John Ryland, Bristol, to Walter Wilson, London, undated.

This letter is found in the same location in the bound volume as the previous letter by Ryland to Wilson, undated, but possibly sent along with that letter as an after thought.

Dear Sir

        Near a month ago I sent a letter to you, committed to the care of Mr Burls, No 56 Lothbury, (in a small parcel with a letter to Mr Fernandez of Dinagepore &c) saying, That my time was so much occupied that I must beg to be excused from writing any address to the public, tho I sh.d not object to the use of my name if it w.d be of service—On Saturday Mr James surprized me by shewing me your letter, saying that you waited for my recommendat.n—I really know not what to do—If the other side w.d suffice, I w.d not object to your using it, as an address to the publishers—I hope they have omitted the Allusion to the language of Rabshakeh, which I well recollect in one place.  If no sketch is given of his life, you c.d add a reference to the page in Palmer—In the first Ed. it is Vol. 1. 364.—I am very much pleased wth your own work.  Perhaps some of the more general panygyrics might have been shorten’d without injury—tho many of them are truly instructive to the living, as well as honorable to the deceased.  Please to excuse great haste---I have 2e [twice?] to preach and  2e to break bread to day, but rose early to try if I could do any thing---I am very willing this sh.d be thrown aside, but I cannot find time to do better, and tho’t you had consented to drop the proposal—

                                 I am   Your sincere friend & serv.t

                                             John Ryland

Text: Walter Wilson MSS, MS. Montagu, d. 21, fol. 249, Bodleian Library, Oxford.