Poor Mr. Tilson's brother last Satterday in the morning bought a pair of pistolls and half a dozen pistoll bullits, and powder ; he charged each pistol with a brace of bullets, sett himself in a chear in his chamber and shott both thees pistolls into his head, which split his scull in pieces. He left a paper upon his table by him " Lett none be surpryzed att my death, my time was come, and I have freed myself from a mallancholly world." He buryed his wife twoe year agoe, and has three children ; he was in a very plentefull condetion. It's in print, and thear they commend him for a very good man, but say it was for a young gentlewoman in Wesminstor he was in lov with. Your Mr. Tilson is very mallancholly, I hope he will not doe soe.*
��[Peter Wentworth.]
London, April 5, 1709.
Dear Brother,
.... Yesterday I received another packet from you which brought me 5 prints of your house at Twitnham, and I have distribbd them all according to order, and to all they are an acceptable present. My wife and I have resolved to give Willy the preference as our best beloved, and more espe- cially in this present, because he may give himself airs to his French master, and 30 gentlemen's sons his fellow scholars of the honour he has to be so near related to one who pos- sesses so many honourable titles. The verses of Mr. Philip's
- Luttrell chronicles under date 26 March, 1709:— "This day Mr.
William Tilson, a clerk in the Lord Halifax's office at the Exchequer, put a pistol in his mouth and shot himself." His brother George was Lord Strafford's first secretary at Berlin, and for many years afterwards held office in the Treasury. Of him Lord Strafford writes to " my dear Jack Wich," our envoy at Hamburgh, " he is dull himself, goes on his dog trot, loves no body but himself, and thinks all wise people should speak, think, and write after his moddel. After all he is not ill-natured nor spightfuU, but will even take liberty sometimes to check me in his pevish mood, tho' I was so long his master and from thence began his fortune."
G
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