| Description | ("No. 1.")
London, 12th February 1791.
Dear Sir!
I could not leave town last night, but am setting out today. A gentleman who arrived yesterday from Paris brings the news that all what has been said about tumult at that place, principally the massacre of the Duke d'Orleans, is without any foundation. I hope you have written the letter you mentioned to Mr. Motteux; I think it a prudent and necessary step, in order to prevent any misunderstanding between you and him. Your parcel to the gentlemen at Nantes has been sent to Paris the 6th of January, and will have come to hand by this time; however, I shall inform myself about it when I come there.
I have chusen crucibles and retorts of different seizes, and have likewise ordered circular bricks of a proper seize to be made, so as to form a cavity of one foot diameter, all of which will be forwarded to you in a fortnight hence by the Birmingham waggon; if your son should wish to have circular bricks for furnaces of 4, 8, or 10 inches diameter, he must write to Messrs. Hempsel, earthenware house, Chelsea, and they will send him these or any other articles which he might wish for, on sending proper drawings. They have at last accomplished in this warehouse what I have desired them to do three or four years past, viz. German stoves, in the form of urns and other ornaments, with an open grate, so that you may see the fire, have a circulation of air in your room, and at the same time warm your room comfortably. They cost from six to twelve guineas apiece. I left a small parcel for your son, which Mr. Chippendale will forward.
My best compliments to Mr. Watt; if he should write to Messrs. Wilson at Glasgow about the book containing patterns of types, I wish he would order it to be directed to me in London, to the care of Mr. Ramsden, optician, Piccadilly, whence I shall easily get them over to France. The following is the prescription for making the isinglass glue I mentioned to him: Take isinglass as much as you please, beat it to shreads, put it into water for 24 hours, then boil it with spirit of wine till it be dissolved. Keep it in a close glass vessel, and when you want the glue, put the phial into a bason of hot water, or hold it a little near the fireside, till the mass becomes fluid and transparent. It will keep in a good state very long; I have now the first bottle I made, these eight or ten years ago.
Joining my best compliments to your respective families, Dr. Withering included, I am with esteem, sir, your most obedient servant,
F. Swediaur |