Baquaqua : Afro-Diasporic Text Corpus

Ignatius Sancho Sept. 20, 1768

OH! my M——, what a feast ! to a
mind fashioned as thine is to gen-
tle deeds! —could’st thou have beheld
the woe-worn object of thy charitable
care—receive the noble donation of thy
blest house!—the lip quivering, and the
tongue refusing its office, thro’ joyful
surprize —the heart gratefully throbbing
—overswelled with thankful sensations

— I could behold a field of battle, and
survey the devastations of the Devil,
without a tear— but a heart o’ercharged
with gratitude, or a deed begotten by
sacred pity—as thine of this day— would
melt me, altho’ unused to the melting
mood. As to thy noble, truly noble,
Miss ——, I fay nothing—-she serves a
master—Who can and will reward her as
ample —as her worth exceeds the com-
mon nonsensical dolls of the age;— but
for thy compeers, may they never taste
any thing less in this world—than the
satisfaction resulting from heaven-born
Charity ! and in the next may they and
you receive that blest greeting —”Well
done, thou good and faithful,” &c. &c.
Tell your girls that I will kiss them
twice in the fame place—troth, a poor
reward; —but more than that —I will
respect them in my heart, amidst the
casual foibles of worldly prejudice and
common usage,—I shall look to their
charitable hearts, and that shall spread
a crown of glory over every transient
defect.—The poor woman brings this

in her hand ;—she means to thank you
—your noble L—— , your good girls—
her benefactors —her saviours. I too
would thank —but that I know the op-
portunity I have afforded you of doing
what you best love, makes you the
obliged party — the obliger,

Your faithful friend,

I. Sancho

Sancho, Ignatius (1782) Letters of the Late Ignatius Sancho, An African. to which are prefixed, Memoirs of His Life. London : J. Nichols. pp. 14-16

Copy of original can be found at at:
https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=bc.ark%3A%2F13960%2Fs2k7fnrzrwp&seq=82
Genre: Epistolary
Language : English

Ignatius Sancho Sept. 17, 1768

I am uneasy about your health —I
do not like your silence — let some
good body or other give me a line, just
to say how you are — I will, if I can, see
you on Sunday ;—it is a folly to like
people and call them friends, except they
are blest with health and riches. —A very
miserable undone poor wretch, who has
no portion in this world’s goods, but
honesty and good-nature in the article of
covering, has applied to me.—I do
know something of her—no greater
crime than poverty and nakedness. —
Now, my dear M——, I know you have
a persuasive eloquence among the women
—try your oratorical powers. —You have
many women — and I am sure there must
be a great deal of charity amongst them
—Mind, we ask no money —only rags
—mere literal rags—patience is a ragged
virtue—therefore strip the girls, dear
M——, strip them of what they can spare
—a few superfluous worn-out garments—.
but leave them pity—benevolence— the
charities— goodness of heart —love —and
the blessings of yours truly with affec-
tion, or something very like it,

I. SANCHO

Sancho, Ignatius (1782) Letters of the Late Ignatius Sancho, An African. to which are prefixed, Memoirs of His Life. London : J. Nichols. pp.13-14

Copy of original can be found at at:
https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=bc.ark%3A%2F13960%2Fs2k7fnrzrwp&seq=81
Genre: Epistolary
Language : English

Ignatius Sancho, Aug. 7, 1768

Lord ! what is Man ?— and what
business have such lazy, lousy,
paltry beings of a day to form friend-
ships, or to make connexions ? Man is
an absurd animal —yea, I will ever main-
tain it—in his vices, dreadful —in his
few virtues, silly —religious without
devotion —philosophy without wisdom —
the divine passion (as it is called) love
too oft without affection — and anger
without cause —friendship without rea-
son —hate without reflection —knowledge
(like Ashley’s punch in small quantities)
without judgement — and wit without dis-
cretion.— Look into old age, you will
see avarice joined to poverty —letchery,
gout, impotency, like three monkeys,
or London bucks, in a one-horse whisky,
driving to the Devil.— Deep politicians

with palsied heads and relaxed nerves—
zealous in the great cause of national
welfare and public virtue—but touch
not—oh ! touch not the pocket— friend-
ship —religion—love of country—excel-
lent topics for declamation !—but most
ridiculous chimera to suffer either in
money or ease—for, trust me, my
M——, I am resolved upon a reform.—
Truth, fair Truth, I give thee to the wind!
—Affection, get thee hence! Friendship,
be it the idol of such silly chaps, with
aching heads, strong passions, warm
hearts, and happy talents, as of old used
to visit Charles Street, and now abideth
in fair G—h House.

I give it under my hand and mark,
that the best recipe for your aching head
(if not the only thing which will relieve
you) is cutting off your hair — 1 know it
is not the ton ; but when ease and health
stand on the right— ornament and fashion
on the left—it is by no means the Ass
between two loads of hay —why not ask
counsel about it ? Even the young part
of the faculty were formerly obliged to

submit to amputation, in order to look
wise, —What they sacrificed to appear-
ances, do thou to necessity.—Absalom
had saved his life, but for his hair.
You will reply, ” Cæsar would have
been drowned, but his length of hair
afforded hold to the friendly hand that
drew him to shore.” Art, at this happy
time, imitates Nature so well in both
sexes, that in truth our own growth is
but of little consequence. Therefore,
my dear M—, part with your hair and
head-achs together; —and let us fee you
spruce, well shorn, easy, gay, debonnair
—as of old.

I have made enquiry after L—— ‘s
letter. My friend R—— went to de-
mand the reason for omitting to publish
it, and to reclaim the copy. The pub-
lisher smiled at him, and bid him examine
the M. C. of J. 13, where he would
find L. and the same paper of the 20th
instant, where he would also find P——
B——’s very angry answer. —Indeed the
poor fellow foams again, and appears as
indecently dull as malice could wish him.

I went to the coffee-house to examine
the file, and was greatly pleased upon
the second reading of your work, in
which is blended the Gentleman and the
Scholar, Now, observe, if you dare to
say I flatter, or mean to flatter, you
either impeach my judgement or honesty
—at your peril then be it.—For your
letter of yesterday, I could find in my
conscience not to thank you for it—
it gave a melancholy tint to every thing
about me. Pope had the head-ach vilely
—Spenser, I have heard, suffered much
from it — in short, it is the ail of
true geniuses. — They applied a thick
wreath of laurel round their brows — do
you the fame — and, putting the best
foot foremost — duly considering the
mansion—what it has suffered through
chance, time, and hard use—be thank
fully resigned, humble, and say,
” It is well it is no worse !”
I do not wish you to be any other
than nice in what new acquaintance you
make— as to friendship — it is a mistake
— real friendships are not hastily made

—friendship is a plant of slow growth, and,
like our English oak, spreads, is more
majestically beautiful, and increases in
shade, strength, and riches, as it increases
in years. I pity your poor head, for
this confounded scrawl of mine is enough
to give the head-ach to the strongest
brain in the kingdom — so remember I
quit the pen unwillingly, having not
said half what I meant ; but, impelled
by conscience, and a due consideration
of your ease, I conclude, just wishing
you as well as I do my dear self,

Yours, I. SANCHO.

Your cure, in four words, is

CUT — OFF— YOUR —HAIR !

______________________________________________________________

Sancho, Ignatius (1782) Letters of the Late Ignatius Sancho, An African. to which are prefixed, Memoirs of His Life. London : J. Nichols. pp. 8-12

Copy of original can be found at at:
https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=bc.ark%3A%2F13960%2Fs2k7fnrzrwp&seq=76
Genre: Epistolary
Language : English

Ignatius Sancho, Febr. 14, 1768

Charles St., London

MY WORTHY AND MUCH RESPECTED FRIEND,

POPE observes,
“Men change with fortune, manners change with climes;
“Tenets with books, and principles with times,”

Your friendly letter convinced
me that you are still the same— and
gave in that conviction a ten-fold pleasure :
— you carried out (through God’s
grace) an honest friendly heart, a clear
discerning head, and a soul impressed
with every humane feeling. — That you
are still the same — I repeat it — gives me
more joy — than the certainty would of

your being worth ten Jaghires : — I dare
say you will ever remember that the
truest worth is that of the mind — the
blest rectitude of the heart — the conscience
unsullied with guilt— the undaunted
noble eye, enriched with innocence,
and shining with social glee—
peace dancing in the heart — and health
smiling in the face. — May these be ever
thy companions ! — and for riches, you
will ever be more than vulgarly rich —
while you thankfully enjoy— and gratefully
assist the wants (as far as you are
able) of your fellow creatures. But I
think (and so will you) that I am preaching.
I only meant in truth to thank
you, which I most sincerely do, for your
kind letter : — believe me, it gratifies a
better principle than vanity — to know
that you remember your dark-faced
friend at such a distance; but what
would have been your feelings — could
you have beheld your worthy, thrice
worthy father — joy sitting triumphant
in his honest face — speeding from house
to house, amongst his numerous friends,

with the pleasing testimonials of his son’s
love and duty in his hands — every one
congratulating him, and joining in good
wishes — while the starting tear plainly
proved that over-joy and grief give the
same livery ?

You met with an old acquaintance of
mine Mr. G——. I am glad to hear
he is well ; but, when I knew him, he
was young, and not so wise as knowing :
I hope he will take example by what he
sees in you — and you, young man, remember,
if you should unhappily
fall into bad company, that example is
only the fool’s plea, and the rogue’s excuse,
for doing wrong things : you have
a turn for reflection, and a steadiness,
which, aided by the best of social dispositions,
must make your company
much coveted, and your person loved.—
Forgive me for presuming to dictate,
when I well know you have many friends
much more able, from knowledge and
better sense — though I deny— a better
will.

You will of course make Men and
Things your study — their different
genius, aims, and passions : — you will
also note climes, buildings, soils, and
products, which will be neither tedious
nor unpleasant. If you adopt the rule of
writing every evening your remarks on
the past day, it will be a kind of friendly
tete-a-tete between you and yourself,
wherein you may sometimes happily become
your own Monitor ; — and hereafter
those little notes will afford you a rich
fund, whenever you shall be inclined to
re-trace past times and places. — I say
nothing upon the score of Religion — for,
I am clear, every good affection, every
sweet sensibility, every heart-felt joy —
humanity, politeness, charity — all, all,
are streams from that sacred spring ; —
so that to say you are good- tempered,
honest, social, &c. &c. is only in fact
saying, you live according to your
DIVINE MASTER’S rules, and are a
Christian.

Your B— friends are all well, excepting
the good Mrs. C—, who is at

this time but so, so. Miss C still as
agreeable as when you knew her, if not
more so. Mr. R— , as usual, never
so happy, never so gay, nor fo much in
true pleasure, as when he is doing good
— he enjoys the hope of your well-doing
as much as any of your family. His
brother John has been lucky — his
abilities, address, good nature, and good
sense, have got him a surgeoncy in the
batalion of guards, which is reckoned a
very good thing.

As to news, what we have is so
incumbered with falshoods, I think it, as
Bobadil says, “a service of danger” to
meddle with : this I know for truth,
that the late great Dagon of the people
has totally lost all his worshipers, and
walks the streets as unregarded as Ignatius
Sancho, and I believe almost as poor —
such is the stability of popular greatness :
“One self-approving hour whole years outweighs
“Of idle starers, or of loud huzza’s,” &c.
Your brother and sister C — d sometimes
look in upon us ; her boys are
fine, well, and thriving; and my honest
cousin Joe increases in sense and stature ;
he promises to be as good as clever.
He brought me your first letter, which,
though first wrote, had the fate to come
last ; the little man came from Red-Lion-Court
to Charles Street by himself,
and seemed the taller for what he
had done ; he is indeed a sweet boy, but
I fear every body will be telling him so.
I know the folly of so doing, and yet
am as guilty as any one.

There is sent out in the Besborough,
along with fresh governors, and other
strange commodities, a little Blacky,
whom you must either have seen or
heard of ; his name is S — . He goes
out upon a rational well-digested plan,
to settle either at Madrass or Bengal, to
teach fencing and riding — he is expert
at both. If he should chance to fall in
your way, do not fail to give the rattlepate
what wholesome advice you can ;
but remember, I do strictly caution you
against tending him money upon any
account, for he has every thing but —
principle ; he will never pay you ; I

am sorry to say so much of one whom I
have had a friendship for, but it is needful;
serve him, if you can — but do not
trust him. — There is in the fame ship,
belonging to the Captain’s band of music,
one C— L— n, whom I think you have
seen in Privy Gardens : he is honest,
trusty, good-natured, and civil ; if you
see him, take notice of him, and I will
regard it as a kindness to me.— I have
nothing more to say. Continue in right
thinking, you will of course act well ;
in well-doing, you will insure the favor
of GOD, and the love of your friends,
amongst whom pray reckon

Yours faithfully,

IGNATIUS SANCHO.

______________________________________________________________

Sancho, Ignatius (1782) Letters of the Late Ignatius Sancho, An African. to which are prefixed, Memoirs of His Life. London : J. Nichols. pp. 8-12

Copy of original can be found at at:
https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=bc.ark%3A%2F13960%2Fs2k7fnrzrwp&seq=76
Genre: Epistolary
Language : English