fume, bring you the fureft Way to that Church, which I imagine you already think moft conformable to the Word of God.

I find the Letter you laft honour'd me with contains a new Question, and that a very material one, viz. What is the best Way of interpreting the facred Scripture? Taking interpreting to mean understanding, I think the best Way for understanding the Scripture, or the New Testament (for of that, the Queftion will here be in the first place) is to read it affiduously and diligently; and, if it can be, in the Original. I do not mean, to read every day fome certain Number of Chapters, as is ufual; but to read it fo, as to study and confider; and not leave, till you are fatisfy'd that you have got the true Meaning.

To this Purpose, it will be necessary to take the Affiftance of Interpreters and Commentators; fuch as are those called the Critics, and Pool's Synopfis Criticorum, Dr. Hammond, on the New Teftament, and Dr. Whitby, &c.

I fhould not think it convenient to multiply Books of this kind, were there any one I could direct you to that was infallible. But you will not think it strange if I tell you, that, after all, you must make use of your own Judgment, when you confider, that it is, and always will be, impoffible to find an Expofitor whom you can blindfold rely upon, and cannot be mistaken in following. Such a Refignation as that is due to the Holy Scriptures alone, which are dictated by the Holy Spirit of God.

Such Writings as Mr. Mede's, and Dr. Lightfoot's, are very much conducive to lead us into a true Senfe of the Sacred Scriptures.

As

As to the Method of reading them, Order requires, that the Four Evangelifts fhould, in the firft place, be well ftudied, and thoroughly understood: they all, treating of the fame Subject, do give great Light to one another; and, I think, may with the greatest Advantage be read in Harmony. To this Purpose Monfieur le Clerc's, or Mr. Whifton's, Harmony of the four Evangelifts, will be of use, and fave a great deal of Time and Trouble in turning the Bible: they are now both in English; and Monfieur le Clerc's has a Paraphrafe. But if you would read the Evangelifts in the Original, Monfieur le Clerc's Edition of his Harmony in Greek and Latin will be the

beft.

If you find that by this Method you advance in the Knowledge of the Gospel, when you have laid a Foundation there to your Satisfaction, it will not be hard to add what may help you forwards in the Study of the other Parts of the New Teftament.

But I have troubled you too much already; for which I beg your Pardon; and

AS it is common for all Perfons when deprived of a certain Happiness, to use all Endeavours to make their Lofs lefs grievous; fo, Sir, though I am by the Distance between us, deprived of

the

the Pleafure of your Company, give me leave to keep up the Friendship between us, by an Epifto lary Correfpondence, and having little elfe to write to you, fhall only fend you fhort Account of what occurred the most remarkable in

my Journey to London. Tho' Sir, you may think that we have all the News in Town, yet favour me with a Letter, and draw me from the Inquietude and Fears of being by Abfence blotted from your Memory.

In our firft Day's Journey nothing fignal befell us, fave that the Coachman ftopt at least a dozen Times to drink and light his Pipe. Furthermore, a hard Shower of Rain fell upon us five Miles beyond Dorchefter, but wet us not, we being in the Stage-Coach; we dined this Day upon a Leg of Mutton and Spinage, and had good Southam Cyder.

As foon as we came to our Inn, I took a View of Dorchester. It has a Market-House in the Middle of it, and there is a River running by it, in which it is credibly reported there are fome Fish. We fupped this Night upon a Neck of Mutton and Broth, and fome rare October as pale as Sack, and as foft as Sherry, and as strong as Brandy Rare Beer, indeed!

When we came to Piddle Town, they brought us fome run Wine; it was fmall and four, so that I (being alfo fafting) could not drink above a Quart thereof. When we came to Blandford I allo took a View thereof, it has alfo a Markethouse in the Center, and a River running by it, near unto which, there is Store of MeadowGround I faw there a very comely bay Gelding, lame of the String-balt-it was a thousand pities We dined this Day, upon a good fat

Gammon

Gammon and Greens, and had moreover excellent October.

We ftopt in Cranbourn Chafe, at a fmall Hut upon the high Way; where I gulped a thwacking Glafs of rare French Brandy, and eat a Bifcuit; the Ways here are very good, being all upon the Down, and you fee on every Side Flocks of Sheep: we dined this Day upon Beef and Carrots, the October not ftrong enough.

When we came to Salisbury, I walked into the Market-Place and round it, for at least a quarter of an Hour, because I would be able to give a good Account of this City. It lies low, and has Water about it; it has a large Market-place, and they fay, they have a brave large Church, but our Beer at the Inn, was very bad-We fupped this Night, on Bacon and Fowls-the October ftark enough.

Stockbridge is famous for ftore of Fish, upon which, I concluded before I faw it, that it had a good River near it, and it proved fo. Here I drank fome bottled Ale, and a Dram after it: excellent French Brandy! Sutton has nothing extraordinary, but that it is a poor, little, ordinary Town. We dined this Day, upon a Hog's Face and a couple of Rabbits. No good Beer!

Basingstoke ftands upon the Side of a Hill, and near it there is a Common; there is alfo, hard by, a Deer Park, belonging to fome great Duke, but I know not who it may be, it is like he has a Place at Court, for they fay he feldom lives here: here we drank a Dram, and I jogged on.

We lay at Hertford Bridge. It ftands close by a good Heath, twenty Miles over, for aught I know to the contrary; my Landlady was a Wi

4

dow

dow Woman, and a very good Woman she was -I never fupped better in my Life-time.

We had Bacon and Eggs, and a roasted Turkey, and fome good brown Beer. As we went through the aforefaid Heath, we faw a Gibbet where a Highwayman had been hanged― May they all come to the fame untimely Fate!

Egham is a long Town, not worth the Pains to describe it so exactly as I have described the reft there are two or three Inns in it, but never a Market-house: here I firft faw the River Thames and a lovely fweet River it is We dined at Tim Harris's; we had a Leg of boiled Pork and Turnips, and fome curious Red Port; the Maid of the Houfe knew me, but I pretended not to know her, for I fuppofe fhe expected fomething from me; fo I thought it became us Travellers, to carry our Wits about us.

Brentford is the longest Town I ever faw, it ftands upon the aforefaid River Thames, and has a Market-houfe in it. Here I faw fitting upon a Bench in the Street, a grave, fat, old Gentleman, with Whiskers and a fur Cap; he had likewife on, a long, grave Coat; I bowed to him, taking him to be the Mayor of the Town, but they told me he was a Waterman past Bufinefs- Here I drank half a Pint of Lisbon. Very good!

Beyond Hammersmith, I began to fee a great many fine Houfes on both Sides of the aforefaid River Thames; I was furprised to hear that many of them belonged to Tradefmen in the City; for I thought they all belonged to noble Dukes. Juft as we came into Hammersmith, a Wheel broke off from the Coach, and while it was mending,

I went