Friday 4 October 2013

I think that this is one of my favourite letters...

Letter John to Caesar, dated Dublin June 18th 1801.
My dear Caesar,
Your last letter has given me and all your friends, most infinite satisfaction,
particularly that part of which it shows how unfounded a report that was which was
communicated to my uncle John by a friend of his and yours from Lismore, and on
which I understand, my mother and he wrote to you, and tho’ it is the wish of my
heart to see you married, and have one of our own name and blood to succeed us
both (for it is probable unless when doating, that I shall never marry). Yet from the
character of the person spoken of, I think you could not be happy with her as a wife.
I feel this is a very delicate point for me to mention at all, and therefore request
when you answer this letter, that you will take of no kind notice of the foregoing part
...
There is a very fine smart little boy of yours by E. Hays that I am thinking of sending
to some cheap school in England, he is about 11 or 12. I am afraid the mother has
brought him up with a turn for the Army, and in that opinion I think we should after
he has been a little time at school try and get him a Midshipman place, the
allowance to the mother at present is 12 guineas a year schooling and clothes, but
the last not regular. I am always in advance to her. There is another most ingenious
little fellow [City Debtor’s] your own son, but he has a turn in his eyes, and is so near
sighted that he can hardly see to read. This little fellow I mean for a Head Gardener,
that being a business that does not require good sight, tho’ he has the most
mechanical turn in the world & he lives with me at Tintern since the Rebellion. There
is also a brother lives with me, he about 19 (one of Poll Connors) him I intend for a
miller, he is the honestest, best but stupidest boy in the world I have at school, going
over and over again Arithmetic to indeed but little purpose. I offered £100 fee with
him to the Miller at Mercers Mills, but it would be not taken. Of Mrs. Harringtons
sons, who are both fine lads, the eldest is a Lieut. in a Fencible Regt. now in Halifax. I
had a letter from him. The Barrack and every hapenny worth he possessed of, has
been burned, and in consequence I was obliged to remit him £20, the only remittance since he joined a year and a half ago. The other son is a young surgeon, his allowance is 12 Guineas a year for clothes, 2 for Lectures, and 2 for Washing.
There is a sister of Poll Wards, and another of our own, that stands me in about 5
Guineas. This a sketch of the encumbrances. ...
John Colclough, à Monsieur Colclough, Frankfurt, am Main.

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