Richmond Jan^y 2^nd 1786
Dear Sir Your Favour (of Novr 19^th) came safe to
hand, (on the 24^th D.^o,) and with it the first infor-
mation of the change of relation, situation, combi-
nation and the Citizenization, of one of the family.
There is no disputing of facts, tastes, or whims,
as I know of; at least there is more chance in
the former, than there is in disputing the latter;
from hence arises the propriety of the Feat,
viz. "As a man thinketh so is he"; it does not
say that a man is what he is, but the contra-
ry, for we never view things nor ourselves aright; and one
had better tell another that the Sun always
rose in the West, than to tell him his Nose
was some hair's breadth shorter than he thot
it to be. In future, according to what is said
above, I think every one ought to wear spec-
tacles, and when things appear differently
to one, from what they do to another, they should

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William Stoddard Williams writes to his brother-in-law Elihu Ashley (1750-1817) in January, 1786. Williams acknowledges receiving a letter on November 24 that contained information about the change in circumstances of one of the family. The Ashley family were Tories, and the reference to the change in "Citizenization" of one of the family may mean that someone went to Canada. Williams thinks that people should view themselves through the eyes of another in order to prevent disputes, but realizes that concept is hard to adopt.

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