United States of America. With ministers of nearly `every denomination, he exchanged letters on almost every subject, more particularly on his favourite topics of History and Theology. His advice was often asked, and his opinion frequently requested, by his junior brethren in the ministry. And no individual was more ready to render any service in his either for enlightening or improving mankind.

power,

Among his numerous correspondents were the Drs. Caleb Evans, Thomas Llewellyn, John Ash, Morgan Jones, John Williams, John Rippon, Charles Lloyd, and John Jones, author of an excellent Greek Grammar, and various theological publications— also the Rev. Messrs. Hugh Evans, William Williams, Rees David, Thomas Hilier, William Wilkins, T. Dunscombe, Abraham Booth, Job David, Daniel Jones, James Murray, Archibald M'Lean, Joshua Thomas, his son my friend and neighbour Timothy Thomas, Dan. Taylor, John Deacon, Joseph Freestone, Benjamin Phillips, J.Jones, of Merionethshire, and some leading Ministers of the Principality*.

Three Letters only of Robert Robinson have been found, one of which is deserving insertion. It is

*The Rev. Joshua Thomas, of Leominster, knew more than any contemporary of the concerns of the Baptists throughout the kingdom. MR. RICHARDS may be an exception; but even he had that opinion of his information that he carefully abridged a manuscript volume on the History of the Baptists, now deposited in the Museum of the Education Society, Bristol. This truly apostolical minister of Christ, Mr. Joshua Thomas, died at an advanced age, coming to the grave as a shock of corn in its season.

penned with that inimitable simplicity, which characterizes all his productions. The Epistle is in reply to a letter of Mr. Richards', written immediately after he came to Lynn—

DEAR SIR,

Chesterton, Sept. 28, 1776. Short as your letter is, and wholly unacquainted as I am with the writer of it, enough, however, appears to engage me to thank you for the generous offer of your friendship, and to accept your tender of respect. May our esteem be founded on principle, cemented by mutual tokens of regard, and perfected in that better state, to which we go!

Being absent from home when the bearer came, I had no opportunity of returning an answer by him. I have neither one of the Arcana, nor one of the Pastoral Letters, and I believe the shortest way for you to procure them is to order your bookseller at Lynn to procure them from Fletcher and Hodson, printers, at Cambridge. You will have them instantly with more safety and less expense than any other way. Two volumes of Saurin have been published some time ago; the third is in the press, and the fourth, which will complete the set, will be published, I hope, in the course of this winter. Have I published any thing else? Alas! dear Sir, printing resembles building-beginners dabble in both, till, having caught I know not what enthusiasm for their own productions, they cannot live without perseverance. By the way, good Sir, have you well considered the hazard of forming a friendship with

an author? Authors-what a strange race of beings! They consider their works as their children, and expect the world in general, and their friends in particular, to admire all their childish babbling. Count the cost, recede in time; perhaps you may not be always disposed to pay the tax. Seriously, I have published some bagatelles not worth any body's notice, and I am now printing two octavo volumes of a work, entitled, An Essay on the Composition of a Sermon. It is a translation of a French book so entitled, with notes by the translator. All my work is to collect examples from ancient and modern preachers, in order to illustrate the author's rules. I am not troubled for materials; but I am often at a loss for genius to arrange them.

See what an example I set of long letter-writing! Forgive me, Sir, I know not to whom I am writing, and perhaps I omit terms of address and respect, to which you have a just claim. Permit me, however, to assure you, that with profound respect,

I am, Dear Sir,

Your obliged servant,

R. ROBINSON.

Mr. Robert Robinson died in 1790 in the fiftyfourth year of his age. My venerable friend Dr. Abraham Rees preached his funeral Sermon at Cambridge, in which he paid an appropriate tribute of respect to his singular talents and unostentatious piety. His works (excepting his History of Bap

tism, Ecclesiastical Researches, and Village Sermons) were published by Mr. Benjamin Flower, who has prefixed a Memoir, which, on account of its intrinsic worth, ought to be made a separate publication.

Of MR. RICHARDS' correspondents, the largest number of letters were those of four of his countrymen, the Rev. William Williams, (some of which have been inserted), the Rev. Dr. Morgan Jones, the Rev. Mr. J. Rhees, and the Writer of the present Memoir, who exchanging letters once a month for near these twenty years past, has had about two hundred returned him since his friend's dissolution.

DR. JONES's letters breathe the purest friendship, issuing from a warm and generous heart. He was continually bent on emigration to America, and entreated MR. RICHARDS to accompany him to that land of promise-in the opinion of many, a "Canaan flowing with milk and honey!" Herein THOUSANDS have been disappointed. But the period of which I am now speaking was not long after the termination of the American war.-Disapproving of that unrighteous contest, and exulting in the sacred triumphs of LIBERTY, individuals of this description were with difficulty dissuaded from settling among their transatlantic brethren. Letters of so early a period as 1784 are written in this strain. An Epistle, however, of a much later date, effervesces with the same spirit, and shall be introduced. It shows the character of the writer.

Hammersmith, July 28, 1791. As I have heard lately that my very good friend Mr. Richards of Lynn was alive and tolerably well, I hope this scribble will find him. I acknowledge it to be very condescending in him to write an Epistle to an obscure and untitled man, after having received so many letters from, and corresponded with so many transatlantic D. D.'s, and other first-rate literati.-What say you of America now? Will there be no more persecution in England? Are not the R. Catholics more highly favoured than the Dissenters ?-Let us depart hence to the westward. We have had a captain of a ship from Philadelphia at our house twice. He spent one Lord's day with us. He was here also last Monday all day. The above mentioned Captain's name is Loxley, and the name of the ship the Pigou, Philadelphia built, and outruns every thing. The captain told me that he outran above three hundred ships from the Land's End to the River Thames! My brother declared that he would go with him now, if he could dispose of his business. The ship is to sail in about a fortnight. We are to go on board and see the ship some day before she sails. The Captain expects being here again before Christmas next. Para te, Domine, et festinato.

The Cherokee chiefs that were lately in London assured Dr. Williams that THE WELSH INDIANS exist at this time, and in great force, to the west of the Mississippi. I hope a communication will be