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The correspondence and diary of Philip Doddridge, D. D. (v. 5)
The correspondence and diary of Philip Doddridge D D - v. 5 Author:Philip Doddridge Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: And now, dear Sir, begging pardon for detaining you so long, I assure you that I am, with the utmost esteem and respect, Your much obliged and affectionate hu... more »mble Servant, H. Baker. P. S. I communicated your account of the singing lady to the Royal Society: it is judged a very extraordinary case, and I was ordered to thank you for it in the Society's name, which I do with all my heart. FROM THE HON. MRS. SCAWEN.f Maidwell, December the 1st, 1747. It has been a real concern to me that I could not have one visit from you, my good and dear friend, in this awful dispensation. I find the matter alluded to related as follows, in the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society, for the year 1747. " Postscript of a Letter, from the Rev, Dr. Doddridge at NorHuaapton, to Mr. Henry Baker, F.R.S.—Read, Not: 12, 1747. " I hardly know whether it be worth while to mention a little event that happened in our neighbourhood some time ago, which yet appeared to me something singular in its kind. " A clergyman's lady (whose hnsband is of some eminence in the learned world) in a frenzy, after a lying-in, which was quickly removed, found, during its continuance, such an alteration in the state and tone of her nerves, that, whereas she never had before or since any ear for music, nor any voice, she was then capable of singing, to the admiration of all about her, several fine tunes, which her sister had learned in her presence some time before, but of which she had not then seemed to take any notice." " Northampton, Nor. 3, 1747." t It is impossible to read this pathetic letter without deploring the existence of religious feelings ao far perverted, that the only fountain ofcomfort, in the moment of parental bereavement, nearly became the source of hopeless anguish...« less