thes lyns will fynd you in health as we are at present throw Gods good [ ? ] I [would?] teack thys oppertounyty to ack spres [expres?] our afeaktions to you as a brother to a syster [ ? ] to be thank foul that I have a syster to [ ? ] [ ? ] when I com to Andover that we can look with so mooch pleasher uupon each other whych I desyr for to be very thank foul for it and I desyr for for to con[ ? ] [ /} my self why it cant be so with all my brothers and and shod be glead if i cold be mad sensebel if that I have [renyead?] them I hope I shold be willing for to meack them all re son nobil sattysfacktion. It is a helthe tyme among ous throu' gods good [reg?]. I would jest haf you now that our daughters m is about mearrying as we ekspeackt betwean thys and the spryng whych is vearuy agreabel to ous tho tys a wideower with won chyld. So of most concloud wishing you helth and heappy nes and gods blessyng uppon you and yours gyv my deouty to myster Barrot and madam. My deouty to mother [ ? ] my re geard to your son and dafter love and [ ? ] to all our frynds and neagbours so I remaign your loving brother

William Osgood

Desember 4th 1749

post scryp I heaver thots of coming to Boston the for part of Jeanuwery and whare I shall reach Andover I cant tell

[UNFINISHED]

Andover November 17 1769

Dear [Samone?}

I recevd your tje 7 Instant [I] am glad to hear of your well fair its not out of [disgar?] but for want ofan oportunity that I hant wrot By what you wrot I hope your upo your gard but Don't depend apon your one strength yor where to [ ? ] strenath to [ ? ] In every time of need.

Sholud be glad to have stay til the day before than [ ? ] But an oportunity be

[not finished]

decent Manner should petition for redress, it would be at once lerned a Combination which they have not only forbid but made us (that is the 3 Seniour Classes) promise that we would not enter into Combinations of any Sort, the most [ ? ] Hardship immaginable! that should they inflict upon us the [ ? ] [ ? ] & like the [ ? ]s of Old, order us to be torn in Pieces for {their} Amusement by [ ? ] [ ? ], we may not [ ? ] [ ? ] to bring it to the Case in Hand should they most despicable Person in the World be placd in the most Important Station (as this truly is) we must remain in Silence, without the least murmur Submit our Necks to Yoke, and rather than seek for Redress, or else {the} Command and our own most solemn Engagements -- -- what greater Hardship was ever known? what greater Cruelty can be conceived of? All Gentlemen at Boston as well as in the Country are deeply sensible of our Grievance, and are astonished that he should be placed in station, Even the President has said that he was sensible he was not fit for the Equal to the Thing, and was astonished then that he was elected. * But we must not open our Mouths, and it does not appear natural for those who but just chose him, to put him down without being applyed to.

When I began I intended to have wrote but a few Lines, but I could not stop and now merely force myself to conclude & subscribe myself your very dutiful Son

Saml. Phillips

PS Col. Osgood I expected to call, but fear he will disappoint me again. The Heate of the Spring causes a Rainb[ ? ] which I had last year.

* Mr C[ ? ] is of the same garisson and I doubt not but many others of {the[ir?]} Overseers are, for it seems very strange that they should affirm the [ ? ] from [every?] [ ? ] [ ? ]

that it will be for her comfort to relinquish all thought of fitting herself in this Family it is well, and for this purposely I look upon it as the Duty of her Advisors to forewarn her of those difficulties which she will be likely to meet with there, but at the same time direct by all means to follow her own Inclination, you will ask Mr Bus[?] whether he has said any thing to me about the affair, and if he should not tell you that I have wrote, should like you should ask him whether I did not talk of it, and by some means or other, let him tell, not misstrusting that you know any thing about it, after he tells you there would be no harm in proposing to him to break it open in private, you might venture to engage that no Uneasiness would ensue, and he can do it so as not to be discover'd by Cousin Lydia, do be kind as to let me know your sentiment upon it, whether I have car ry'd any part too far, or have omitted any other it will not be worthwhile to [?] give yourself the trouble to transmit your Sentiments to me by Letter. I should be glad to have them fill'd with matter more entertaining or improving, and I hope to see you at Cambridge before long, for you determine to come this Season to see your Friends, and I shall be much longer from Home before Commencement than after: you talked of coming down in the Vacancy, but I dont ex= pect to be here then, for if my Father should give his consent that I should go to the School of Manners

__ page Cambridge 9 June 1769

M?

Mr Rupert has been at Cambridge and given me an opportunity of waiting upon him, we have had considerable Conversations about Coz^n Lydia, it appears her Affections are not yet set, & it is vary probable if Cop^rl [Jones?] should go to wait upon her from North Yarmouth, The Matter would be beyond the Power of her Friends; therefore if anything is done, it must be Speedily, I hope her Friends will treat her with the Dielicacy it requires, if she should cross her Inclinations purely to gratify her Friends, their Ends wont be effect'd, which I imagine is her Happiness, for if she should always remain in a single State, one may assure ourselves she will reflect with Regret on the refusal of so good an offer, I never thought it was so unfit, as some of her Relations, and others, M^ Jones is certainly a good natured Man, he has got a pretty Estate, he without doubt will afford her all the help she desires, & there is a considerable Doubt in my Mind, whether she will ever have another ^offer for she ^is advanced someways in Life and when a Woman has seen 23 years, and hardly ever had one Suitor, I believe it is pretty seldom that any she is fitted in Matrimony, so if she can be persuaded herself that

I can have a Teacher come up to Cambridge as cheap as I can get one in Boston, and a Number of well disposed Persons will be glad to joyn & have forwarded the thing, I believe my Father is not really against it, for my Aunt mentioned the thing to me of her own accord, and she could not know of it unless by my Father, I asked her whether that was the way she got her Information she made no reply, she, Cous^n Nabby & the S[?]avins highly recom mended, by the Way I scare ever spent my Time in a Visit more agreably, besides this, after I thought I had made several slips at Madame Foxcroft's when I ^was alone in the Room, with one of the young women, in Con versation I was speaking of the great Disadvantage Country Schol lars were under ^on the [ ? ] to their Business and having no Opportunity to correct themselves, she did not say it was not so, but sayd that a dancing school was of very great Use upon that Account, so we both con vey'd our sentiments in a way a little obfuse, which I thought was very pretty, however dont think I give myself any uneasiness about it for I would by no means enter such a school, if it is in the least I was agreable to my Father, I thot I am almost certain ^I will not so engross my attention as to be a Detriment to my Studies, I suppose my Father will aquaint you with the Mark of respect which I received from the Governor of the Colleges, and of the happy Situation of my Affairs, such things seem to add ones Life & Spirits, but be passed over in Silen I confess would work upon my Pride, which ought be mortify'd, if my Father is for Qualifying one for usefulness, I hope he wont think that lost which is laid out for that End loss

the School in general, but my Temper will not allow of my Pleasing every body. I hope I shall ever be thankfull that it was my Fortune to fall under the Tuterage of such a worthy Gentleman, he has almost every thing requisite & constitute the Schollar, and the Gentleman. I hope reason in a particular Manner to admire & esteem him for his very distinguished Favours. He has one very valuable Quality in particular, in which I believe scarce any body exceeds him, (viz) in telling People their Failings & Foibles, without incurring their Displeasure; here he has not ben wanting in his Schoolings of this he has dispensed to me liberally, tho'h not pro[??]- ly, he has ben extreamly kind uppon every occasions he scarce ever denyed me a Request, I believe never a reasonable one, he has treated me with all the Tenderness possible his rule is to treat every Body well. the Needy are Witnesses of his very great Generosity, I have great Reason to be thankfull for his friendly Caveats & kind Admonitions, but I am entirely unable to relate his Character, dispairing of ever recompensing him, except, by behaving in the best Manner I am able, Nor has be been my only Friend, but I have ben treated very kindly by the Family, Schollars, & Neighbours but about three Weeks more concludes my Enjoyment of thes Valuable Friends;

Mr Moody has protracted the Time, to the Wednesday Night before Commencement I should be glad to get out after 5'O Clock that Night so as to stay till the School breaks up There will be Time enough & it will be comfortable [sliding?]