Letter 4189

Fol. 66r

Dublin Nov^r 27 1727

S^r

I shou’d sooner have acknowledged the favour of your
very instructive letter of the 10^th of Oct^r last, but was
unwilling to give you the trouble till I found a convey=
ance for the picture, which you to me the honour to accept,
I send it now by long sea to London, and with this the Bill
of Lading y^t you many know where to send for it. I
cannot engage for the good performance of the painter,
but assure you it is by the best I cou’d get here. I
heartily with I cou’d have presented you with some
thing of greater value, y^t might have bin a testimony
of the great honour and esteem I have for your
worth and knowledge, and for your applying it, as
I see you do, for the benefit of Mankind, which in
my opinion is the true use of all sciences.

When I was at Londonderry, I apply’d my self
to planting and Gardening & made some ^progress^ but since
I came to Dublin, I have had neither conveniences
nor leisure to prosecute my inclinations y^t way.
Tho I can not lay aside the study of Nature and the history
thereof, and have furnished my self with a good quan=
tity of books on those subjects, amongst which I find
few equal to yours, I have endeavoured to ^press^ my friends
on the study of the Natural History of Ireland, which
affords many curiosities equal to most Islands, but
cou’d never prevail with y^m to apply y^mselves
y^t way, the straitness of mens fortunes, y^t vouchsafe
to live at home and the universal power by &

Fol. 66v

extreme indulgence of the inhabitants make ym look no far=
ther yⁿ the necessarys of life. All men of considerable estates
chusing to live any where rather yⁿ at home and all places
in church and state being generally filled with strangers
who either act by deputys or spend y^r time whilst here
in amassing what mony they can to spend elsewhere;

I find strangers, who visit other countrey than
their own, commonly are more inquisitive and give
better accounts of curiosities yⁿ the Natives. In my
opinion Kempfer [Englebert Kaempfer] has given account of several things
in his travels which we shou’d never have had from
the Natives, particularly of the parfron [?] Mummy , of Camphire
dragon Blood, Assa faetida, Bezoar, Tea, the palm tree,
the Tartarian lamb, the Bannian mloxic^at^iny drugge,
the state and Herbal of Japan, with many other
new and remarkable matters, I wish he had obtained
a better graver and bin Master of a better style
I think considering the extent ^of^ your travels, y^t you
have much outdone him, I only cou’d desire y^t you
had presented your Method to ^which^you often refere
with y^e book, I have it, but ^it^ is not always at Hand.

I do not despair of ^our^ sometimes getting Cyna=
mon, Nutmegs, Tea and coffee with pepper &
cloves, but yⁿ they ought to be transplanted to
a proper soil, which surely, ^may^ be found in Carolina,
Jamaica, Barbados or some of those hot Isles.

I am afraid all this may appear exceddingly im=
pertinent to ^you^ and shou’d be extremely concerned
if it should detain you one hour from
those very usefull and most Charitable

Fol. 67r

affairs in which I find you ^are^ engaged & continually
employed, I only adde my most hearty prayers y^t
God ^would^ be pleased to protect and preserve your, till you
be able to see all your good designs for the publick
brought to perfection, which shall be the continual
petition to God of

S^r
Your Most Humble
and obliged ser^t
Pritt. Dublin
[William King, Archbishop of Dublin]