| Description | Dear Father,
I send you herewith the book of directions, as you requested. Mr. Southerns desires me to say that it is the only one left.
The account of our proceedings at the Mint is far from beeing agreable. The new press has succeeded very ill, and to day it is obliged to be taken to pieces in order to get at the brass female screw, which is become loose and rises at every stroke so much as to prevent the recoil. The other press is not yet finished, but on account of the present accident I think it will be better to employ all hands in finishing it and leave the other untill it be completed.
The two former presses have worked tolerably well, so that there has been nearly two ton per day struck. The progress of the operations of the Mint is much impeded by discord which reigns between Bush and Lawson. The former sets his face too much against alterations, and the latter is too much entété with his own theories. Of the two extreemes, that of Bush’s is the most preferable. From his conversation I can see that he thinks himself rather slighted in not having been more consulted in the changements made in the last press, and consequently triumphs at its bad success. It is the temper of every artist, and more prudent to humour it than attempt to reform it.
You have not decided upon the manner of edging the medals, whether they are to be milled in plain cheeks or turn’d in a lathe. Mr. Scale makes many objections to gilding them, but, I think, partly with an idea to make you erect a stove, from which they may profit. At the same time that he refuses to put himself to the smallest inconvenience to assist you, he is unconscieble enough to ask Matthew Boulton for the use of his cutting out presses in the mill gallery without paying any attention to the confusion it would cause in the mill gallery on account of the quantity of the metal you have there and the great danger of mixing the bits. He also wishes to employ your apprentices to cut out for the Button Co. merely to prevent them from beeing idle, and (I don’t [know] how far with your concurrence) he actually employs one or two to work at night in Tyre’s shop. I thought proper to advise you of this, to caution lest he might think proper to write you on this subject. We wait for your determination respecting the method of edging the medals.
With the most fervent wishes for your health and success, I remain your dutiful son,
Mattw. R. Boulton
PS. Mr. Matthews does not mend in the least, but on the contrary rather falls away daily; indeed yesterday we were much alarmed on his account and thought it prudent to send for a surgeon, as Dr. Withering has advised.
Mr. Careless thinks there is sufficient ground to have the men arrested, and it is not improble but farther light will be thrown upon the affair.
[Edited transcript.]
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