| Description | (Incomplete.) 2 ff.
Soho, March 10, 1791.
Dear Sir,
I believe my last was the 24th ultimo, but am not sure; since which I have received your several favours of the 23d, 27th February, and 3d instant. I am so much overwhelmed with business and vexation that I cannot enter into the various particulars of your letters.
Your reasoning respecting my giveing Droz so much money may be just, but, the fact is, he fairly tired me out, and I was was glad to get quit of so disagreeable subject at any price. He said he could not execute the award unless I gave him a press and a shop entirely to himself. I built one, as you saw, and fixed one of the great presses in it. He then said he must have my principal workmen to assist him. I incomoded my present business of coniage for the E. I. Co. by giving him workmen, and I found he would only delay time and do no good, nor teach anything that we did not know better than himself, and as he was a constant hinderance and plague to me, and pressed me much to let him go to Paris-otherwise, he said, he should loose the place of engraver to the Mint-I therefore consented, and gave him 550£, which, with other payments, amounts to more than 1650£ sterling for having engraved only the dies and punches for one British half peny, and of those there is only one pair harden'd, which he finished for the sake of striking off a few half pence for the Bishop of Autun than for my use. He hath engaged to return to Soho any time in twelve months from the time of his departure, if I require it. All the great discoveries, improvments, and inventions have consisted in words only, and I most solemnly declare that he hath learnt at Soho ten times more than he hath taught.
I did not think anything could have given me so much vexation as his swindling speeches and conduct hath done. But in that I find my self mistaken, for I now find the Albion Mill with all its contents are burnt down to the ground, and even the barges laden with corn upon the river. I have too much reason to fear that it was not accident but done by the malevolence of incendiaries. What would have been deem'd a blessing, an ornament, to any other country in Europe is now annihilated by envy, and the proprietors treated wickedly and their credit injured by the . . . [The press-copy is incomplete.] |