Philip Doddridge, Northampton, to John Lowe, Bramhall, near Stockport, 6 February 1741/2.

Northampton Feb 6. 1741/2

Dear Sir

         It was not so much my own Indisposition tho that has confined me some Days to my Chamber & my earnest desire if it were ye will of God to send you some better news of your Dear Son that delayed my Writing. And indeed from ye State of his Health for 2 or 3 Days & the Encouragement ye Doctor gave yesterday I hoped I might have told you quickly that he was recovering but to my great grief I am now forced to tell you that he appears to Day worse than ever I have known him. That [illegible word] has been sometimes upon him seems now to have affected his Head so that he often wanders & he has now a purging upon him wh if it cannot be stopd must soon waste him away considering how much he is already emaciated. He has himself been always firmly perswaded he should recover but I must needs say tho I say it wh inexpressible concern that I see very little appearances of it & indeed he is already so much weakened that good as his Spirits are & tho ready as he is to make ye Best of his Illness I much question whether he will be able to bear a Journey Home wh perhaps if he could do his native Air might do him as much good as any thing. I communicated to him ye Contents of your kind Letter to me for wh I heartily thank you. He is very sensible of the Tenderness it expresses & desires me cd his Duty to your self & good Mother assure you that it would be a great Pleasure to him to see you here as soon as you conveniently can & indeed if he go on to alter for ye worse so much as he has done for ye last 24 Hours, I fear Sir you will hardly find him capable of Conversing wh you if he be yet alive. He may indeed not improbably be revived but as I had not seen him for 3 or 4 Days on Acct of my own Illness wh generally kept me sweating in Bed I was shockd extreamly when I saw him so extreamly ill as he appeard in ye Morning & was very apprehensive of a sudden Change[.]

         That tender Concern wh great & threat’ning as his own Illness is he expressed for me under my comparatively slight Disorder & that affectionate Joy wh seem’d almost to overwhelm him when he saw that I was come to make him a little Visit this morning & to pray wh him as well as my now disabled Voice could let me affected me very deeply. I have Sir ye Satisfaction to think that nothing in our power is neglected wh may seem conducive to his Health & Comfort here or his future Happiness of wh Case I have blessed be God a very cheerful Hopes yet as I know how tender a Circumstance ye Illness of a Child & of such a dear affectionate hopeful Child intended for future Station in ye Church & promising such usefulness in it must be I join my Request to his that you would please to come over as soon as you can. We cannot (being so full as we are) offer you a Bed here but you may lodge very near & to all such other plain accommodations as a Family like ours can afford you will be cordially & thankfully welcome to us both. I pray God to give you a prosperous Journey & so to. Regard our united & earnest prayer as that you may find my Dear Pupil not only living as I think you probably may be also on ye recovering Hand. We conclude wh our united Respects to ye whole Family especially your self  & Mrs Lowe

                     I am

                                 Dear Sir

                                             Your very affectionate Friend

                                                         & obliged humble Servant

                                                                     P Doddridge

I bless God my wife is much better  We thank you for ye kind Concern you express on her Acct & all ye Satisfaction you have in our Care of your dear Child

Address: To | Mr John Lowe | at Bramhall | near Stockport | Lancashire | Turn at Towcester

Postmark: Towcester

Note: (in an unknown hand) From Dr Doddridge

Text: ENG. MSS. 369, no. 39(c), Raffles Collection, John Rylands Library, Manchester; noted in Nuttall, Calendar, p. 144.