Esteemed Friend

I think myself highly honoured by thy obliging letter of the 8th of May last, to which I now reply.

I have sent a duplicate of the books, that somehow miscarried, though delivered by a previous opportunity. Hope these by Captn. Sutton, will arrive, and be acceptable. In the Memoirs of Dr. Fothergill, I have annexed Memoirs of some of his Associates, and had sincerely wished to have introduced some early Anecdotes, of the honoured friend, to whom I address this letter, and for whom Dr. Fothergill had long and uniformly entertained a singular esteem and I may add a fraternal affection. There is something, in bringing together former Associates, that fills the mind with a tender renewal of friendship, and enlarges it with desires, with a laudable ambition, to imitate what one admires and to merit what one partakes of. I cannot at the same time entertain any doubt of the incessant labour of thy mind, upon occasions of the first magnitude.

Whether or not I shall ever be favoured with any of thou early anecdotes, which I should have been proud of; mankind doubtless, would be highly gratified, were my honoured friend to entrust such memorials some where. The great events of nations will in time be developed, in this or in some succeeding century; these are above my powers, or my design to exhibit; but the early contingencies of private life—how the early train was laid, that produces the blaze of character, may elude the historian of great events and revolution; yet these do not instruct less, and often entertain more. I imagine thou may have heard of a discovery, which is now carried on, by a Society called Polygraphic, of imitating paintings. The original is never touched, but so imitated as scarcely to be distinguished by a critical eye. This art was discovered by one Booth, who has since communicated it to an opulent friend (Quaker) of the name of Johnson. By this Art Paintings in oil, of some hundreds of pounds in value, have been accurately imitated in every respect, and sold for scarcely as many shillings. I have no conception how this is done. Booth is a man of no extraordinary genius, and of no fortune, and he alone besides Johnson, complet[e]s these imitations, and with so much dispatch, as to exhibit a fai[r] simile in three or four hours. Johnson tells me he has refused £60,000 for the Secret. One would imagine that this art consists in reflecting the original pictures in all the variety of colours, upon a fresh canvas then imitated by the painter. And yet the resemblance in all the copies would make one suspect, that from the original, a stamp is made, and thus the paintings print in oil colours, as impressions are taken Copper plates. One thing is certain that    never attempt a single imitation, but about 20, copies, which I understand makes them to come cheaper to the purchasers.

I am cultivating a plant, which I    is the only one in England, though known in France full two years. Under the name of the Racine de disette, and for many years in Germany; tho’ hitherto a stranger here. If I do not send an account of it by this opportunity, I shall in a subsequent one, with seeds. It is the most prolific vegetable I know of, producing 50     of provision in about a square yard. It will grow in any climate, and the seeds may be had in abundance from France.

I have wrote to Dr. Rush in favour of one George    a respectable Clergyman here, who wishes to acquire the honour of Doctor in Divinity from the College of Philadelphia, and I beg, if this request, is not an improper one, for thy services in this matter. I have sent a Recommendation to Dr. Rush, for I did not chuse to take the freedom of troubling thee furthur, than to beg thy auspices on the occasion.

I do not expect that a person like thy self, whose moments are invaluable, should regularly answer my trivial letters, but permit me to add, that I consider such an attention from thee, as a favour ever highly valued, and deeply estimated by Thy friend