Sancho, Charles Ignatius (1729-1780)

Letters of the Late Ignatius Sancho, An African

London

Printed by J. Nichols

1782

"Youth is naturally prone to vanity--such is the weakness of Human Nature, that pride has a fortress in the best of hearts--I know no person that possesses a better than Johnny W--e--but although flattery is poison to youth, yet truth obliges me to confess that your correspondence betrays no symptom of vanity--but teems with truths of an honest affection--which merits praise--and commands esteem."

YOUR good father insists on my scribbling a sheet of absurdities, and gives me a notable reason for it, that is, 'Jack will be pleased with it.'--Now be it known to you--I have a respect both for father and son--yea for the whole family, who are every soul (that I have the honour or pleasure to know any thing of) tinctured--and leavened with all the obsolete goodness of old times--so that a man runs some hazard in being seen in the W--e's society of being biassed to Christianity.--I never see your poor Father--but his eyes betray his feelings--for the hopeful youth in India--a tear of joy dancing upon the lids--is a plaudit not to be equalled this side death!--See the effects of right-doing, my worthy friend--continue in the tract of rectitude--and despise poor paltry Europeans--titled--Nabobs.--Read your Bible--as day follows night, God's blessing follows virtue--honour--and riches bring up the rear--and the end is peace.--Courage, my boy--I have done preaching.--Old folks love to seem wife--and if you are silly enough to correspond with grey hairs--take the consequence.--I have had the pleasure of reading most of your letters, through the kindness of your father.--Youth is naturally prone to vanity--such is the weakness of Human Nature, that pride has a fortress in the best of hearts--I know no person that possesses a better than Johnny W--e--but although flattery is poison to youth, yet truth obliges me to confess that your correspondence betrays no symptom of vanity--but teems with truths of an honest affection--which merits praise--and commands esteem.
(II.i, pp. 1-2; pp. 129-130 in Carretta)

Architecture::Fortress

Reading; text from DocSouth

Five entries in ESTC (1782, 1783, 1784). [Second edition in 1783, third in 1784.]

See Letters of the Late Ignatius Sancho, An African. In Two Volumes. To Which Are Prefixed, Memoirs of His Life (London: Printed by J. Nichols, 1782). <Link to text from Documenting the American South at UNC>

Reading Letters of the Late Ignatius Sancho, ed. Vincent Carretta (New York: Penguin, 1998).

07/11/2013