To Henry Mandeville, Esq;
London, Tuesday Morning.
SIR,
The generous concern you have
been pleased to take in my misfortune,
leaves me no room to doubt I shall
give you pleasure by informing you that
they are at an end; a rich relation, who
is just expired, having made a will in my
favor, which places me in circumstances
beyond my hopes. But you will be still
more happy to know you have contributed
to this turn of my fortune. The express
was arrived, with a request from our dying
friend, that we would instantly come post
to town, and we were lamenting our hard
fate in being unable, from our indigence,
to undertake a journey on which so much
depended, when the post brought me a
bill for one hundred pounds, which could
come from no hand but yours: I wish the
world was such as to make it easy for us
to mistake. We set out with hearts filled
with the sincerest gratitude to Heaven, and
the most worthy of men; and, on our arrival,
found deferring our journey, even a few
hours, would have been fatal to all our
hopes.
To you, therefore, to whom we owe the
means of taking this journey, we owe the
ease of fortune which has been the consequence
of it. Heaven has been pleased to
make the man on earth we most esteem the
instrument of its goodness to us.
The hurry of spirits in which we set out
prevented my leaving a direction for you
with my servant, which I hope has been of
no ill consequence. I have to-day sent him
a direction, and ordered him to wait on
you with this letter. As soon as my affairs
here are settled, will replace the money your
generous friendship has assisted us with,
wherever you please to order.
I am, with the most lively esteem,
SIR,
Your most affectionate,
And obedient Servant,
W. Herbert.
Bellville! is it not hard the exercise of
the noblest virtue should have been attended
with such fatal effects? He dies for having
alleviated the distresses of his friend, for having
sympathized in the affliction of others.
