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1
435
Her Majesty's Mails
·
William Lewins
71
Allen,
and
the
postage
of
the
general
post
letters,
which
belonged
to
the
Government,
was
properly
kept
up.
The
deputies
were
known
to
hold
the
loosest
notions
on
this
subject,
some
of
them
preferring
to
appropriate
the
revenues
of
one
or
the
other
post
rather
than
make
mistakes
in
the
matter.
The
disputes
and
difficulties
lasted
to
the
death
of
Allen.[38]
Notwithstanding
the
losses
he
must
have
suffered
through
the
dishonesty
or
carelessness
of
country
postmasters,
the
farmer
of
the
cross-posts,
in
an
account
which
he
left
at
his
death,
estimated
the
net
profits
of
his
contract
at
the
sum
of
10,000l.
annually,
a
sum
which,
during
his
official
life,
amounted
in
the
total
to
nearly
half
a
million
sterling!
Whilst,
in
official
quarters,
his
success
was
greatly
envied,
Mr.
Allen
commanded,
in
his
private
capacity,
universal
respect.
In
the
only
short
account
we
have
seen
of
this
estimable
man,
a
contemporary
writer
states[39]
that
"he
was
not
more
remarkable
for
the
ingenuity
and
industry
with
which
he
made
a
very
large
fortune,
than
for
the
charity,
generosity,
and
kindness
with
which
he
spent
it."
It
is
certain
that
Allen
bestowed
a
considerable
part
of
his
income
in
works
of
charity,
especially
in
supporting
needy
men
of
letters.
He
was
a
great
friend
and
benefactor
of
Fielding;
and
in
Tom
Jones,
the
novelist
has
gratefully
drawn
Mr.
Allen's
character
in
the
person
of
Allworthy.
He
enjoyed
the
friendship
of
Chatham
and
Pitt;
and
Pope,
Warburton,
and
other
men
of
literary
distinction,
were
his
familiar
companions.
Pope
has
celebrated
one
of
his
principal
virtues,
unassuming
benevolence,
in
the
well-known
lines:--
Marker
Marker
Fine marker
White-out
Fine white-out
Circle
Paint
Unmarker
Hand
Scalpel
Dice
Sieve
Purify
Undo
Redo
Start over
