Tavern in Gerrard Street, Soho,1 on Monday the 6th of Octr next at Six OClock in the Evening in order to be regularly admitted. I am Sir Your Very Humble Servt.

Sept. 3rd: 1766.

F. M. NEWTON Secy 2

[Addressed.] To Mr. Wm. Copley of Boston in New England.3 [Endorsed] Octr. 13, 1767.

James Scott to Copley

DR. SIR,

This Informs you of my Arrivall in London. I have got the portrait safe home. it gives great satisfn.

I Expect I shall Sail the first week in Octr. I believe I Cannot posibly get your order Executed, before I sail Myself. My Brother is out of Town, 180 miles from London, and Engag'd all the winter; but however, I will not fail to Get some Able Hand to purchase for me all the Articles that requires inspection, beyond my Judgment.

I hope You are well and am with Respect Your Hble Servt

5th Septr., 1766, London.

JAMES SCOTT.

1 The Turk's Head was originally in Greek Street, and towards the middle of the eighteenth century removed to Gerrard Street. It was the headquarters for the Loyal Association during the rebellion of 1745, and after 1764 Johnson's Club held its meetings there. Notes and Queries, 1. 114.

* Francis Milner Newton (1720-1794), a portrait painter. He was Secretary of the "Incorporated Society of Artists of Great Britain," and later of the "Royal Academy," a seceding body. See Dictionary of National Biography, XL. 367.

• Copley erased the word Wm., and wrote J: S: above it. Copley's reply is dated November 23, 1767.

Copley to Peter [Pelham]

BOSTON, Sepr. 12, 1766.

1

DEAR SIR, The receipt of Your kind favour of April the 28 1 gave me the most sensable pleasure, as it confirm'd me in the opinion I always had that the tour You proposed would be attended with great advantage, both to Your helth as well as to Your purse. I most sincerely wish You a long continuance of every worldly Blessing. You have at present Your helth, are in a fine Climate, and are geting Money; those are Blessings that must smooth the ruget path of life and make it irksome to leave the World.

You are likly soon to be in a fair way of making Your fortune: You have many good frinds about You and as our friend Shakespear says, that which seasons all unfisickd helth. if this is the happy effect of leaving ones native Country, is it not strange any one should ever submit to the shackels which deprive him of such great Blessing[s]. especily when a little resolution would break em off. but this You will perhaps think strange doctrine to come from one Who is at this present, in spite of evry propose[d] advantage, tamely submiting to the Yowke he thinks so easyly shook off. but my friend You know my Bondage (if you seriously consider) is of a much more binding nature than the tie of Country. Your invitation to Barbados and incouragement come with much more force, as it should at the same time I made my fortune, give an oppertunity of injoy[ing] Your company. But beleive me, Dear Peter, when I can get disingage[d] from this frosen region, I shall take my flight to Europe, where tho I shall not find the warmth You

1 Page 37, supra.

1

injoy in Barbados, I shall feel a much enlivening one. I shall there be heated with the sight of the enchanting Works of a Raphael, a Rubens, Corregio and a Veronese, etc., etc. here give me leave to acquaint You, as You was privy to my sending the portrait of my Brother to the exibition, that it was received into the Collection, and as I am inform[ed] by severall who saw it, and by letters to the Surveyer 1 and others, for I have not yet [heard] from Capt. Bruce, it was much approved, and such handsom things said of it that my Modesty would not permit me repeat one of them but to You, who I have a better oppinion off, than to think it would be made any use of to my disadvantage. a Gentleman writes to his friend in Rhode Island that none but the Works of the first Masters were ranked with it. and flatter myself you know me too well to suspect the rep[et]ition arrises so much from Vanity, as a just senc of the Duty I owe to your friendship. what I owe to Your friendship, this is an incouragement to me I confess, and adds new Vigeour to the pencil. I have som foundation to build upon, some more sure prospect of attaining what has cost me so many hours of severe study, and given me resolution anough to live a batchelor to the age of twenty eight.2 however, I dont dispair, but I shall be Married as I find Mericle[s] have not ceas'd, as You must acknowledge when I assure You Mr P: 3 is Married to Polly] T[yler] has bot a farm at New Town and there set Down for life. Your Hond. Father and Sister much long to see you and took not amiss no more than my self You[r] sudden Departure. I am Dear Peter Your Sincere friend and Sert.

1 Roger Hale.

J. S. C.

2 This would show that he was born in 1738, and not in 1737, as usually stated. The Boston Records contain no entry of his birth or baptism.

3 Charles Pelham.

SIR,

Copley to Benjamin West

BOSTON, Octr. 13, 1766.

I can by no means let this first oppertunity slip without making my acknowledgements to You for Your favourable Oppinion of the small portrait I sent to the exibition the last Year, and Your kind offer of obliging me in any thing in Your power, which I heard by way of My good friend Mr. Powell. This testamony of Your goodness, as I thot it unmerited so it was altogether unexpected, and has my most gratefull acknowledgements. I assure You when my Friend Mr. Powell told me of Your intention of wrighting, I could not forbear thinking hard he did not weit on You at the time of his coming away, as it would have given me the greatest pleasure immaginable to have had a letter from One of whom I entertain so high an oppinion, as an artist ingaged in the same studys with myself, and esteem as my Country man, from whom America receives the Same Luster that Italy does from her Titiano and Divine Raphael.

It seems almost needless to say how great my desire is to enter into a corraspondance with You, as it is very obvious that the pleasure and advantages would be very great on my side, and I doubt not the same benevolent disposition, that prompd You to express Your kindness for me, will incline You to add to my happyness by promoting that friendly intercourse.

As a compliance with Your desire will be ever pleasing to me, I shall not fail transmiting another small Picture for the exibition, which give me leave to trouble You with, as the stay of my friend Capt [Bruce] (to whose care I commited the last) in London is altogether uncertain, and I have no friend else that I

am certain would give themselves the trouble of sending it to the exibition, unless You will be kind anough to take that trouble upon Your self, which will greatly Oblige him, who with great pleasure shall allways as at this time subscribe himself Your Obliged friend and Humble Ser't

SIR,

Copley to Benjamin West

J. S. C.

BOSTON, Novr. 12, 1766.

Your kind favour of Augst. 4, 1766, came to hand. It gave me great pleasure to receive without reserve Your Criticisms on the Picture I sent to the Exibition. Mr. Powell informd me of Your intention of wrighting, and the handsom things You was pleas'd say in praise of that little performance, which has increased my estamation of it, and demands my thanks which previous to the receipt of Your favour I acknowledged in a letter forwarded by Mr. Powell. It was remarkd the Picture was too lind. this I confess I was concious of my self and think with You that it is the natural result of two great presition in the out line, which in my next Picture I will indeavour to avoid, and perhaps should not have fallen into it in that, had I not felt two great timerity at presenting a Picture to the inspection of the first artists in the World, and where it was to come into competition with such masterly performancess as generally appear in that Collection. In my last I promis'd to send another peace. the subject You have sence pointed out, but I fear it will not be in my power to comply with Your design, the time being two short for the exicution of two figures, not having it in my power to spend all my time on it, and the Days short and weither cold, and I must ship it by the middle of Feby. at farthest, otherwise it will come too late for the exibition. but I