f040v-041r

[f040v]

New College. When I hear that the
business has passed the Heads of
Houses, I will write to two of three
^Friends to lend their assistance in Convocation
to support Your cause; rather
because it will do me a pleasure
& an honour to be engaged in it,
than that I apprehend there will be
any difficulty.
I have the honour to with
perfect esteem,
Dear S^r.
Your most Obedient
humble Serv^t.
R. Oxford.

Duke Street
Westm^r.
Apr. 15. 1773.

[041r]

Quebec Street Febr. 27^th 1773.

Dear Sir!

I am indeed surprised at my own promptitude. Yesterday xxx I delivered my letter
to captain Rood, and now I take the very first opportunity to be as good as my word,
and to write the other letter, which I promised you, and which, I am certain, you don’t
expect. For in a case, where I never can trust myself, I have no reason to suppose that
I should be believed by an other who has had so many experiences of my being too care-
less and negligent in keeping up a regular correspondence – By the hurry I was in yes-
terday, I don’t exactly know, what I have written about our manner of living in the
colleges, and what I have left still untouched. It is however no great matter, and if you
are perhaps not very fond of knowing all these niceties, you have reason to be glad of my
inattention. For to save you the trouble of reading one thing twice, I leave it all alone,
and take a walk with you from the college to the church St’ Mary’s, being the Uni-
versity church, where two sermons are preached every Sunday and one every Holy day,
before the University by the heads of the colleges and the doctors divinity upon ⁱⁿ their
turn. This is a very xxx ^fine and solemn sight. For the Vice Chancellor, Proctors, Heads of the
colleges and Doctors having first met in a room next to the church, they come all toge-
ther in a grave procession with 9 beadles before them in theyr seats, of which that of the
Vice Chancellor is distinguished from the others by way ^{a sort} of a throne. As in each college
prayers are read early in the morning this part of the service is always omitted,
and the preacher begins directly his sermon directly, which, as it is supposed to be before
a learned congregation, is generally what we call more than a common one and almost
with a great shew of erudition. So I remember to have heard once our famous Dr Kennicott,
whose sermon was just an exegetical lecture intermixt with several criticisms upon
different places of the Hebr. Bibel. An other who does not know much of the Hebrew takes
that opportunity to make ostentation of his Greek knowledge, others give very abstract and
philosophical discourses and so every body endeavours to bring people in opinion of their being
exceedingly clever men. Some times however there are but very indifferent sermons, chiefly
when a head of a college does not chuse to preach and sends in his place what they call a hack-
ney preacher being generally one or other fellow, who is very glad to receive his 3 guineas, which