Colonial Williamsburg Digital Library

Yours to M^r: Whitby bearing date y^e 9^th: of Jan^ry: last came to safe hands
the 1^st: of this Instant, wherein besides Your Ingratitude & ill mannners to his Excell:^ncy
in propagating & reporting (as we all here hope) a false & malitious rumour, only
to encourage a few Male Contents, whom neither, Justice, Honour, Goodness, nor
Generosity could ever oblige—w^ch: Report I supppose was politickly suggested
to You, by that Incendiary Blair, & is most ungratefully communicated to—
the Publick by Your severall Lett^rs: here: S:^r omitting the Obligations You
have to our present Governour w^ch: We all know to be so Numerous &
so great, that they would tie any one to a theankfull acknowledgement
who has not quite debauch'd the common principles of sense & Honour
But waving this I should be glad to know upon what grounds, You at
first, & ever since You knew me, entertain'd so ill an opinion of me
that You should Caution & Advise Your Friends to beware of me—
It's well S:^r You are under the security of three thousand Miles
Distance—But I may perhaps find those friends in England
that may Espouse my Cause, & vindicate my Reputation, w^ch: you
have so villainously mangled by Your affors^d: Lett^r: to Whitby—
I theank Heaven, tho I was at first aspers'd by some malitious persons
Yet at length my Innocence appeared & the Rogue that robb'd D^r: Blair
was found out, so that my Reputation now stands upon a more solid
Basis, than to be shaken by Your insipid Style or Tongue—
And Since I cannot reach You w^th: my Sword my Pen shall do me
some Justice—

May Your Distance & Your Flames for Your Dear Alice still—
increase, till they at Length soar to that height, that You become
a Whining Martyr to Love: & be Chronicled in some Lamentable
Ditty as Immortall as that of Patience Grissell or the late formidable
Ballad against our Rever^d: Clergy here, (w^ch: the Witty Author durst not
own) fitt only to be sung by Dairy Maids & fools like their Authors
& Yourself—May You be often Jilted & as often Clapt
& as an Ingenious Gentlemen sayes upon another occasion

May—The Curse of Poets, Raggs, & Poverty
Debts, Writts, Arrests, & Serjeants light on thee
For others bound mayst thou to Durance go
Condemn'd to Scraps & begging in a Shoe—

Letter
John Hall