D'R S'R,

Thomas Ainslie1 to Copley

I am favour'd with Yours, and the picture came very safe, and gives me great Satisfaction. I am just going to send it to Scotland to please a fond Parent, and as it goes in a Man of War, I hope She will receive it Safe.

I belive You may find it worth Your while to take a trip down here in the Spring, there are several people who would be glad to employ You, I belive so because I have heard it mentiond, if you should stay never so little while with us should You come my Assistance in any thing in my power should not be wanting, I am D'r S'r Your Oblid: hum'l Ser't THOS. AINSLIE.

HALIFAX, 8 Oct: 1757..

Helena Pelham to Charles Pelham 2

MY DEAR NEPHEW,

CHICHESTER, Feby 15th, 1762.

The third of this month brought me the confort and pleasure of a letter from you dated Nov. 2. 1761. Indeed I was rejoiced to see one, for I have been vastly uneasy as I have never heard from you since Oct. 27, 1759 and I have written you three letters since that. My dear I have never heard from you since that dreadful fire happened at Boston, therefore judge of my uneasiness. But, thank God, I have now heard that you are

1 Collector of the port of Quebec and a captain in the city's militia. His diary during the defence of Quebec against the Americans in 1775-1776 was printed by the Literary and Historical Society of Quebec, vII. 9. The manuscript is in the Sparks Mss. in Harvard College Library:

2 From Mass. Hist. Soc. Proceedings, Ix. 206.

• That of March 20, 1760. See N. E. Hist. Gen. Reg., xxxiv. 288.

well, as for your brother Peter, I have not heard from him this age-poor William you mentioned to me and said he was but of a poor constitution,1 and till then I did not know that there was any children of your mother's, but Peter and you; or if I did I had forgot it. So your brother has five children, poor man I pity him. You have never seen Capt. Parker I suppose since you told me of him, I know him perfectly well.

was

2

Now Charles as to my picture, how can you think I would sit for it. Your grandfather sat for his at 80, 't is true, but there never was so handsome, so charming a man at that age as he it was with much ado that I got him to have it done. I told him I would not be without it for any thing in the world, nor indeed no more I would, and as there was a tolerable good painter upon the place, I insisted on it--but as to miniature there is not one nearer than London, and it would cost above half a year's income to have it done, were I even there, and most likely I shall never go there again, for tho' my dear father was older than I, yet in constitution I was always older than him. So desire never to hear any more on that subject, for I shall never come into it.

I am much obliged to Mr. Parsons who sent me your letter directly, and I send this to him and beg the favour of him to send it. I desire you will send yours to him when you write, which I hope will not be long before I shall be made so happy. Now I must tell the dates of my letters which I wrote - Yours of Oct 27, I recd Jany 2. 60- and I answered that Apr 18I wrote again Aug 15, and in Mch 13 61 — so you see how often I have wrote to you-3 letters for one. I hope this will come 1 William was buried January 28, 1761.

2 Probably Peter, who "left many descendants" in Virginia, but nothing is known of them. The name of Peter Pelham was in the militia rolls of the Revolution.

safe, for indeed my dear, writing is not the agreeablest thing in the world, unless I could writę as well as you do— but but my writing and spelling is so bad that I can take no pleasure in it — but it is the only way that any one can have the pleasure of conversing with their friends and I hope so near and dear as you are to me that you will be good enough to make allowances for an old woman.

I saw in the papers you had a fine burial at Boston poor General Whitmore,1 some of his troops are here. I think it was a sad accident he met with. My dear child I cannot possibly make my letter agreeable to you by telling you all the chitchat, as you know not a soul here, so will conclude with assuring you how much I am Your affectionate aunt and humble servant,

HELENA PELHAM.

P.S. My dear nephew. I do not remember any thing about your ever having the small pox, but think it most likely you never had it, by your brother having so lately got it - so hope you will always avoid it, as you say you have done. I cannot tell what to say in regard to your coming to England, as it is not in my power to give you the assistance I could wish, therefore must say you are right in staying in a place where you are known and settled- and dont doubt but God will give a blessing to your honest endeavours, and shall think myself happy in hearing from you and of your welfare, which I hope you will be so good as to gratify me in as often as you

can.

1 Edward Whitmore, who was at the siege of Louisburg and remained as governor after its capture in 1758. He was drowned in Boston harbor, December 11, 1761, aged seventy-one, and was buried under King's Chapel. Foote, Annals of King's Chapel, 11. 213.

SIR,

Copley to Jean Etienne Liotard 1

BOSTON, Sep'r 30, 1762.

This Letter will meet You accompanied by one from the Worthy Coll:1 Spierring who has been so kind to give me his assistance for the obtaining a sett of the best Swis Crayons for drawing of Portraits. allow me Sir to Joyn my sollicitations with him that You would send as He directs one sett of Crayons of the very best kind such as You can recommend [for] liveliness of colour and Justness of tints. In a word let em be a sett of the very best that can be got.

You may perhaps be surprised that so remote a corner of the Globe as New England should have any d[e]mand for the necessary eutensils for practiceing the fine Arts, but I assure You Sir however feeble our efforts may be, it is not for want of inclination that they are not better, but the want of oppertunity to improve ourselves. however America which has been the seat of war and desolation, I would fain hope will one Day become the School of fine Arts and Monsieur Liotard['s] Drawing with Justice be set as patterns for our immitation. not that I have ever had the advantage of beholding any one of those rare peices from Your hand. but [have] formd a Judgment on the true tast of several of My friend[s] who has seen em.

permit me Sir to conclude with wishing You all Helth and happyness.

1 Draft, in Copley's handwriting, unsigned and without address. Upon another sheet is written in a different handwriting: “A Monsieur Liotard fameux Peintre à Genève en Suisse." Liotard (1702-1790) was surnamed "the Turk" because of his adopting the Turkish costume. He is remembered chiefly for his delicate pastel drawings, of which the "Chocolate Girl" in the Dresden Gallery is one of the best known.

S. Fayerweather1 to Copley

MR COPLEY,

After Waiting a Considerable time with much Uneasiness to know whether Judge Leigh's 2 Picture was sent to Carolina or no, at Length I'm Agreeably Surpriz'd to find it is Actually Gone, and I hope by this, it has Gott safe to its Destind Port, and that the proper Owner has joyfully took possession of it.

Upon Your Information in your last letter I immediately Wrote to Mr Leigh of your having sent from Boston his Honourd Fathers Effigy to Him, But Coud not tell By Whom, or What Vessel it Went; of this Be pleasd to Acquaint Me.

I have made the handsomest Apology to Mr Leigh in your Behalf, for the long Detention of the Picture; And not

1 Rev. Samuel Fayerweather (1725-1781), graduated from Harvard College in 1743, settled in Newport, Rhode Island, in 1754, was ordained a presbyter in the Episcopal Church in England in 1756, and entered upon his mission at St. Paul's, Narragansett, in 1760.

2 Probably Peter Leigh (1710-1759), Chief Justice of South Carolina. His only surviving son was Sir Egerton Leigh, whose controversy with Henry Laurens gave occasion to an interesting series of pamphlets before the War of Independ

ence.