[Enclosure 1]

July 4^th. 1768

I thank you, for the account you sent me of M^r. Rotton,⁸ & was very glad to find that you were of opinion he mended very fast. I have since seen D^r. Darwin, who seems to think he may get much better with care & proper management, but he can by no means approve of y^e Bark as he apprehends his case to be dropsical. He happened to have in his pocket a little treatise which he had just written upon y^e use of y^e Bark, & which he was going to send up to y^e College of Physicians, to be printed amongst their next annual publications— he gave me y^e perusal of it, & leave to transcribe a part of it, which I will send you, & I dare say you will think it very judicious as I do.⁹ “The effect of ye Peruvian Bark & other Bitters seems much to depend on their decreasing ye Irritability of the nervous system; as is evinced by their daily successful use in Fever & other diseases from Irritation— And as y^e palsies & dropsies described below were owing to a decrease of this Irritability, the Bark seems, whenever it was given to have produced or increased these diseases, or to have destroyed y^e. patient— The words Relaxation and Braceing cannot be opposed to this idea of the effect of Bitter medicines, as they can with no propriety be ascribed to ye nervous system of animal bodies; but are mechanical terms that belong alone to dead matter, & not to y^e laws of life, & have misled many of y^e faculty to ye great detriment of their patients— One observation I shall add, which has appeared to me invariably true viz: that y^e. violent coughs, & y^e febrile symptoms that are attendent on obstructed Livers, after proper Evacuations by bleeding with repeated vomiting or purging, are cured with certainty by the Bark, either alone or with the addition of a slight chalybeate¹⁰ or anodyne. But I believe from the following case that, where no symptoms of Irritation are attendant on obstructed Livers, ye Bark & chalybeates have induced palsies & dropsies to g^r. destruction of Thousands”— Thus far y^e ingenious Doctor, whose observations stand upon facts which have happened in his own practice, & which he produces in his treatise. His sentiments may be considered as a key to y^e. use of the Bark & I am sure they will make me more cautious in recommending this medicine …… Send me word whether you will be at Moreton this day fortnight in y^e Evening or, coming by Lichfield, & calling on D^r. Darwin give me y^e. meeting at D^r. Adams’ at Counde on Tuesday by dinner’¹¹

[Enclosure 2]

Moreton

Nov^r. 6^th. 1768.

I am glad to find by your last papers to y^e. Doctor & his letter to you, that matters are likely to be adjusted very amicably betwixt you even without the help of a moderator. I think you were a little off your guard in your definition of a Living Substance when you said you meant no more by it than ‘a substance well fitted to convey impressions to y^e. mind & to execute her orders— Living here signifies apt for ‘y^e. business of Life.’ If this be a true definition of a Living substance will it not follow that an axe, a saw, or an hammer, or any other material instrument that we make use of for y^e. business of life is as much a living substance fitted to convey impressions to y^e. mind, & to execute her orders as y^e. body itself is—

From R. Clive to R. Gifford

Moreton

Dec: 12. 1768.

‘Dear Sir—

I am desired by Doctor Darwin to let you know, that his pig & M^r. Whitleys¹² company of comedians will be ready for our Establishment at Lichfield in y^e. 2^nd. week of January next. I propose being there on Tuesday ye 10^th. & hope nothing will prevent you giving me y^e. meeting, & pray bring your strictures on Berkeleys book upon y^e material world—for y^e Doctor tells me he has been writing a chapter to prove a material world, which he hopes will please you, as it plucks up the root of that kind of infidelity called scepticism.—¹³ We must try spend two or three days with y^e. Doctor, which I think we shall pass very agreeably—. Pray bring Berkeleys book with you as ye Doctor may not have it.’—

R. Clive to R Gifford

[Enclosure 3]

Moreton

Sept: 12^th. (no year)

I read over your remarks with D^r. Darwin, who took all in good part, said he was very much obliged to you & would write soon— by the observations he made it appeared you had misunderstood some few passages in his book—& I think he will respond to your objections very well. I mentioned to him our desire of attending him sometime when he opened an human body— to which he said that he could give us all the satisfaction we desired from an inspection of y^e. parts of a pig, & invited us to spend two or three days with him at Xmas, when he should kill a fat pig— I propose much pleasure from this meeting & hope nothing will happen to prevent it

[Enclosure 4]

Stych.

Jan: 10^th. 1771.

R. Clive to R. Gifford.

I thank you for your letter & your proposal to meet me at Lichfield, which perhaps I may call upon you to fulfil before it be long, as D^r. Darwin has often pressed me to come and spend a week with him—& two new philosophical friends who have lately settled in Lichfield, induced to it by that cheerfulness and benevolence of disposition, with which you & I & all who know y^e. good Doctor are so much charmed.

R. Clive to R. Gifford

Lichfield

May 30. 1771.

I wish you could have spent tomorrow with D^r. Darwin & his two ingenious friends Edgeworth & Day¹⁴

R. Clive to Richard Gifford

Moreton

Oct: 25^th. 1772.

‘I have been much out of order for these last 5 days with a fever of the bilious kind—luckily D^r. Darwin was in y^e. neighbourhood & prescribed for me from my written account of myself though he had not time to see— he has lain at home but one night these five weeks so great is his fame & usefulness

[Enclosure 5]

Moreton.

July 1^st. 1773.

‘I dare say you had a very sincere pleasure in Lord Clive’s victory over his enemies in parliament which was very complete & very honorable—¹⁵ D^r. Darwin wrote me a good blackguard letter on the occasion which will Entertain you better than anything else I can add to this hasty scrawl. I will therefore transcribe it “I had a great mind to have written a letter in y^e newspapers on y^e. following plan. To all y^e. Blackguards in Great Britain— Loving friends & Cousins— To it again—at him— We shall conquer this Lion at last I warrant y^e. Never mind a pinch or two— Burgoyne will stave, & Meredith tail—¹⁶ At him again. We’ll first demolish Clive & then Chatham,¹⁷ and there shall not be a man of virtue left in the Kingdom if we can help it— Now’s the time, My loving Cousins in Parliament, proscribe & confiscate all that are against the ministers at present; and when a new ministry prevails, then all the present proscribers shall be proscribed in their turn. till Temple bar is hung round with Calves heads like a Butcher’s shop— This is the true levelling principle!¹⁸ Rare times for old England! At him again, my lads next session— Never yelp & howl so for one defeat— Give me another pot of porter— Oh! d— your virtue— it has saved your country”—.’

[Enclosure 6]

Lichfield.

Jan: 25^th. (no year).

When I came here yesterday I found D^r. Darwin & M^r. Boothby busily engaged in translating the Genera Plantarum of Linnæus into English, in which if they succeed to their Satisfaction M^r. Boothby is to publish it.¹⁹ It will probably be a work of time, as it will be of some nicety—in which I told them I thought you could be useful as you have y^e. book. I also told them you had been trading on metaphysical ground— They both wished much to see your M.S. M^r. B. said he would give you his free sentiments ou bien ou mal. He is going to publish a work which Rousseau entrusted to him about 4 years ago with a request not to do it till after his death.²⁰

R. Clive to R. Gifford.

Lichfield.

Jan: 20^th. (no year).

I will send you some verses I found upon D^r. Darwin’s table.

On the death of Brindley the great perfector of Inland Navigation.²¹

R. Clive to R. Gifford

Shrewsbury.

Sept 14^th. (no year)

I received D^r. Darwins response which I think very ingenious & solid. I should be glad of your sentiments as soon as you have perused it. I am now sitting in Company with the Hero of D^r. Darwins book, who is in better health & spirits than I ever remember him—