I am afraid you have thought me very /un/kind, and indeed appearances are much against me. But besides the overwhelming press of letters which always causes my answers to come slowly, I have been for near a Month very ill with a wearing fever, and am only beginning to recover a little ; this has put me much in arrears both in business and in friendship

I seize one of the few hours in which I have been able to hold a pen to write a line of Explanation to my dear M^rs. Hole

I feel much pleasure at your report of dear Felicia. I hope it will please God to give her such a measure of his grace as to restrain her from the corruptions of a world which grows every year visibly more thoughtless, more dissipated, and more dangerous to a young, amiable, and inexperienced Mind. Rational Society, books well selected from History, Travels /Poetry/ and above all books of moral and religious instruction, together with those accomplishments which can be pursued and enjoyed, in the comforts of a home circle, form some of the truest and safest pleasures of life. I believe I recommended to you M^r. Venn’s Sermons ^[1] . I know nothing superior to them – solid, sober minded, and elegantly written.

Do you know that the Heroic Epistle to Little Sally Horne, is just republished together with the Search After Happiness, Bas bleu Florio &c in a little Lilliputian Volume price only half a Crown. It is printed to match the little Sacred Dramas published last year. You must know that I sold the Copy of these works many years ago to Cadell and Davies; and this year some poor Needy Booksellers have published new Editions of these Works, this is downright piracy, and is robbing Cadell and Davies of their lawful property. In order to counteract these pirates Cadell has published these small editions at this low price and I shall be obliged to you to mention it to your friends not to buy anything of mine (except the Tracts) which has not the name of Cadell & D to it. I wish [tear] you would be so good as mention it [tear] any booksellers you may call upon. These small Editions sell rapidly in Bristol and London, I suppose they are got to Bath . Many are glad to get these Poems at so easy a rate as they were before sunk in the Mass of 18 Volumes^[2] . I can the better recommend these tiny Volumes as I have no interest in them, but I only wish to have justice done to my Booksellers. You will excuse this long story. I congratulate You on your Son’s progress. God bless them both! My Sisters, who are poorly , join in most affectionate regards to You. Mine to Miss Horne and the young Ones

I had last night a letter from M^rs. Kennicott she gives a pretty good account of herself