1

I am now writing to you for the last time on thick paper. I shall send you I believe some exquisite thin paper called Bank pg 266Paper; doubting whether the like may be to be got in Holland. You may make use of it for all your correspondents—They will not take your letters the worse for costing them little. Divide each page into two columns—by this means you will lose less room by breaks.

2

I am not at all melancholy—I have perfectly got the better of the shock at parting, and think of nothing but the flattering prospects that are before us.

3

You a Mechanic, and bid me get a box on purpose made for the Delineator stand? I sent for the Carpenter in blind obedience to your orders: but when he came it occurred to me that upon farther taking to pieces it might very likely be puttable into the box with the smooth inside. The honest obliging fellow came in to the proposal very readily and put it into execution. He has marked the claws 1,2, 3 and put correspond marks to the part of the foot into which they are respectively to be inserted. The box was not full pg 267by a great deal: so I put 4 Priestly into it and Restaut² and Hume. Also Contract and Principal Dimensions: item the flannel sailing jacket merely to fill up chinks. There were 6 boxes of them in all. I dispatched them by two men and a wooden horse part last night and part this morning. With a letter for Sambouski who said it was very well and renew'd his promises of taking care of them. They are marked S.B. Paper No. 1,2, etc. on the wood in thumping large capitals.

4

It would have been better by the bye if I had number'd them 1/6 2/6 etc. meaning No. 1 out of 6. No. 2 out of 6 etc.: then by seeing any one a man would know at any time how many of them there should be. Suppose you were to adopt this contrivance and number your boxes and gimcracks accordingly. You and I ought to neglect none of the helps to a weak memory.

5

I have been and got a memorandum book to set down every thing that relates to you, and have entitled it S.B.

6

I see by a paper of today that Sr. Ch: Douglas has lately lost his wife.

7

Endeavour to see the 2d. vol. of Dr. Burney's Musical tour through Germany. I have just been running over it on your account. He had recommendations to Matthias and Hanbury at Hamburgh of whom he makes honourable mention.³ They probably have the book. In the Stadt-huys at Amsterdam and elsewhere take notice of the Carillons or Chimes that are play'd upon by fists and feet: There and elsewhere in your route take notice of the Organs which are in many places of an immense size. 32 feet in height with 4 rows of keys beside pedals for the feet and from fifty to 64 stops and 8 or 6 pairs of bellows. In Hamburg there are a matter of 5 such. pg 268These may be worth examining if not on a musical account, at least as mechanical contrivances. They will afford pus for mechanical digest.

8 Key

Have-not you got mine with you—I have yours I remember you may have locked the door and put the key into your pocket, At least I can not find it since you have been gone I have found it.

9

I send you my laced ruffles—the sheet they are inclosed in will serve to write your Will upon.

10. Law and Language Books.

When you are at Hamburgh if you could get Grammar and Dictionaries of the Danish and Swedish languages cheap (either in French or English) I should be glad to have them. Grammars at any rate. Dictionaries too if you can get them under 10s. the two. At Hamburgh likewise you might get me the body of Danish Laws as cheap probably as at Copenhagen. See Facienda. Likewise Harpsichord Music if you hear any that you like, and if the price should not be more than 3s. for 6 Lessons or whatever they are. Here the price is 10s. 6 with only one accompaniment.

August 22. 1779.

I Samuel Bentham do make this my last Will and Testament.

Whereas my capital will be considerably reduced by the expence of the excursion I am about to undertake, and whereas my Brother Jeremy Bentham stands more in need of what little I may leave than any body else whom I could think of leaving any thing to, I hereby revoke all former Wills and Testaments, giving him whatever is in my power, and making him sole Executor of this my Will.

I will send you a Sheet of English Paper like this to write it on. Send it back to me by means of Strachan.⁴

By the same means send also a copy of the 'Journey through Holland' or whatever the book is which he told us of. It will be a great delight to me to follow you on your travels: and I may collect from it inquirenda, videnda etc. for you against you return that way. I mean if you can get another in addition to your own.

pg 269Send me also by the same means the map of Courland if you can get it. It is by a Mr. Groll I think his name is or Grot a Clergyman of that country.⁵ Don't fob me off with an old antiquated one of a prior date to his.

Mr. De Court tells me of a certain sort of Biscuit, which he exports to France, which is very common in Holland, but which he has never seen here. If they are good and you find that the encrease they make in the parcel would not be attended with any considerable trouble to Mr. Strachan or expence to us, but not otherwise, you might send a small parcel of them to Mr. Lind.

I hope you have been in no need of being reminded of the force of habit.

The name of the new Padlock is 'Habit' as well as of the other. The fewer burthens upon the memory I thought the better.

Friday morning.

Yesterday I received your letter—there's a dear good boy for writing. Yesterday also came one from Q.S.P. to both of us. Very kind, but = 0 as usual.

I received a day or two ago a letter from Davies in which he says he shall not go to sea; and I expect him every day to pick me up and carry me to Brompton.

I have transacted the business with Otley⁶; which hung upon me very much. He is to take back all but 16 of the inlaid steel buttons, and to allow ½ a guinea for the plain cut ones. This half guinea alas! goes for the D. of C.⁷ As he is so dear, there is no such thing as having two of him; but the one I have got you shall have, attendu that to me it could give pleasure only, and to you it might afford pleasure and profit too. You might produce it before him at taking leave or sooner, asking leave to examine it with the original: who knows but it might give him occasion to make you a present of his picture in another form? What put this into my head was, the parable of the nest eggs in Hudibras.

You left behind you your liquefiable amalgam: also a gimcrack for weighing. The former I shall send by Strachan: together with the best set of inlaid buttons: which (as also certain papers of the D. of C.) I forgot to put up in the Hamburgh Box. In the Hamburgh pg 270box you will also find a pamphlet on the marine which I gave 9d. for at a Bookseller's in Oxford Road. I can not get any good lights yet about a Surveying Book. I don't think therefore that I shall send one. You will hardly want one unless you have M. to bring it.

I have enquired at Cadel's—Of Mungo Murray's⁸ there is nothing else but what you have.

I have settled the matter with Ravenscroft about Richard and got William in his stead. Hairdressing is now a very comfortable operation.

In short I am altogether very comfortable, Mr. Sir: howsoever your vanity may dispose you to think otherwise: and not the less so from having observed the Wind to change amain. I hope it has for some time been very favourable to you. You will make me a connoisseur in winds.