| Description | London May 16. 1800
My dear Sir,
It is very long since I have received a single line from you but I know how much you are always engaged & therefore have waved my Claims on you, but a most unfortunate Circumstance has occurr'd which I cannot but write you of-Poor Stocker is no more, I had a Letter this morning from his Son at Gibraltar to announce his Death at Mahon-he never reached Gibraltar, where I had hoped he wou'd have settled his disputed accounts-& that we might have wound up that unfortunate Concern-I have therefore his Proportion of loss to sustain as well as my own-this is hard upon me-but what is to become of his family? The Son that writes to me is settled in a House at Gibraltar & there I shall advise him to remain-he is nineteen Years of age I believe, writes like a lad of Business & seems sensible of the Situation his family must be in; a younger Son than the one with you was with his Father at his Death-if he comes home god knows how he will be disposed of-I understand from Mosley he is fit for the Sea faring life & probably may follow that; for Thomas I am sorry indeed that he has turn'd out so unworthy your kindness-for Mr. Brown has written Complaints of him which I had hoped he wou'd not have been capable of-If he is bent upon going into the Navy it can only be before the mast-for where will he find money to make a Gentleman of him? I shall write him a few lines by this Conveyance (not harshly for it is not a time to add to the real affliction he has sustain'd) but just to point out that to his own Industry alone must he trust.-I am gratefull to you for having taken him off my hands when I knew not what to do with him-& wish most sincerely he had proved himself better-I cannot ask you to keep Stocker in your Service-against your convenience-but if this heavy loss opens his Eyes & inclines him to good Conduct-perhaps you will be kind enough to give him a little longer tryal-Whatever you resolve upon be assured I must ever feel sensible for what you have done.
I have wrote again to Mr Wild about Mr. Lane's Debt as Mr. Weston thought that Mr. Wild was the man you shou'd look to for Payment & agrees with me that a letter to Sir Isaac Heard wou'd be proper from yourself-If you accede to this send it thro' me.-Your Letter to Sir Isaac is come to night.
How kind is Providence to protect our King from such vile assassins-I was seiz'd with the dismals last night upon hearing the account-and therefore my own loss of Stocker came but in ill time to mend my Spirits-but if I can but once obtain the accounts as I cannot tax my own Imprudence-and only wish to obtain Justice-I shall still hope to obtain it.
Remember me most kindly to your Son & Daughter and believe me Dear Sir
most faithfully & affectionately Yrs.
C Matthews
Since writing the foregoing I have your kind letter of the 14 and am sorry to learn you are neither well nor merry-the latter disease (not being merry) might have caused me to suppress this letter altogether, as it is not calculated to raise your Spirits, but when you learn that I am determined to bear my misfortune with fortitude & that probably it might have come to your knowledge thro' other Channels-I think it better to let it pass.-Adieu! remember me. |