1797

Thomas Beddoes to Davies Giddy, 30 September 1797

30 Sep^r

Your sister justly reproached me with not writing to you. But the principal events <of our days> are unpleasant to think about, & by consequence to communicate about. And these events influencing the condition of human life, must render all possible sublunary subjects more or less indifferent. By this rule, piety has always become more intense in disastrous times; & I imagine the non-appearance of extraordinary religious phaenomena must be considered as a proof that all persons of any education in this part of Europe had become extremely lukewarm with respect to their heavenly concerns before the French revolution. Brothers, with Halhed, to help him, will hardly redeem the character of the age.

Your father told me with great concern that between your mental activity & corporeal indolence you had improved your sensibility to cold to a degree that rendered you unfit to be an inhabitant of these latitudes. At the same time he gave me a look, demanding counsel. I had none. For there is no getting below the root of Hamlet’s argument concering the stale & unprofitable uses of this world – at least by any tool forged by mortal power out of mere earthly materials.

I have lately had 2 or 3 patients from the W. Indies, men of some distinctiveness of observation. It seems but for the chance of a negro insurrection, that as soon as the war & the yellow fever are over it would be an excellent scheme for a party to emigrate thither – for the physical qualities of the climate are pretty much the reverse of ours – the disagreeable ones easily avoided by a little care & skill – the agreeable exceeding the disagreeability 99/100 and by transporting yourself into a new creation you renew the pleasures of youth – And this new creation would occupy you from 40 to fourscore. But perhaps you would prefer Otaheite or Bengal – still I am afraid there are almost as strong moral objections to these as to Jamaica or Domingo – all of which shows the good policy of the governments of Christendom in making the rest of the world too hot to hold those whom European climates & institutions might dispose to emigrate.

I think medicine, since people have been a little induced to put themselves in the way of <the bounty of> accident, will improve rapidly. I suppose I have arrived at a method of preventing consumption in the majority of cases. I shall print my facts this winter – Farewell & consider whether it may not be worth while to hold yourself together for the W. India scheme – yr^s

T.B.

Address: Davies Giddy Esq / Tredrea / Marazion / Cornwall
Endorsement: Doctor Beddoes / 1797 / Sep^t the 30^th // Xxxx suppose 1799 / The mention of father & sister ascertains the date to / 1797 / DG
MS: Cornish Archives MS DG 42/27