BC_1778_EMONTAGU_EC_1

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<Q A 1778? TC EC EMONTAGU>
<X ELIZABETH MONTAGU>
 [}ELIZABETH MONTAGU TO ELIZABETH CARTER. 1778? MO 3442.}]
<P1>
Saturday night My dearest Friend
   Your last letter gave me great addition[\al\] concern. While I flatter'd myself every day was bringing with it those reflections which reconcile one in some measure to an inevitable misfortune another affliction was falling upon my dear Friend. If the pains & care the Doctor & M=rs= Pennington had taken in the education of their Son had been merely to fit him for this World, all their attentions had been lost, but as their greatest care was to make him worthy [\WORD INTO of\] a better, their labour has not been in vain. As this good young Man had a state of health & spirits too weak for the enjoyments, & indeed the bustle of human life, consolation should arise the more that he is removed from it to a state where his innocence & purity of heart will secure his felicity; here, they might sometimes have endangerd it. I feel a great deal for my dear Godson who is too
<P2>
young & inexperienced to know how little this World is worth our attachment, & of how little happiness they are deprived who quit [\it/] at ye first stage of their journey. I saw many of y=r= Friends at M=rs= Ords last night they all express_d the greatest solicitude for you.
    I honour Miss Sharpe for flying to you on your distress, & I flatter myself she will get you to Town very soon. I find this year has been remarkably sickly D=r= Price tells me there are 4000 more deaths in ye bills of mortality than last year. You & I have lasted the bitterness of affliction in y=e= course of last year pray God the next may be more prosperous.
   It would ill become me to give you lessons of piety or wisdom, so all I can do is to sympathize in your affliction. I am anxious to hear how the Doctor & M=rs= Pennington do. I sh=d= think the sooner they leave Dunstan y=e= better, M=r= & M=rs= Barboult call_d on me yesterday morning they are to dine with me to morrow
<P3>
They both look well & happy & I believe are contented with their situation.
   One has often occasion to reflect how many things far worse than death y=e= frail state of Man is liable to. The City is now in great confusion on account of Sherwood's affair. This unhappy Man was on y=e= jury when Dodd was tried for y=e= same offense. I think forgery is an epidemical distemper. An Innkeeper at Reading has been dealing in this species of fraud these two years. He was in distress a few years ago
[\TEAR\] [{ma{]ny people gave him [\money/] his Wife wrote me a [\TEAR\]
[\TEAR\] letter of their distress & I sent her 20=L= ye Members for Reading & others gave them [\WORD INTO larger\] sums & their debts were compounded. Imprudence finds pity but guilt must be punishd. I am sorry for y=e= Mans family whom no human assistance can now save from ruin. My Nephew joins with me in every kind wish & sentiment to my dear Godson. I beg my affection=te= comp=ts= to M=rs= Underdown & Miss Sharp. I am my dearest friend
   Most affect=ly= y=rs= EM
[\ADDRESS\] M=rs= E Carter / Deal / Kent