PROTES T AGAINST THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE MERCHANT S. Relative to the New IMPORTATION of TEA. Addreffed to the TRADESMEN and INHABITANTs of the Town and Province in WHE BOSTON, Nov. 3, 1773. I. THAT the prefent propofed Meeting is illegal and underhanded; and as THEREAS we have repeatedly it is our humble Opinion that it is fubbeen impofed upon by the Mer verfive of that CONSTITUTIONAL LIchants of the Town of BoSTON, and BERTY we are contending for, and thereby incurred heavy Taxes upon us, that fuch Proceedings will tend to creand we stand unjustly charged with the ate Disorder and Tumult in the Town, blame And as it is now propofed it is earnefily wished every well-difpofed by faid Merchants to prevent the Im- Member of the Community would use portation of Tea from the India Com- his Endeavors to prevent them in fupany, whereby that Article may be fold ture. for less than half the Price they can afford it who now call for our Attendance for that Purpose at Liberty-Tree, You are hereby advifed and warned by no means to be taken in by the deceitful Bait of thofe who falfely ftile thenfelves Friends of Liberty: THE II. THAT the Method of notifying faid Meeting is mean and defpicable, and fmells of Darkness and Deceit, as the Notification for warning the fame was not figned, and was posted in the Night. III. We are refolved, by Divine Af fiftance, to walk uprightly, and to eat, drink, and wear whatever we can bonefly procure by our Labour; and to PROTEST. Buy and Sell when and where we please We the TRADESMEN of the herein hoping for the Protection of good THE TRUE SONS OF LIBERTY. Printed by E. RUSSELL, next the Corgfeld, Union-street.. DEAR SIR, Thomas Palmer to James Byers1 BOSTON, Novr. 10th, 1773. This will be deliver'd you by Mr. John Singleton Copley, who proposes spending a year or two in Italy, to improve himself in his Profession as a Painter. His Character as a Gentleman is unexceptionable, as an Artist, you will soon discover his Merit I have advis'd him to spend the most of his time at Rome, and I hope you'll be so obliging as to introduce him to some of his Brethren in the Arts. I am with great Regard your Friend and humb. Servt. THOS. PALMER. Au Chevalier Hamilton Bart.2 ministre Plenipotentitiare de sa majesté Brittanique à Naples Your known Love for the Polite Arts, and the Encouragement and Countenance you give their Professors emboldens me to recommend to your Protection the Bearer of this, Mr. Copley, as a person of very great Merit. he was born, and has been bred entirely among us, and for what knowledge he has acquired in his Profession, he is indebted to the force of his own Genius only; I beleive he has never seen a good Picture but of his own painting. His Character as a Gentleman is unexceptionable, as an Artist I trust his works will very soon speak for him. I hope, Sir, you'll excuse the Liberty I take with you. Present my best Regards to Lady Hamilton and beleive me to be with the greatest Respect your much oblig'd, and most humble Servant, BOSTON, Novr., 1773. THOS. PALMER. 1 See Dictionary of National Biography, vIII. 110. Now an architect at Rome. 2 Sir William Hamilton (1730-1803). SIR, Dr. John Morgan1 to Copley PHILADELPHIA, November 24, 1773. At the request of my particular friend Mr. Mifflin and of my Brother in law Mr. Stillman, I have taken the Liberty of writing a few Letters to some of my former friends in Italy, where I with pleasure learn you are going for the sake of endeavouring to make further Improvements in your profession. I hope these Letters may be of use to you. I have delivered them to Mr. Mifflin to forward to you. If you approve of delivering them, be pleased first to seal them. If not, you will be so kind as to destroy them. That you may be enabled to form some Judgment how far they may be of use to you, it will be proper to acquaint You with the Characters of the several Gentlemen to whom they are written, and to explain on what footing they may be serviceable. Mr. Rutherfoord was a considerable Merchant at Leghorn, a Man of great Worth and politeness, and particularly civil to his Countrymen, the English. He can introduce you to Sir John Dick, Consul at Leghorn, and either by himself or friends procure you an Introduction to Sir Horace Man, the British Resident at Florence, which will be of great Use in obtaining easy Access at all proper times, to the Gallery of Paintings there, which contains one of the grandest Collections in Europe. Mr. Byers was bred to Painting, and reckoned a Connoisseur in Painting, Statuary, Sculpture, and very obliging in the charge he undertook of conducting Strangers to visit whatever was deemed curious and worthy of Observation in or about Rome, and in explaining the History of what he shewed. ■ 1 See Journal of Dr. John Morgan, of Philadelphia, from Rome to London, 1764. The Abbey Grant was a Scotch Gentleman who, having followed the Fortunes of James to Rome, resided there. He was much esteemed by the English, and procured Access for the party I was with to Persons of the first Distinction at Rome. Mr. Jamineau, the British Consul at Naples, was very friendly to me, during my Stay at Naples, and has since honoured me with his Correspondence. His Patronage was I beleive of use to Mr. West, and to Signora Angelica.1 From his particular situation and disposition to please, I should think he might prove a valuable Acquaintance to you, in a great Variety of ways. I wish you success equal to your warmest Expectations, and still greater, equal to the Opinion I have of your great Merit. Tho' personally unknown to you, I am, Sir, with great Regard Your most obedient and very humble Servant, SIR, JOHN MORGAN. Dr. John Morgan to Mr. Rutherfoord, Esqr. PHILADELPHIA, November 24, 1773. I did myself the Honour of writing to you a few Months ago in favour of Mr. Bingham2 a young Gentleman of this City, who purposed to pay a Visit to Leghorn, in his Way to see some parts of Italy. I now take the Liberty of introducing to your Acquaintance the Bearer Mr. Copley, who goes over to Italy for improvement in the Art of Painting. He is a Gentleman of exceeding good Character, and, without a Master, or Oppertunity of seeing the works of eminent Artists, has himself become highly eminent for his Skill in Painting. I am perswaded there are many, who after all the improvements they have made from being conversant with the Works of the first 2 William Bingham. 1 Angelica Kauffman. Masters in the World, when they leave Italy are not equal to Mr. Copley, at his first entering upon the study of those same Masters. Depending on your great politeness to myself, and your known readiness to oblige Strangers of Worth, I doubt not but the liberty I have taken of recommending Mr. Copley to your Acquaintance will be taken in good part, and that you will have a pleasure in rendering him all the good Offices in your Power, by giving him advice how to proceed, and introducing him to such Gentlemen as may be most likely to have it in their Power to Promote the design of his coming. With assurances of my great Esteem, I remain Dr. Sir Your much obliged and most obedient humble Servant, SIR, JOHN MORGAN. Dr. John Morgan to Mr. Byers PHILADELPHIA, Novembr. 24, 1773. I make no other Apology for the Liberty I now take of introducing the Bearer Mr. Copley to your Acquaintance than to say the knowledge I have of your desire to cultivate a friendly Intercourse with worthy Artists, and to shew every Civility in your power to Strangers that go to Rome for their Improvement, makes me think you will be pleased with it. He is, I durst say, already known to you by report, as you are not ignorant of those who have excelled in the Art, or of the Works of those who have gained a reputation by their Exhibitions of Painting at Spring Garden. Be that as it may, Mr. Copley is generally esteemed here to be the best Painter that has ever performed in America, without excepting our American Raphael, as I have often heard Mr. West called, if we confine his Character to the Period of his being in America. Without other means of Improvement than what his own Genius has furnished Mr. Copley may be truly allowed, in my weak Opinion, to be a Master of his Art. Yet not content with that skill he has already acquired by dint of his Application to copy nature, he is fired with the laudable Ambition of studying the Works of |