Gratitud[e] for your kindness and fr[i]endly attention which I want words fully to express. I have just finish'd a high regale, the Reperusal of all your Instructive and affectionate Letters. I never read them, never think of them without the liveliest sence of my obligations to you for the unaffected and endearing marks of your Love and regard for my wellfare with which they are replete; I always feel myself Happy in recollecting the agreable Situation you are in, far removed from the din of civil discord and faction, uni[n]terrupted by the tumult and cunfusion of licentiousness and anarchy, contemplating the works of the ingenious and great and cultivate'g the charming arts of Peace and Fr[i]endship. I would not have you suppose from this that we are altogethe[r] in a shock'g State ne[i]ther, for I really thin[k] we are in a better one than we were some time ago. Certain I am this town is incomparably more peaceab[le] than it was when you left it, and I flatter myself that the time is approaching when Reason will aga[i]n recover her empire over the turbalant Passons of an enthusiastic and misguided People, and that jarring and hatred, jealosies, distrust and mutual revili[n]gs, will give place to the long Cataloge of exiled Virtues; that Peace with her swe[e]t Voice will again hail this the Happy Land, once more the seat of Plenty Justice Security and Fre[e]dom. Your several Letters require no perticular Remarks. I shall pass them with observing that your discription of you[r] journey is very entertain❜g and the Civilities you mention having rec'd are very flatter'g to your Friends. I now propose giving you some accou[n]t of my Journey to Phlda. the motives for it, my Health, I have already mentioned. I purchasd a Horse and disoblegiant, and on the 18 of Septm'r, in Company with our Fr[ie]nd[s] Mr. Lee and Lady, Mr. and Mrs. Startin, set out upon the tour about two hours before day, hastned by an expected Visit from the County [Country?] Mob, Mr. L. having offended them by adjorning the Court which they said was a carrying into execution the regulation Bill. We mett with noth[in]g remar[k]able except Very fine Weather which we had the whole journey, till we ar[r]ived at Springfield. here an unlucky Visit from a Ge[n]tleman, one of the new mandamus Councellor[s], who had resigned a few days before upon being most severely threatned and ill treated, affixed the name of tory upon us and was near springing a mine which would have entirely marr'd our journey. This Occurance, tho it much disturbed me, afforded me some amusement. I had often seen the proceedings of a Boston Mob, but never of a Country one. I will give you the perticulars, know'g from Experien[ce] the pleasure arrising from a minute detail of the most trifling Occurrances our distant friend[s] meet with. We had not been long at the Tavern wher[e] we put up at for the night, when a party of four and t[w]enty who had been out that day shooting Squerels, mett there to divide their booty, which raised a quarrel among them. this with the plenty of Liquer they had made them noisy and Riotous. The landlord willing to have his hous[e] clear of this Confusion requested they would depa[r]t, acqua[i]nting them that he had travellers who wanted Rest, and with more zeal than prudence declared they should not have a drop more of drink. This made them outragious, and Coll. Worthington and Mr. Bliss, two Fri[e]nds of Government, coming out of our Room and passing th[r]o theirs, drew all this Resentment against us. They said He had a damn'd pack of Torys in his House and they would have us out.1 Resistance on [our] pa[r]t incre[a]s[ed] the tumult on 1 Erased: "and make us make an acknowled[g]ment of our offences aga[i]n[s]t the Libertys of the People." theirs. They loaded and fired their musketts, for they were all armed, in the House and at the Windows. This you may well suppose created much noise and Confusion which continued near two hours. At length one more peaceably disposed than the Rest pe[r]swaded them to disperse for the night, and in the morn'g insist upon our mak'g an Acknowled[g]ment of our offences, and recant our principles. This with the landlord's asking their pardon in a very humble manner, co[o]lled them down, so that we had our nights rest. In the morn'g early we set out leaving those Sons of to find recantations where they could. From Springfield to Newyork we met with nothing extrordina[r]y, now and then a small affront which use made us disregard. We were 13 days between Boston and York, which afforded us ample time for seeing the several of agreable Town[s] which ly upon Connecticut River. At Newyork I saw a number of clever houses. the Kings Statue pleased me much. round this I saw one of those Iron fences which you have disscribed to me. We tarried here 10 Days, during which I mett with much Civility from Mr. Curson and Mr. Seaton. I was very unlucky here, Major Bayard, Doctor Auchmuty, and two or three Gentlemen, being out of town to whom I had Letters. From York we had a most delightful Ride through the Jerseys which took us 4 days. The 14 of O[c]tober bro't us to Phila. The regularity, the neatness and cleaness of this City, Its excellent and well regulated police, and the simple plainess of its Inhabitan[ts], struck me very agreably. Here the Letters I had procured several Valua[ble] and Ingenious Acquaintanc[es], from whom I recd many marks of politeness and attention, for which I shall always think myself Obliged. Doctr. Morgan I found a polite sensible Friendly Man, a great Lover of and a judge of Painting, and a perticular Friend of yours. I would recommend your writing to him as he is a man of Consequence in the Literary World, a Fellow of the Royal Society. Mr. Mifflin shewed me much Civi[li]ty. I had another oppertun[ity] of viewing with pleasure their admirable Portrait[s]. I was introducd to Governor Penn, where I saw and admired the several Copies of which you gave me a very just discription, when you was at New York. I was at Mr. Hamiltons, the Late Governor, who rec'd me very politely. With Him and Mr. Allen, who had been in Rome, I had two or three hours very * entertaining and instructiv[e] Conversation on paint'g and the Arts. Mr. Allen perticularly amused me with an anecdote Respect'g my Picture which you sent to the Exh[i]bition. When I have more Room I will give it to you. [Unfinished.] Henry Pelham to [Charles Reak and Samuel Okey] GENTLEMEN, BOSTON, March 10, 1775. A very Long absence from home and a consequent Hurry of Buisness upon my return With the want of a Conveni[en]t Opertunity has hitherto prevented my noticeing to you the receipt of your polite favour. I beg you would attribute my omission to those Causes and not to Neglect or Inattention. My thanks are due to Mr. Reak for his expressions of Disapo[i]ntment at not seeing me when he was in Boston. I likewise feel a real Regret in being out of the way when he did me the favour to call upon me. As you acqua[i]nt me only in General with your intentions of scraping some plates in Mezzotinto from Designs of Mr. Copley's and Mine: it is difficult for me to determin[e] in what manner I can render you any assistanc[e]. But this I can with truth assure you that I shall take a great pleasure in affording you any that is in my power and I beg you would freely communicate to me any plans in which my service will be acceptable to you. I thank you for a promise of a proof of Mr. S. Adams print. I take the Liberty of mentioning Doct. Winthrop as a Gentleman whose likeness in mezzotinto I hav[e] little doubt you would find worth your doing. He is well known at home and abroad as a Politician and a Philosopher, an emine[n]t decendant of the venerable Father of New England, and a Gentleman whose literary abilities have rendered his Name abroad an Honour to America" and whose private Virtues have attracted the esteem of his numerous Friends at Home. Should you do this I would send you an exact drawing in Black and White taken from a Painting of Mr. Copley's, which is a[n] elegant Picture and a very striking likeness and would recommend its being done the same size of Doctr Franklin's, to be a match for it. I should be glad to hear from you upon the subject, and Conclude by subs[c]ribing myself your most Humble Sert. HENRY PELH[A]M. P S. The Proof I deliv[er]ed to a Gentleman sometime ago who called for them in your Names. Copley to Henry Pelham DEAR BROTHER, you; It is a long time since I have had the pleasure of wrighting to the reason of this I hinted in a Letter to Your Sister, and at the same time promiss'd to be very perticular when a private conveyance offered for my letter to you, free of expence; this oppertunity now presents itself and I will fulfill my promiss with the utmost pleasure. Mr. Izard will soon leave this place |