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found Brother Clarke,1 who is very well. this Morn'g at his Lodgings I devote to write to Mrs. Copley and you, as a Vessell will sail in a Day or two and I cannot go abroad till I have procured some things to be Decent in.

July 15th. I have been to see my friend Mr. West, and find in him those amiable quallitys that makes his friendship boath desireable as an artist and as a Gentleman. on Wednesday he introduced me and Brother Clarke to Sr. Josha. Renolds's, where we saw a very large number of his portraits, and a fine collection of Other Masters. yesterday, or Thursday, for I think it better to pursue by the Days of the week in my Cronology than by other Dates, I had the superlative pleasure of Visiting the Royal Accademy where the Students had a naked model from which they were Drawing. the front of this pallace, designed by Inogo Jones, is Very magnificant. The Collection of the Statues Bassorelevios, etc., is very fine. I have seen Mr. West's Death of General Wolf, which is sufficient of itself to Immortalize the Author of it. there is a fine print of it ingraveing, which when done you shall see. I find the practice of Painting or rather the means by which composition is attained easyer than I thought it had been. the sketches are made from the life, and not only from figures singly, but often from groups. This you remember was have often talked of, and by this a great dificulty is removed that lay on my mind. Mr. West proposes to Carry me to the Queen's Pallace to Day. I must not be very perticular in my Acc'ts of what I see in this place yet, for they come so thick my time will not permit me to be so at present. this Mor'g I have to deliver most of my Letters of Recommendation which will encrease my Acquaint

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1 Jonathan Clarke.

By William Woollett. The plate was not issued until January, 1776.

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ance. this is really an astonishing City; many parts of which, I mean, the buildings, are so exactly what I had conceived that I am surprized at it. I find I am like to have a companion to go to Italy with me, a Gentleman who is about forty lately ingaged in painting and our pursuits will be the same.1 he has the french and Italian Langage and only weits for the best season. that will be in about three weeks. in this I think I am happy. I have from Mr. West, that I need coppy very little, that fifteen Months for me will be equel to as many years to young Students, so that my time will not exceed what I talked to Sukey, and desire you to tell her so. the last night I slept in my new Lodgings. I have the first floor, very Genteel, for which I pay a Guinea a week. it consists two Chambers, with small room to powder in. I find my breakfast and have an invitation to dine always with Mr. West when not otherways ingaged; Capt. Scott sails in about a week, when I shall write more at leasure than I am at present, and hope to send your things by him. Give my love and Duty to my Hon'd and Dear Mother, Comp'ts, etc., etc., to all Friends. observe this letter is several Days later in the Date than Mrs. Copley's, which I put into the bagg least it should be taken down. so you must communicate (if you can read it) to her, I never had my health better. I am sorry Brother Clarke and I are so distant from each other, but he is in the City and I at the Coart End of the Town, about two Miles or somthing more from each other. I am within a few Doors from Mr. West's,2 but shall see Mr. Clarke every Day; for two Miles here is not what we think them with us,

1 Carter was the artist's name, and his companionship is shown in the extracts from a diary kept during this journey. Printed in Cunningham, Lives of British Painters, and in Dunlap, 1. 112.

2 West lived at 14 Newman Street for forty-five years before his death in 1820; before that he was in Castle Street, Leicester Fields.

and I might as well have stayd at home as in the City. Lord Gage1 is out of Town this Week, so have not seen him. so is Lord Dartmouth, to whom I shall be introduced when he returns. but I must break off. remember to be Active to do with Spirit what you have to do. I long to hear how things go with you. I am, Dear Brother, Most Affecly your

J. S. COPLEY.

July 15, 1774. Direct to New England Coffee House.

Henry Pelham to Copley 2

MY DEAR BROTHER,

BOSTON, July 17,3 1774.

A Vessell sailing tomorrow for England from Dartmouth 4 affords me an oppertunity of presenting you with my most sincere and hearty wishes for your Happyness and welfare. The weather since you sailed having been remarkably fine, your affectionate Friends here felicitate themselves in the Idea of your having before this arrived in England after a safe, quick and ple[a]sant Passage. I hope this will meet you placed agreably to ours and your own wishes in health Peace and (as far as possable) in the enjoyment of all Earthly Happyness. My Honor'd Mamma desi[r]es me to present you with Blessing and kindest Love, and to assure you that you shall allways have her prayers at the throne of Heavenly Grace for your temporal

1 Thomas Gage, first Viscount Gage in the peerage of Ireland.

2 There are two drafts of this letter, with numerous corrections in both of them. The first draft is shorter and has nothing about the dispute with Edward Green.

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4 First draft: Providence. Second draft: Providence changed to Dartmouth.

and eternal welfare. I am happy to inform you that her Health is rather better than when you left us.

My Dear Sister and her little family are well. she has wrote you by the Admerals' Ship, which sailed a few Days ago. I must make an apollogy for not having wrote myself by the same Conveyanc[e]. I fully intended it but the Vessel sliped away before I was apprised of the time of her Sailing. Mr. and Mrs. Bromfield, my Sister and myself, spent a day or two lately1 at Salem where we had the Pleasure of se[e]ing Mr. Clarke and our other Friends with him in health and Peace, once more enjoying the Blessings of social and domestic Life. By this Oppertunity I propose writing to aunt Cooper, Uncle Singleton and my Cousin King. I received a few days after you sailed a most tender and affectionate Letter from my Uncle, a few extracts of which I beg leave to incert. it is dated January 27, 1774

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I must now leave a pleasing to enter upon a disagreable Subject, a Subject I sincerely wish I had no accasion to mention, Viz. the Conduct of Mr. Green3 with respect to the settlement of hi[s] Account. I shall not repeat what passed previous to your sailing, for that cant but be recent in your memory. I think it was to[o] remarkable to escape it. shall therefor[e] confine myself to what has since occurred. The 4th of July I went in to him and told him I came from Mrs. Copley, with her request that he would settle his Account, as she was in want of Money to support her Family. he told me that he had not got the Accou[n]t and cou'd not get it from you, tho he was very solicitous to for a month before you went away. I gave him the

1 First draft: "spent the last Sunday."

2 The whole letter is printed p. 213, supra.

* Edward Green (1733-1790), who married Mary Storer.

Ac[c]ount. He read it, and objected to the price of his Brother's Picture, spoke largely of Mrs. Copley's solicitude to get some articles of Ferniture from him, said he did not care for the Pictures being paid for two years before hand, woud not have objected if it had been three, would not mention these things only to give me an Accou[n]t of how the matter stood. he said you had charged 25 per Cent upon the glass. I told him no that I had paid for that very Glass 16/. well, sais he, these are mere trifles. The Rent is the main article, your Brother has over charged that. I was to give but 40£. I told him I was much surprised to hear him say so. That It had been always understo[o]d that He was to give 46£ 13/4 a year and that you had refused 40£, which was what Mr. Startin had offered you. here he gave me an Explination which as well as I knew the man I must Confess astonished me coming even from him. that was, that He was to give 40£ for the House and 6£ 13.4. for the barn, if he chose to occupy it. but, sais he, I never had the barn. the Key of it indeed was sent into me, with a Desire that I might make use of it if I had Ocasion; but in two Days after it was sent for again and I have never had it since. to this I exp[r]essed my great Wonder, and told him that the barn was certainly occupied by him, that you had frequently put yourself to Inconven[i]en[ce] rather than trouble him for the Occasional Use of it. No, he said, so far from it that you had let the Barn to other People. He asked me what Directions you had left respecting a Deduction for the House not being finished etc? I told him that you had left directions about it, but that it was proper for him to say what he expected. he said he mentioned one Article of Damage, that of his wood. He was obliged to give 20/ a Cord for 30 Cord, by which he lost 10£ Lawfull Money for want of a Wood House being

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