Phillips Family Papers

& That when in the Course of the past Season, the Thousand of Heaven have been withheld till the Field was ready to yeald no meat, & where Sickness has enter'd our Borders, and left made many Families desolate, there has been so little attention to the true Cause of these Calamities; and when on the other hand the Protection of ourt Forest, the Friendship of the Savage, and the Success of our Arms has been marvelous,

My Uncle's Letters I rec'd early after they were left at Watertown. I directly {engaged} for an {Opportunity} to a Conveeyance, but no Member has been yet from {the} Vineyard; as {the} one daily expected, and I can find no Opport'y {that} pleases me, I think it best to keep {them} in my own hand at Present. Be so kind as to make acceptable present him and my Aunt witih Duty make acceptable to him an to Mr P. Mrs Quincy and my the Family my affecxtionate Addresse not forgetting suitably due respects to Mrs M[?] & Daughter.

The notice you took of a little slip in {your} last was unnecessary I would only say on the occasion, unless you suppose me at {the} farthest remove from a disposition to criticism, espeically on the Productions of a Friend, you don't know me,and [nor?] was I apprehensive that I was writing to a Person of a different Character, I should write with less more restraint & consequently with less Pleasure.

I have dd my Un[?] letters to {Colonel} Oates of Barnstable & who enggages to take particular care of them.

I have been a few a few hours at home (which is the most I have enjoy'd at a time sinice last {April}—and had the Pleasure of giving [?] giving rise to great Joy by the [?] means of the Facts whereof [?] [?]'d me. All are well and charge me with Salutations to all as due; Mrs [?] in particular joins in my in addresses particularly as before.

Miss Betsy has {received} a line from N. Yarmouth whic h acquaints us {that} [?] all are well. {Colonel} Powell tarries [{there}?] with y [?] this Winter -- proposes to move up in the Spring. Cousin Harry is now with them.

I am pleas'd with the Prospect of {your}

tho' repeatedly waited on my Uncle, missed of seeing him, and was obliged to come out of town, without my Uncle's seeing the Indenture if not the letter; - they are left for his perusal: - my Father things it best to defer concluding on the first meeting, till his determ'n is known; and if he should decline joining in the [?] is full in sentiment of the expediency of his being one of the Trust: - consequently the meeting cannot be next week; - Tho' it is hardly possible to describe my Solicitude to see the Seminary open'd yet the same reason which prevents the meeting next week, makes it impossible to say with certainty when it will be; till my Uncle gives his answer, which I depend on very speedily, as Mr French proposes to go down on Monday, and in that care, will wait upon him. - I have said nothing of my being one of the honoured nine; because the prospect of its being my Uncle is so great I think it needless. IF my being out of that number would prevent my exerting my small powers to their utmost, for it's welfare I should be mortified; but I conclude it will not: - and to have more than three of the Family (and I could by no means be content to have it tho't I [devine?] a vacancy initiated for so) might be a disadvantae in the view of the World; it is now constructed on an open disinterested Man.. - such an one a, I think must silence the tongue of malice itself; and tho' in hardly any

For Mrs. Phebe Phillips Andover

Cambridge september 4

It is impossible my dear and honoured mama to express my gratitude to you for your very kind and instructing letter. I hope it will make a lasting impression on my heart shall endeavour as much as possible to observe every thing you wish me too and I think if of do that. I cannot fail of doing right -- aunt makes me read your letter every day after breakfast

I am very sorry to hear my dear papa has been so unwell. Hope to hear he is better soon. Please do tell brother Johney. I have no pleasure greater than a letter from him [woud] afford me. pleas to give my duty to papa grandpapa grandmama. love to brother Johney and all friends. uncle and aunt desires there love to papa and you. hopes you will let me stay a little longer. and believe me to be your most dutyfull son

Samuel Phillips

Cambridg August 27

permit me my honoured Papa to inform you how I spend my time. I read twice a day to my aunt. say my hymns and write. shall endeavour to mind every thing that is say^d^ to me. which I hope you will approve of. I am as happy as can be expected in the absence of my dear Papa and Mama Brother Johney grand Papa and grandmama. pleas to give my duty to them and love to brother Johney and all the scholars. I hope you are much better

cambridge august . the . 26

honered mama give me leave to adress [afen] likes to inform you of my safe arrival ot cambridge after a very pleasant ride we dined at major hastings. had a very agreeable diner roast goose and mice beef they were very glad to see me. we set of at three clock and arrived at 5. i feel very happy and hope i shall be a very good boy please to give my duty to gradpapa and grandmama and remain your most duty full son

Samuel Phillips

Dear Brother,

I beg you would excuse me for not writing you before and not sending you the apples which I promest you but I hope you will receive them and a few peaches with these few lines; I hope they will find you well; I have the pleasure to inform you that my Hon^rd Papa and Mamma are tolerable well. They both desire thear love to you. I expect go on the great pond again this weak I hope ^we^ shall have as pleasant a time of it as we had before. Please to give my Duty to my Uncle & aunt Foxcraft and Adue my Dear Brother. P.S. I would thank you if you would write me soon.

S. Phillips

I am now engaged upon a subject the most momentous, that ^can^ ever employ my Thoughts, while on this side Death, - a Subject upon which much depends in Eternity - one that calls for the Powers of an Angel - an Examination into the true State of my Soul - what an important Enquiry this! Here I am often call'd to supplicate my heavenly Father, for the gracious Illuminations of his Spirit; - here I [begin underline] feel [end underline]the Absence of my kind Sister whose Sentiments revive my Heart, as ^doth^ the cool Winter the thirsty Earth; as the best Expedient in my Power, I frequently ^re[?]^ to the invaluable Treasure you have entrusted me with - the free Communication of your Kind (as far as time would admit) upon a Question truly worthy the Exertion of your brightest Powers; - My Sister must remember, I ever keep in View the Integrity which I have once and again declared to be invariably my Counsellor, when I tell her these ^lines are^ far more easy - rational and

Satisfactory than ever I before met with - She contains in a few comprehensive Sentences, what Authors in Volumes have left uneffected: - Could this Person ever express a Fear lest she should weary me ^with^ her Frequency? - What stronger Intimation could have been given of the Weakness of my own Taste; - But think not, it is so far enfeebled; - your Thoughts upon the most indifferent Topicks as they naturally flow, will [begin underline] never [end underline] fail to provide a [begin underline] singular [end underline] Pleasure; - [begin underline] What [end underline] Happiness then must be in the Power of your Reflections, upon a Theme that early engaged your Attention! - With you I believe Infidelity to be fruitful Source of all the Error & Disorder of the Mind - from Infidelity spring vices of every kind - and vice is the natural soil for Infidelity so that ^they are^ universal Attendants on each other, and a reciprocal Advantage: - But were I to judge of the Strength of my Faith, from the Ardor of my Zeal for God, I could say but little in Favor of it; - I am never so alarm'd with a manifest Indifference or rather entire Disaffection to my great Sovereign, as when I consider the Inattention & Dissipation of my Mind, when I take upon me to address his