Miss Creswell

Hannah More to Marianne Sykes Thornton, April 5th 1809

and &c tell me they never see or hear of – I am disgusted at her want of decency, to say the least, in not concealing her satisfaction at quitting a place, so pleasant so advantageous /so congenial/ to .7 The change must be an immense expence. and I have had a good deal of intercourse a few weeks ago about health – We agreed in thinking, that more relaxaxation [sic] from business without travelling about, and renouncing the comforts and accommodations of his pleasant home, was the best thing for him at this time of year. I hope he does relax and that you will soon if the Spring shoud ever begin, get to Battersea for your sake especially. – Shoud You see will you tell tell her that I will write to her on her kind proposal soon, and that we are soon looking out for the Barrister the Circuit being nearly over.8 I agree with you in wondering that your coud overlook that agreeable girl and chuse one so inferior both in mind and person.9 How can you read by way of learning to do good? An avow’d Atheist? An acquaintance of mine, woud have married him she said had he been only an Infidel, but he denied a first course.10 To me his writings are the blackness of darkness. Hume by his elegance, and Voltaire by his wit and the charms of his style are seducing. But tell Mr. T. if he reads it, not to let others read it, for I remember at Xt Church Miss Creswell and were frightened at his reading Hume’s Essays to them11 They were not then so strong in Religion as they are since become. Seriously I think Plays and Novels safe reading compared with books of subtel sophistry and promiscuous reasoning – I dont mean that you may not pack /up/ up good things in them. I have not yet read the C. O.12 but have run over Ingram13 which is very good, the second part I thought leaned a little more to Calvinism than I do, that is I thought it woud give the C. O. a rather more Calvinistic Air than it has lately assumed I am glad the C. O. takes up the Plan14 – I have been in constant correspondence (when able) [wi]th [tear] this good Bp on the Subject ever [s]ince [tear] he planned it. It is to raise the character morals, learning & piety of the Welch Clergy. I hardly know so pressing a cause. There will unavoidably, to save his credit be mixd with it a little too much High Church but we must be glad to do something if we cannot do all that is wanted. I subscribe and propose leaving a legacy to the St. David’s Plan. The building a sort of Welch College was partly my Suggestion. –