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18 To the Eev. William Cole [1774

to be put, I don't know how soon, into an Index
gatorms I To-day is ours ; let us enjoy it.

Yours ever_y

H. W.

1547. To THE REV. WILI/IAM COLE.

Strawberry Hill, July 21, 1774,

YOITB illness, dear Sir, is the worst excuse you could
make me ; and the worse, as you may be well in a night,
if you will, by taking six grains of James's powder. H©
cannot cure death; but he can most complaints that are
not mortal or chronical. He could cure you so soon of
colds, that he would cure you of another distemper, to
which I doubt you are a little subject, the fear of them,
I hope you were certain that illness is a legal plea for
missing induction, or you will have nursed a cough and
hoarseness with too much tenderness; as they certainly
could bear a journey. Never see my face again, if you
are not rector of Burnham, How can you be so bigoted
to Milton¹? I should have thought the very name would
have prejudiced you against the place, as the name is all
that could approach towards reconciling me to the fens*
I shall be very glad to see you here, whenever you have
resolution enough to quit your cell. But since Burnham
and the neighbourhood of Windsor and Eton have no
charms for you, can I expect that Strawberry Hill should
have any? Methinks, when one grows old, one's 00-*
temporary friends should be our best amusement ; for
younger people are soon tired of us, and our old stories : but
I have found the contrary in some of mine. For your
part, you care for conversing with none but the dead;
for I reckon the unborn, for whom you are writing, aa
much dead as those from whom you collect.
LETTEB 1547,— Dated by 0. June 21. * Cole was an extreme Tory,