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The Philander Chase letters were written in the 18th and 19th century and therefore may contain language that we understand today as harmful or offensive. You may encounter paternalist descriptions of Native Americans, racial slurs, or sexism. For more information, see our policy page.
Description
Mariott is disappointed that Mr. Wiggin cannot help buy lands in Knox County, but is hopeful and eager for the site to be secured. He updates Chase on his health and the birth of his son, Edmund, amongst other general updates. Marriott also summarized Bp. Hobart's most recent sermon and discusses the recently-discovered medicinal health benefits of white mustard seed.
Date
Winter 3-4-1826
Keywords
Mr. Wiggin, Knox County, Greenwhich, Vicar Mr. Matthew, Bishop of Salisbury, St. David, Indian Churchmen, Bishop of Quebec, Dr. Stewart, Society for propogation of the Gospel, Clapham, Christian Observer, Mr. Pratt, Christmas 1825, Cheltenham, Edmund Chase, Rugby, Bishop Hobart, “The United States of America compared with England, ” Certificate of an American Candidate, Lord Kenyon, Ohio College, Bishop Durham, Lambeth, Lord Bexley, rye bread, white mustard seed, John Turner
Recommended Citation
Marriott, G. W., "Letter to Philander Chase" (1826). Philander Chase Letters. 594.
https://digital.kenyon.edu/chase_letters/594
Rights Statement
Transcript
[Queen] Square
4th March 1826
My dear and venerated Friend
I am quite ashamed at the appearance of neglect towards you which I have incurred lately. But the omniscient Witness of my heart knows that it has never changed, and that I have really been hindered by various indispensible [sic] duties from following my inclination earlier.
Everything connected with you and your important Cause since I last wrote to you has been matter of joy, except your accident (which, however, was full of merciful circumstances) and the inability of Mr Wiggin to join in the purchase of the lands in Knox County. As to the former, I hope to turn it to good, by your learning from it a lesson, which few of us want, of restraint. You must be content to sleep by night, if you would work, to the end of your allotted time on earth, by day. And as Sunday is with you peculiarly a day of labor, the night of that day is the last in all the week you should think of devoting to a journey. As to the latter, I must lament both your disappointment, and the cause of it. I wish that very well-disposed man may not be injured by too great a share of the concerns of this world, and too much of its ensnaring prosperity. His wife says he often does not return home till twelve at night. Ambi[?] in commercial pursuits has lately had great checks in the Country, and I trust he is not one of those who will suffer, but such very extensive concerns necessarily make a man vulnerable in many quarters, besides engrossing his time and affections in an inordinate degree. It would delight us beyond measure to hear that your aide in America will enable you to purchase as much as is necessary for the purposes of the Seminary. We begin to be somewhat impatient to hear that the [scite] is fixed. But the delay in the sale of the English funds is no disadvantage since the recent great fall in the price of stock.
To take your letters in order, I begin with the one, without date, in which you notice our severe loss of last year. Blessed be God! We have had many proofs that my dear Brother served His cause very efficiently on earth, tho’ his term of life was not a protracted one. His children are everything we could wish, and we ought to learn as a family [?] most thankful for this, and not to be anxious for other [things], and especially not to grieve at God’s appointments as the time when each Member may be taken to the world of joy from that of Labor, sorrow, and sin. I hope you will see a second Volume of his Sermons in the course of this year.
I sent the letter I am now acknowledging to Greenwich, that it might do its own [office] with each of the good then alluded to. They took it in very good part, and the Vicar, Mr Matthew, says he shall write to you. I hope you have heard from the Bishop of Salisbury (late [St] David’s) for I know he meant to write to you. He bears you in most affectionate esteem. I hope his successor in [St] David’s will tread in his steps. He takes most cordially to the College.
Your account of the Indian Churchman has interested us beyond what I can describe. The new Bishop of Quebec (Dr. Stewart) made me read it at a meeting for forming a district Society for propagation of the Gospel at Clapham and the Christian Observer, and Church [?] Register printed the letter. Mr Pratt also supplied me with many copies in print, and I circulated them wherever I could, since your letter dated Christmas 1825 arrived, I have notified as [?] as I could the delightful circumstance of your aid from the Secretary at war.
I must not omit to say something of myself, having been more out of health than ever before in my life. But I have great reason to hope that I am quite restored, and tho’ forbidden to attend the Courts as a Barrister, I trust it will please God to give me some legal station, in which I may both be useful to the public, and to my family, and the labor of which will not exceed the bounds I am told. I must observe for the future. Our dear youngest Babe was born at Cheltenham while I was there for restoration and was baptized at [Rugby], on our return home, and named Edmund Chase. He will have a Bishop’s blessing, I am sure, and I delight, as does my dear wife, to think of this: may he never be unworthy of his name!
Bishop Hobart’s Sermon at New York, entitled “The United States of America compared with England,” and published here as well as in America, has excited no small indignation in England, and will call forth, I plainly foresee, many Answers. In his account of our Bishops, he most unfortunately selects mine, and traces their rise to alliance with nobility, five of them having risen without the least assistance from that source. In his comparison of the requisites for Orders, he wholly omits the testimonials from three beneficed Clergymen required in England, and which happen to correspond most exactly with the first Article in his Appendix, which is the Certificate of an American Candidate for the same holy office. I wish that in neither church the form was [prescribed]. The Bishops would be able to judge much better, both of the Candidate and his Witnesses, if they were left to their own language about him, and the office of certifying would not dwindle down to the signature of a name. Bishop H’s station, his recent opportunities, and the fact of publication in England, will give his statements much credence in American, if they remain unrefuted. But I am sure they will be refuted, and speedily, and not without some castigation of the Bishop.
Lord Kenyon breakfasted with us yesterday, and told us, with as much pleasure as we heard, that Ohio College will be called by his name. He deserves this compliment if any man does, and I hope it will be no disadvantage to the College itself.
The venerable Bishop of Durham has been seized with Paralysis, and lost the use of his left side. He never ceased to speak of you as long as I could see him when I called, and was particularly delighted with your account of the Indians. He was formerly an active member of the Society for propagation of the Gospel. There is a store of the Translations at Lambeth, and Lord K. has had some copies [from] thence, one of which he supplied to Lord Bexley.
You benefited when in England by eating rye-bread. Everybody here is now trying the use of white mustard-seed, with a view to the same good effects, and the result is really wonderful. I wish you could try it. I will send you a printed paper of directions in a very short time. Lord K. and Mr. Wiggin will bear as strong a testimony as mine to the benefit to be derived from this very simple medicine, which seems to have been known from all time to medical men. [?], who wrote in the first Century, recommends it by an enumeration of many disorders in which it is useful. It has been found extremely so among the English Poor. I want to forward to you some Greenwich letters, and they shall accompany the printed Paper, which is written by an English Barrister, of the name of John Turner, and signed J.T. As letters now go free to you, I am the less sparing. Adieu! my dear Bishop. With our united love to you and all dear to you, I am ever most affectionately [yrs] G. W. Marriott.