I received your obliging Favour of the 6th Inst. by Mr. Hillier, with whose Conversation I was most pleased, nor would have been glad to     more of it if he could have spar’d it to me, but the short time of his stay has prevented…I consider it as… …I thank you for the Pamphlet of the Firemans Society: In return please to accept one of the same kind which was published while I resided in France. If your Society has not      it, it may possibly offer     useful Hints.

It would certainly, as you observe, be a very great Pleasure to me, if I would once again visit my Native Town, and walk over the Grounds I used to frequent, when a Boy, and where I enjoy’d many of the innocent Pleasures of Youth which would be so bright to my Remembrance, and where I might find some of my old Acquaintance to converse with. But when I consider how well I am situated here with every thing about me that I can call either necessary or convenient; the Fatigue and bad Accommodations to be met with and suffer’d in a Land Journey, and the        of Sea Voyages, to one who, tho he had            Time, and mad many smaller Trips, does not recollect his having ever heen at Sea without taking firm Resolution never to go to Sea again and that if I were arriv’d in Boston I could see but little of it so I could neither bear Walking nor riding in a Carriage over its Cobbled Streets and above all that I should find very few indeed of my old friends living, it being now Sixty-five years since I left it to settle here, All this consider’d, I say it seems probably, tho’ not certain, that I shall     again visit that beloved Place. But I enjoy the Company and Conversation of its Inhabitants when any of them are so good as to visit me; for besides their general Good Sense, which I value, the Boston Manner, Turn of Phrase, and even the Tone of Voice and Accent in        all please, and seem to refresh and revive me.

I have been long impress’d with the same Sentiments you so well express, of the growing Felicity of Mankind from the Improvements in Philosophy, Morals, Politicks, and even the Conveniencies of common Living by the Invention and Acquisition of new and useful Utensils and Instruments, that I have sometimes almost wish’d it had been my Destiny to be born two or three Centuries hence. For Inventions of Improvement are prolific, and beget more of their Kind. The present Progress is rapid. Many of great Importance, now unthought of, will before that Period be procur’d; and then I might not only enjoy their Advantages, but have my Curiosity satisfy’d in knowing what they are to be. I see a little Absurdity in what I have just written, but it is to a Friend who will wink and let it pass, while I mention one Reason more for such a Wish, which is that if the Art of Physic shall be improv’d in proportion with other Arts, we may then be able to avoid Diseases, and live as long as the Patriarchs in Genesis, to which I suppose we should make little Objection.

I am glad my poor dear Sister has so good and kind a Nieghbour. I sometimes suspect she may be backward in acquainting me with Circumstances in which I might be more helpful to her. If any such should occur to your Observation, your mentioning them to me will be a Favour I shall be thankful for. With great Esteem, I have the Honour to be, Revd Sir, your most obedient and most humble Servant