Mallet, Philip (fl. ca. 1763-1791) to Catherine Macaulay
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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC01794.42 Author/Creator: Mallet, Philip (fl. ca. 1763-1791) Place Written: s.l. Type: Autograph letter signed Date: 9 November 1789 Pagination: 3p : address : docket ; 22.6 x 18.5 cm. Order a Copy
sending a book, mentioning a sermon by Dr. Price on the anniversary of the American Revolution, mentioning the French Revolution (positively)
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After the death of her husband George Macaulay in 1766, Catharine Macaulay married an Anglican minister William Graham. Letters from her female descendents are in GLC 1795. Notable in that collection are letters of her daughter, Catharine Sophia Macaulay [Gregorie], to Macaulay while the latter toured America and France. This collection of Lady Catharine's correspondence was broken-up for public sale in 1993. The Gilder Lehrman Collection has also acquired other letters written to her, including GLC 1784.01-1800.04. There are approximately 190 items between these accession numbers. GLC 1784-1793 and 1796-1800 are individual documents written by important American figures including John Adams, Ezra Stiles, John Dickinson, William Cooper, Richard Henry Lee, Mercy Otis Warren and the pseudonymous "Sophronia." Most of the documents relate to the events leading the Revolution. A few, notably the letters from Mercy Otis Warren and "Sophronia" concern the new Constitution and the French Revolution.
Newington Green Novr 9th 1789
Dear Madam!
Your highly esteemed letter to me by a private conveyance impels me to return you my sincere Thanks, and also calls upon me to express a hope that you will keep Mr Towgoods book as long as maybe agreeable to you, and that I shall be favored with your sentiments of that work in Person in the course of the Winter.
I have another inducement in now addressing you Madam, which is, that I have just read a Work of Thos Cooper Esqr. of Manchester - called: "Tracts Ethical - Theological & Political" recently Published - In apart where he treats on a Question - Whether the Deity be a free agent He says - "All the attributes & tendencies of the Deity are not only infinite in degree & strength but they are in no case counteracted by any opposite tendency; therefore the approximation to an impossibility of not doing in every case what is right is not predicable of the Deity, for his inability to do otherwise amounts to a perfect impossibility; there being motives infinitely strong on one side and no motive at all on the other: - But an impossibility on the oneside implies a necessity on the other - (ie) God is not a free Agent. From the preceding review of the subject it appears to me for the more probable opinion, that every thing of which God is the cause results [2] from him necessarily. - And then the Author adds this Note I know of no one who has publicly maintained the same opinion among us Unless Mrs. Macaulay, which as I have never seen her Book I am ignorant of. - Pray Madam, what is this your work called to which this author alludes? he appears to me to be a very accute reasoner, and his Chapter on Materialism has gained my perfect assent.
As our Glorious Revolution has been the Theme of your nervous Pen - Permit me to tell you that I attended the Anniversary Sermon & Meeting of the Revolution Society last Wednesday & a very large & repectable meeting it was - The Sermon was preached by Dr Price - the times were most propitious for his Address wc he called it & not a Sermon. I mean with respect to the great work carrying on in France. This address abounded with Points the most forcible and sentiments the most just, at once calculated to strike & convince: a Concise statement of ye Nature of Government - its object & end - the necessity of informing mens minds, so as to make them enquire after Youth which leads to Liberty & to Virtue - That Knowledge leads men to Liberty - Ignorance to Slavery. That the writings of certain Men [inserted: &c] whom I need not name to you, have strongly excited men to this great work of Revolution & Reformation. [3] He touched on the fulso[text loss]dolising Addresses presented to the King on his recovery and have a Specimen of such an Address as he would have presented to him. As this discourse will very soon be printed, it is not for me to pretend to retail the passages which were all truly legitimate and such sentiments as you Madam have ever fosterd - it was a discourse of one hour & 20 minutes in delivering, with an apology that his strength would not permit him to say all he purposed & had proposed.
After dinner & some of the most patriotic toasts had been drank the doct Price made a motion that an address be presented from that Society to the National Assembly of France congratulating them on the Glorious Revolution they had effected, and sincerely & ardently hoping that they compleat the Work they had begun by Framing a Constitution that should redound to their immortal glory and be the admiration and imitation of the nations of the whole World. This motion was carried without any one opposing in a meeting of between 3 & 400.
Mrs Mallet unites with me in Compliments to Mr Graham & to yourself - believe me to be with unfeigned respect
Dear Madam
Your very obedt Servant
Philip Mallet
Mrs Maculay Graham
[address leaf:]
Mrs Macaulay Graham
Bracknel
Berks
[docket:]
Novr 9 - 1789 American
Philip Mallet Esqr
[docket #2:]
condescension
condescension
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