1792

Thomas Beddoes to Davies Giddy, 17 November 1792

Venit summa dies & ineluctabile tempus

As I have preached for the last 3 days months to our rich democrats and aristocrats – but in vain – they begin now to tremble & sing low, the latter I mean – One in this neighbourhood who rests his dignity upon his affinity to kings & emperors &c &c thought fit to quarrel with me most ridiculously 4 or 5 weeks ago – today he has sent me an equally ridiculous concession – The inclosed papers, from Shrewsbury to Birmingham & from Whitchurch to Ludlow, have produced a stronger sensation than I c^d have conceived possible. There w^d be no danger in a newspaper, whatever might be its language – the Manchester & Chester papers prove this – the N<^th> of England & Scotland all democratic – London rapidly democratizing – Vive l’egalité, vice G – S – the K – every inscribed on its patriotic walls – No cause of apprehension but in the wretched state, moral & physical, which our happy C – n in Ch – & State has left the poor – Yes, the K of Prussia is an A^l magnetist, & he unites in his character almost every thing contemptible with every thing detestable – We have < – I thank God for it – > some clever female democrats in this country – They know how to manage the cause of Humanity with firmness & gentleness at the same time – & the ladies almost pardon them their superiority – They have that authority w^ch a certain station still gives to opinions – Miss Wh – sister to the M.P. who writes this direction, though a young woman, is the best & clearest headed democrate we have, not W Reynolds excepted – Though she has brothers & uncles in the Church, & has been very devout she did not shrink from the idea when I told her that ecclesiastical influence must be annihilated. – The M.P. himself, a good democrate too tells me he has been seriously advised not to keep company with me – A young man of large expectations who happens to be a man of sense & to have brought with him just principles from Edinburgh, has <now> lately gained me the credit of a proselyte – Socrates was accused of corrupting y^e youth – & really these people w^d make me very vain if I were not conscious that I have not had the smallest [xxxx] influence on the opinions of any persons in question.

Address: D. Giddy Esq^r / Tredrea / Marazion / Cornwall // Shifnal, November seventeenth / 1792 // Free Tho^s Whitmore
Endorsement: Doctor Beddoes / 1792 / Nov^r the 17^th
MS: Cornish Archives MS DG 41/38