DEAR HARRY,

Copley to Henry Pelham

I have sent you on this leaf an exact plan of part of those Iron fences that is in front of all the Houses in this City, that in case you should be obliged to plan one for Mr. Green's house you will have nothing to do but have recourse to this. for I think it will be strong anough if the pales are made of Oak or some tuff wood, with the Addition of thickness to the peace the pales go through has given to it, in the Draught which I have made with Read chalk. by this you will see that it is only the hollow I have marked with Chalk that you may know what my addition is, and not confound it with what I meant to give you, Viz. the Iron Fences generally used here. those pales are about five foot high to the poin[t] at the top from the Bottom; the bottom is let into stones which are neatly laid together, and ranged so that a peace of ranging timber of about 9 Inches broad on the Top and 4 Inches high on the side would well Imiatate, as I have Sketched on the inclosed paper. this timber will not be more subjected to rott than the cant that the pales are incerted into in all the open fences in your Town. I think I like to have the pales all of a length, and those here drawn are a good distance from each other. you are to take notice about every 18 or 20th or at highest 25th, there should be one barr larger, perhaps 1⁄2 as large again. I have markd it with Chalk. mind I do not mean to add this to each side: it would make them too thick. They must have some support as drawn in the plan. this must be on the Inside and of Iron, and not thicker at most than the small pales. as to these large pales the house must regulate their Distance from each other as it would the Posts of a Piazza; that is, one opposite each peer, or any way that they

will be made to turn out regular. if you should think oak would be strong anough, but I think it will not, it would be much Cheeper than Iron for the braces that support the fence. Certain I am all the other parts will be strong anough if made with Oak, and if Mrs. Copley should think proper to have any fencing done, I should chuse it exactly of this kind, I mean front fence, and the barrs of this thickness. as to the hight of the fence you must determin by the eye what will be best; and the hollow I have added (to give the barr through which the pales pass, more strength) I do not determin the size of, only, I would make it as small as possable. nothing can be cheeper than this kind of Fence. indeed in this place they do not make any object of their fences. if they are sufficient to keep Creatures out, they do not consider the fences as giveing any beauty to their building or gardends; and since I have been in this place I have not seen such a thing as a showey fence, neighther in town or Country. But I think the Post and the Gateway must be about 10 or 12 Inches thick, and only about 6 Inches higher than the pales with a flatt peace like a Cap on the top, as I have sketched it on the inclosed plan. this fence aught to be painted a light Lead Colour, all but the Gatepost[s] and Ranging Tim[bers]. I think should you exicute a fence of this kind you could not mistake any part, I have been so exact. I hope if you must do Mr. Green's you will follow every perticular, and be not afraid that the Stuff will be weak for I am sure of its sufficient strength and its neet look. I have sent you Colours for Painting the Houses, and Directed them by this oppertunity to Mr. Clarke at Salem. I send you your Cloaths and fine Colours, pencils, tools, paper, Chalk, etc. I shall send them under the care of Mr. Wheatly, who will see that you have them. I shall put them in one box, if I can; I inclose a note

of them altogether. I cannot give you any perticular Acc't. of the things that I see for want of time. you perhaps think it strange I should want time when I have nothing to do, but I am constantly imploy'd one way or other, and find so much Civility in this place more than equil to all I have ever received in Boston in my whole life, if I except what a few friends have shewn me, which I shall ever retain a greatfull remembrance of. I shall have business when I can engage in it. several have spoke to me, but I am determined not to do any till my return from Italy, for any one less than the King's or Queen's. such a thing as that might tempt me to stay a month longer than my time. Lord Gage has been very polite to me, and on my return. to this place will imploy me. he would have done it now, if I had been willing to take up the Pencil. I dined with him last week and was very much urged to take his Country house1 in my way to France in such a manner that I am constrained to think it more than mere compliment. at this season all the Nobillity is out of Town, so that I have not seen many of them, and this End of the Town is said to bee quite Dull, though I think it brisk anough. There has not been more than 2 or 3 Days since I came here that I have not had perticular invitations to Dine, tho it is now 3 weeks since I came here a stranger. many persons have desired Brother Clarke to bring me to Dine, tho they had never seen me nor I them. Mr. West when I first came would have had me to lodge at his House, but was just prepaireng to move to his New house and could not accomodate me; but had this not been the case I should have declined it;

1 Furle or Firle, in Sussex. "Lord Gage has a noble seat; the house was built by a Sir John Gage (in the reign of Henry the 8th), the first ancestor of whom they have any memorial. Of him there is a very fine picture." Diary and Letters of Thomas Hutchinson, 1. 223. This portrait was painted by Holbein. On Sir John Gage, see Dictionary of National Biography, xx. 351.

but he desired I would always come to dinner when I was not ingaged, with the same freedom as I should at home. indeed, he is extreemly friendly and I am under great obligations to him. I have the same invitation from Mr. Rook, an old Gentleman, father to General Gage's Aid de camp;1 and I assure you those are not mere peaces of ceremony, but from a real Desire they should be excepted of. so I am never at a loss, thò I have not yet improved Mr. Rook's general invitation. but when I dined there the last week he made me promise that I would come the first Day that I was not ingaged, and that I should always find a Dinner at 4 oClock, and when I went out, his Son, who I think a very polite Genteel Man, told me his Father was hurt that I had not gone in that friendly way and taken a Dinner with him before, and that it would give him great pleasure if I would without the least ceremoney, and made me promise that I would certainly do it. I mention this so perticular to show you how friendly those people are into whose acquaintance I have fallen, and that when they had made a Dinner, they do not think it a trouble they are glad to have done with, but wish to see me with a friendly freedom that precludes all suspision of incincerity, or mere ceremonial complisance. you cannot Immagine how much it adds to my pleasure having Brother Clarke here; he is so used to the place that I am already allmost inneciated into all the manners and Customs of the City. Yesterday I dined with Gov'r Hutchinson, and I think there was 12 of us altoge[the]r, and all Bostonians, and we had Choice Salt Fish for Dinner. I have not yet been able to see your Aunt, for I beleive I shall be obliged

1 Harry Rooke, a captain in the 52d Regiment.

2

2 He had already dined with Hutchinson on July 30. Diary and Letters of Thomas Hutchinson, 1. 198.

• Helena Pelham was living at Chichester at this time.

to go on purpose to Chichester. I am very sorry you did not give me a Direction by which I might have seen the person that transacts her business. you intended it but forgot it. however, I will do the best I can. remember me in the most tender and Affectionate manner to my Dear Mother. I intend if possable writing to her by this Vessell. Love to Brother and Sister Pelham, and All others as they stand connected, and beleive me your Affectionate Brother,

LONDON, August 5, 1774.

SIR,

J. S. COPLEY.

Nathaniel Hatch to Henry Pelham

Be so good to let the Bearer have a sight of your plan, in order to lay out the street called Sewall street through Captn. Erving's ground,' which he has consented to. I am your most Obet. Servt.

BOSTON, 15 Augt., '74.

DEAR BROTHER,

Copley to Henry Pelham

2

NATHL. HATCH.

LONDON, Augst. 17, 1774.

This Evening I devote to you and Mrs. Copley. I shall therefore not write you a long Letter, as the evenings are very short and it is now time to go to bed. you will perhaps think it strange I did not give some of the Day to this business, but you have no Idea how time is filled up in this great City. I get 1 John Erving, whose property lay between Copley's and George Street.

2 Sewall Street, thirty-five feet wide, was laid out from George or Belknap, now Joy Street, to Coventry, now Walnut Street. It ran through Sewall's "Elm Pasture" and the Copley property. The street was discontinued at an early date.