Saturday noon [5th January 1788]
Some days, some nights, nay some hours, like the “ten righteous
persons in Sodom,”save the rest of the vapid, tiresome, miserable
months and years of life—One of these hours, my dear Clarinda
blesst me with yesternight—
——“One well spent hour,
“In such a tender circumstance for Friends,
“Is better than an age of common time!”
Thomson
My favorite feature in Milton’s Satan is, his manly fortitude in
supporting what cannot be remedied—in short, the wild broken
fragments of a noble, exalted mind in ruins—I meant no more by
saying he was a favorite hero of mine.—
I mention’d to you my letter to Dr Moore, giving an account of my
life: itis truth, every word of it; and will give you the just idea of a
man whom you have honor’d with your friendship—I am afraid you
will hardly be able to make sense of so torn a piece.—Your verses I
shall muse on—deliciously—as I gaze on your image in my mind’s
eye, in my heart’s core: they will be in time enough for a week to
come—I am truly happy your head-ach is better—O, how can Pain or
Evil be so daringly, unfeelingly, cruelly savage as to wound so noble
a mind, so lovely a form!—
My little fellow is all my Namesake—Write me soon.—My every,
strongest good wishes attend you, Clarinda
Sylvander
I know not what I have wrote—I am pestered with people around me —
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