London
To Lady Olivia Sparrow, November 30 1812
I believe you had some part of your education at *, or at least at * – for was there not something a little jesuitical in your converting my hope into a promise? As to the other convention between us, that of the medical case, tho I dare not I fear shrink from a treaty which you will pretend was ratified, I must however plead for delay, and the more so as it will not be necessary to send it, till you are landed in that sink of sin and sea coal, as Will Honeycomb calls London.*
To Lady Olivia Sparrow, January 7 1813
I inclose this to our excellent friend at [Ivar]. It will I hope make one among the many greetings you will meet on your arrival in town. May it please God to conduct you /while/ there, by his holy spirit, to remove your difficulties and to strengthen /you/ , and not only to bless you in yourself, but to make you a blessing to others. My poor prayers shall be presented for you and your dear Children. -
To Lady Olivia Sparrow, January 16 1815
I have not heard from you of an age. Do give me a line to say when you go to Town, that I may know where to send Saint Paul to wait on you. The printing will be finished to morrow I hope and it will probably be out in [deletion] ten days. I have sent your name to Cadell to send Your copy; with that of your neighbour Bishop to , but if you are moving you woud perhaps like it better to meet you in Town. I am also going to order [to] Hatchard to send You the new Edition of the Dramas with the Additional Scene in Moses.* Pray speak of this to your friends to prevent their encouraging the pirated Editions – The genuine is only printed by Cadell and Davies.
To Lady Olivia Sparrow, 25 March [1815]
Your dear Robert spent the day with us on Wednesday. He came without his Mentor, who had a cold, but not without a wise and pious Guide. Our friend Dunn was of the party, who by the way has never bestowed a single night on , tho so long in our neighbourhood with friends quite new compared to me. I am not jealous however but glad he spent his time so much more pleasantly. I was much pleased with your Son whom I drew out to take a little more share in the conversation, as far as related to the present state of the world, and he expressed himself well, and with accuracy and pleased me by taking a lively interest in what is going on. Dear Mr. Dunn did not give a very good account of your health and your letter does not mend that account, which grieves me much. I think you have judged very wisely, as you are not very stout, to abridge your London sejour. Dunn gave me great delight in the report he makes of the progress of mind and growth in piety of your dear daughter. You have laid an excellent foundation, of which I trust the superstructure will be altogether worthy. She will, I am persuaded make a strong character. You have now had time to form her to good habits which will be of incalculable importance to her future character and happiness.
To Lady Olivia Sparrow, 27 April [1815]
The Harfords spent a couple of days with us last week; from them I learnt that you do not go to Town. I could hardly believe it, till your kind invitation to us seems to confirm it. The only concern it gives me is, that I fear you do not judge yourself stout enough even for a short London campaign for that I thought was your plan. Pray be specific on this head when you write
To Lady Olivia Sparrow, 13 December [1815]
Those misguided Clergymen I named to you with Baring and Snow at their head, are I fear sadly extending the cause of Schism. They will have many followers among the young the hot headed, and the lovers of Novelty. I have read a correspondence between Mr. Baring and good Mr. Biddulph; the latter wrote a most admirable letter to the other, deploring, exhorting, intreating. He begged him if he had any objections to the Establishment to withdraw himself quietly and without the presumptuous idea of forming a new Sect, to pass at least a year in retirement, meditation and prayer. The Answer I presume was composed by the whole Conclave, for it was artfully and, on their principles very well done. Mr. Baring locked /up/ , sent the key to the Bishop with the resignation of his Living.* The Bishop returned an answer that as he was but a young Divine he hoped he might come to a better way of thinking, he would therefore give him six months for reflection before he would accept his resignation. He has ill rewarded this candor by setting up a Chapel for his own heresies in Salisbury under the very nose of the Bishop. They* are also buying chapels in various places, for the dissemination of their pestilent doctrines, for I think this is not too severe an epithet to express Antinomianism. Of one thing I am glad; they have it seems bought in London the late focus of Antinomian doctrines*, by this I trust they will identify themselves in the public opinion with this obnoxious Man. I am sadly grieved at this unhappy business Baring and Snow I thought would be very useful Men; and so they would had they confined themselves to their respective stations – but Men bred to business, without learning, and who have but a few years began even to read the Bible, might have contented themselves with being hearers without aspiring to be teachers. I pressed this strongly on Snow, telling him that we wanted pious Bankers and Merchants much more than pious Clergymen of which we had so many.
To Lady Olivia Sparrow, 27 March [1817]
Our dear Bishop – need I say of what see? breakfasted with us yesterday in his way to the great Missionary Meeting at , for which he preaches to morrow* and has half promised to take us in his way back to . He talks of not returning thither for a year, which cuts off our hope of meeting! I must not complain however, as he is going to what is more decidedly his post. I fear he will be worked to death. 7 Charity Sermons during the next Month, he is to preach in London!
To Lady Olivia Sparrow, 2 October [1817]
A thousand thanks for your very kind letter from London. I cannot but feel rejoyced whenever I see your hand writing and yet I rejoyce with trembling, when I reflect what an expense of health and strength it may have been to you. Great as the gratification is, I must beg you not to use your own hand when you indulge me with any communication. I am sure you have those feeling friends about you who would at once gladly save you the pain and give me the pleasure. To dear Mr. Obins I am already much indebted on this head. I do love him.
To Lady Olivia Sparrow, 27 August [1816]
We were much gratified by a visit of a few days from the two Mr. Charles Grants, as I presume your late guest told You. I tried much to detain him, and to bestow on us a little of that Oratory which I have so often admired upon paper, but business called him to town, and his excellent father was engaged to visit his Constituents in . His hurry however did not prevent his sending me down some good books e’re he departed
To Lady Olivia Sparrow, [March 1820]
Our admirable friend at * wrote on his Son’s marriage desiring me to invite them both to Barley Wood, as he said he and his wife had come hither immediately after their wedding 22 years ago.* I could refuse nothing to such a petitioner So they came from and staid a day and night. He is gentlemanly and agreeable in his manners, mais, voila tout. She is handsome but I thought her vapid and uninteresting. It is /all/ very well now that they are visiting about, and the days are all halcyon; but what is to become of them I cannot guess, nor can their dear father. Il faut manger dans ce pauvre Monde. And how that father is to provide a separate Establishment for one, /who/ neither can, nor probably will do nothing I cannot guess.* It goes to my heart as I know he has nothing to spare, and even the youth’s education is not finished. I shall be agreeably disappointed if he ever takes to business. When he returns to town too he will meet with his old associates, Alas!!
To Lady Olivia Sparrow, 28 May 1823
How gloriously has the Penticostal Festiva[l] [tear] if I may so call it, in London gone off!* N[ever] [tear] had they better speaking or a better Subscription at the Bible – Lord Harrowby’s was a model of Patrician dignity, and Classic Elegance. I have had a very interesting letter from Lord Bexley, in answer to one in which I congratulated him on his escape from the toils of Office* to a state of leisure which would enable him to do more spiritual good. He said, he shoud warmly devote himself to the Success of the Bible Society, which he believed was established for the Renovation of the human race.
To Lady Olivia Sparrow, [20? October 1816]
I hope you have seen a little poem called ‘Emigration’.* It is written by a young Clerical friend of mine, but is Anonymous. It is a Subject very important to the religious, moral, and patrio[tic] [tear] interests of this Country. The great and Opulent are flying from their own country to . They have turned their numerous Servants upon the world to beg or to rob. They injure Government by escaping the Taxes, and starve the poor for want of labour. Lord Darlington who draws £6000 a year from this Parish has never given it a guinea while we little people are drained.* I have a large School in two adjoining parishes, the inhabitants are all /poor/ Miners, not one able to give a farthing and trade is so bad they cannot sell a single bag of Ore, they are near perishing.* In the mean time our very Curates are living at . It really makes my heart Ach. I have several Correspondents on the Continent, all describe our Ladies as notoriously violating the Sabbath, this is not Mr. Marriott’s fault* The Pope himself expressed his disappointment at the character of the English ladies at and the gayest Sunday assemblies are held by our Country women. Is it not making Religion a Geographical distinction to do in France or what they would not do in London? If still with you thank the Bishop for his kind letter. I greatly love and esteem Mrs. Ryder