ipse callenti, literulas hasce meas parum Latinas mitto. Quoque magis tam parvuli hominis audaciam mireris, etiam fidenter mitto: certo sciens te semper ad scribentis animum, potius quam ad linguam, spectare. Neque dubito quin tu quamvis grammaticorum qui nunc vivunt optimus, culpeculis tamen meis, solœcismis scilicet erroribusque grammaticis tanto facilius sis condonaturus, quanto severius in vitæ meæ culpas semper animadversurus sis. In legendis interpretandisque literis tuis duos fere integros dies contrivi, multoque labore, maximâ industriâ, summâque animi intentione eo usque progressus sum, ut jam epistolæ tuæ sensa me intelligere crediderim. Quæ de Nicolaide nostro, bono, et pererudito viro dicis bene et vere dicta sunt. Vir probus enim mihi videtur, doctus etiam, ingenuæque indolis. In iis, quæ a te de me dicuntur, amicitiæ tuæ magis quam veritati consuluisse videris. Magna tamen utilitas ex commendatione tua mihi, uti spero, continget. Dum enim summis viribus enitor, ne me temere et omnino immeritis laudibus videaris extulisse, hoc ipso conatu melior, cultior, atque etiam forsan ornatior evasurus sum. Desunt mihi verba ad exprimendam indignationem meam in istos nefarios homines, qui non tam regendæ, quam obruendæ, reipublicæ curam sibi susceperunt. O miseri cives! quibus pristina libertas a majoribus nostris tam strenue, tam viriliter propugnata, oblivioni jam mandata est. Contra, O vera Britannorum soboles, heroes qui antiquo patrum nostrorum more, paci, divitiis, vitæ ipsi libertatem anteponendam censuistis, vobis omnia fauste feliciterque eveniant! Quæ mihi Nicolaidi nostro dicenda mandavisti, ea illi omnia fideliter enarravi: qui hoc tibi responsum ita mihi Græce dictavit. Ὁ ἐξ Ἠπείρου Νικολαΐδης ἀσπά ζεταί σε ἀπὸ ψυχῆς, χάριτας φιλοφροσύνης τῆς σῆς πρὸς αὐτὸν οὐκ ὀλίγας ὁμολογῶν σοι. ̓Απαρεῖ δὲ αὐτὸς πρὸς Λονδινὸν ἐντεῦθεν ἐν οὐ πολλαὶς ἡμέραις, σέ τε ὀψόμενος [ὸν μάλιστα ὑπεραγαπᾷ] αὐτοσὲ ἔλθειν. Καὶ τῇ αὐτῇ αὖ ἡμέρᾳ οἴκαδε πάλιν, εἰ δυνατὸν, ἐπανελθεῖν διανοεῖται. Jamque vale, mi Samvelis! neque enim amplius sufficiunt vires. Paradisum nostrum, optimæ indolis hominem meo nomine quam amice poteris salutes oro. Jonesium etiam nostrum de omnibus præsertim de me optime meritum certum facias, me illi arctius officiis devinctum esse, quam unquam fuit Pyladi Orestes aut Pythiæ Damon. Ad Pricæum jam scripsi. Tibi, uxori, et filiolæ tuæ, a D. O. M. omnia fausta precor. Dabam Balneopoli, 19. Feb. 1776. P. S. Mihi Anglice rescribas vehementer oro. Si enim aliter faceres, summam industriam, patientiamque meam superaverit labor ille stupendus epistolæ tuæ legendæ. Sin autem Latine rescribendi te magna lubido invaserit, epistolam tuam postquam scripseris, Shillitoo aut cuivis alii scribæ solerti transcribendam tradas-Jamque iterum vale. Parr had no fixed clerical duty; he preached occasionally for Mr. Smith, and very often for the Rev. Walter Williams of Pinner, and once had the care of the Church for a month at a time. Whilst at Harrow, he served the church at Kingsbury from Christmas till Easter 1769, immediately after his ordination. His duties in the school at Harrow and Stanmore fully occupied his time. Whilst at Stanmore, Parr published nothing, except in a review or magazine, some criticisms. His eldest daughter, Sarah-Anne, was born at Stanmore Dec. 31, 1772. CHAP. II. From 1777 to 1786. I HAVE alluded to the causes which more immediately influenced Parr's determination to leave Stanmore, and to become a candidate for the school at Colchester. Through Bennet Langton Esq. he applied to Dr. Samuel Johnson for letters of recommendation, which were kindly granted, as will be seen by the following letters of Mr. Langton, and Mr. Boggis, one of the Aldermen of Colchester: Mr. Bennet Langton to Mr. Parr, dated DEAR SIR, London, Feb. 5th, 1777. I hope you will have received, when this arrives, the letter did myself the pleasure of writing to you on Monday, wherein I mentioned my intention of applying to Dr. Johnson, as you desired. Yesterday morning Mr. Paradise and I went to his house, and were informed that he was expected before dinner in town from Mr. Thrale's; we staid in that part of the town as late as we conveniently could, but as he was not then come we left word that we should call again as this morning, which we did, and found him only then just arrived. It is, I assure you, dear Sir, but doing justice to his expressions, on our application to say, that nothing could be more friendly than they were. He said he knew of few, if of any, that were so well entitled to success as yourself in an application for presiding over a seminary of education; and expressed the opinion of your possessing all the kinds of learning requisite for that purpose, in very high terms of praise. He said we might apprise you of his intention of immediately complying with your request of writing, and seemed anxious to do it in such a manner as might most fully evince the sincerity of the testimony he should give. I remain, dear Sir, your affectionate humble servant, BENNET LANGTON. From Thomas Boggis, Esq. to Mr. Parr. DEAR SIR, I have to acknowledge the receipt of your favour of the 30th ult. Shall be glad to hear of your being rid of your cold. I have now to inform you, I have fixed the election for a master of our free Grammar-school to be on Wednesday, the 19th of this month; at which time, if convenient to you, shall be glad to see you here, when I make no doubt shall be able to give you joy of being elected. I had the honour of a letter this day from your friend Dr. Johnson on your behalf. Have had a meeting of our Corporation, the members of which all wish you success; and I remain, dear Sir, your humble servant, THOMAS BOGGIS. P. S. I hope to see you at my house when you come over. By Dr. Nathaniel Forster he was received with open arms, and was offered curacies in addition to his school in the following letter: SIR, Dr. Forster to the Rev. Mr. Parr. Colchester, 29th Jan. 1777. Having the pleasure to find that you are now without a competitor for our school (Mr. Causley having declined), I beg leave to mention to you that I have the care of two churches in this town, for which I wish to have a Curate. One of them is small, and very near you; the other not large, but at the distance of near a mile. The duty is service at each once a Sunday. The weekly duty I have for many years past done myself, but am now under a necessity of giving up the business of burials, on account of my gouty feet. These, therefore, must be undertaken by the Curate. And I am also obliged to load him with the buryings of a third parish in the town, annexed to that which I serve myself. Upon a calculation for seven years past, I found the average number in the three parishes to be 54 in the year. I still mean to do all the other weekly duty. I now give £50 a year for the service of the two churches on Sundays, and I mean to make the salary 50 guineas, in consideration of the additional duty above-mentioned; any part of which, however, I shall be always ready to do when I am able. If you choose employment of this kind, I am confident you will meet with nothing so convenient to you in this neighbourhood. I have, indeed, declined engaging myself with any gentleman for these churches since Mr. Smythies's death, upon the idea that they might be convenient to his successor; and shall still keep them open for you, if you have any thought of closing with my proposal. I must, however, beg the favour of an answer, I do not mean a categorical one, as soon as possible, and am, Sir, your most obedient, humble servant, NAT. FORSTER. The names of the two churches are Trinity and St. Leonard's. Parr succeeded the Rev. Mr. Smythies at Colchester in the mastership of the school, and went to reside there in the spring 1777. He repaired the school house; he took a neighbouring house for the reception of scholars; and though the success of his endeavours to establish a flourishing seminary was very inconsiderable, he always looked back with pleasure to that period of his life. But at Colchester, no more than at Harrow, or at Stanmore, was he perfectly at peace. He had a contest with the Trustees of the School concerning |