One Pennyworth of Truth, &c.
Dear Brother,
THERE has always been ſuch a good ⟨underſtanding⟩ between us, that you and I can ſpeak our ⟨minds⟩ freely to one another. Our Father, you know, ⟨always⟩ maintained the character of a blunt, honeſt, ⟨ſenſible⟩ man; and our mother was as good a ſort of woman as ⟨ever⟩ lived. They gave us the beſt teaching they could ⟨afford⟩ and the neighbours have never counted us fools. But ⟨ſome⟩ people are taking great pains to make us ſo, and rog(illegible text) into the bargain. They have tried their ſkill upon (illegible text) and ſo they will upon you; but I write you this ⟨letter to⟩ give you warning, that you may look to yourſelf. ⟨For it⟩ ſeems, John, you and I are now to learn every thing ⟨from⟩ thoſe conceited monkies, the French. Nobody knows ⟨anything⟩ now but they, and ſome Engliſhmen at home, ⟨who⟩ hate this country as bad as the French do. With ⟨talking⟩ about Right and Equality, and Conſtitution, and ⟨Organization⟩, and ſuch like, they made my head turn round; (illegible text) I ſee now pretty well what they mean.
They begin with telling us all mankind an equal: that’s a lie, John; for the children are not equal to ⟨the⟩ mother; nor the mother to the father; unleſs where ⟨there⟩ is petticoat government; and ſuch families never go on w(illegible text) the children are often ſpoiled, and the huſband ⟨brought⟩ a jail. But I ſay people are not equal. The clerk is ⟨not⟩ equal to the parſon, the footman is not equal to the ⟨ſquire⟩ the thief at the bar is not equal to the judge upon the ⟨bench⟩ If it were as they ſay, then the clerk might get up into ⟨the⟩ pulpit—the footman might ſit at the top of the table—⟨the⟩ thief might take his place upon the bench and try (illegible text) judge—and the coachman might get into the coach and his maſter on the box; who, not knowing how to d(illegible text) 'tis ten to one but he overturns him. Pretty work ſhould have with their equality; but let us have ⟨patience⟩ and go on with them.
