Chapter XLIX: Letter XLVIII: To Mr. M

August 25, 1777.

+Jack-asses.+

MY gall has been plentifully stirred--by the barbarity of a set of gentry, who _every morning_ offend my feelings--in their cruel parade through Charles Street, to and from market:--they vend potatoes in the day--and thieve in the night season.--A tall lazy villian was bestriding his poor beast (although loaded with two panniers of potatoes at the same time), and another of his companions was good-naturedly employed in whipping the poor sinking animal--that the gentleman-rider might enjoy the two-fold pleasure of blasphemy and cruelty:--this is a too common evil--and, for the honor of rationality, calls loudly for redress.--I do believe it might be in some measure amended--either by a hint in the papers, of the utility of impressing such vagrants for the king’s service--or by laying a heavy tax upon the poor Jack-asses.--I prefer the former, both for thy sake and mine:--and, as I am convinced we feel instinctively the injuries of our _fellow creatures_; I do insist upon your exercising your talents in behalf of the honest sufferers.--I ever had a kind of sympathetic (call it what you please) for that animal--_and do I not love you?_--Before Sterne had wrote them into respect, I had a friendship for them--and many a civil greeting have I given them at casual meetings:--what has ever (with me) stamped a kind of uncommon value and dignity upon the long-ear’d kind of the species, is that our Blessed Saviour, in his day of worldly triumph, chose to use that in preference to the rest of his own blessed creation--“meek and lowly, riding upon an ass.” I am convinced that the general inhumanity of mankind proceeds--first, from the cursed false principle of common education;--and, secondly, from a total indifference (if not disbelief) of the Christian faith;--a heart and mind impressed with a firm belief of the Christian tenets, must of course exercise itself in a constant uniform general philanthropy:--such a being carries his heaven in his breast!--and such be thou! therefore write me a bitter Philippick against the misusers of Jack-asses;--it shall honor a column in the Morning Post--and I will bray--bray my thanks to you:--thou shalt figure away the champion of poor friendless asses here--and hereafter shalt not be ashamed in the great day of retribution.

Mrs. Sancho would send you some tamarinds.--I know not her reasons;--as I hate contentions, I contradicted not--but shrewdly suspect she thinks you want cooling.--Do you hear, Sir? send me some more good news about your head.--Your letters will not be the less welcome for talking about J---- M----; but pray do not let vanity so master your judgement--to fancy yourself upon a footing with George for well looking:--if you were indeed a proof-sheet--you was marred in the taking-off--for George (ask the girls) is certainly the fairest impression.

I had an order from Mr. H---- on Thursday night to see him do Falstaff;--I put some money to it, and took Mary and Betsy with me:--it was Betty’s first affair--and she enjoyed it in truth--H----’s Falstaff is entirely original--and I think as great as his Shylock;--he kept the house in a continual roar of laughter:--in some things he falls short of Quin--in many I think him equal.--When I saw Quin play, he was at the height of his art, with thirty years judgement to guide him. H----, in seven years more, will be all that better--and confessedly the first man on the English stage, or I am much mistaken.

I am reading a little pamphlet, which I much like: it favours an opinion which I have long indulged--which is the improbability of eternal Damnation--a thought which almost petrifies one--and, in my opinion, derogatory to the fullness, glory, and benefit of the blessed expiation of the Son of the Most High God--who died for the sins of all--all--Jew, Turk, Infidel, and Heretic;--fair--sallow--brown--tawney--black--and you--and I--and every son and daughter of Adam.--You must find eyes to read this book--head and heart--with a quickness of conception thou enjoyest--with many--many advantages--which have the love--and envy almost of yours,

I. SANCHO.

Respects in folio to Mrs. H----.