Hayley-IX-3

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Nov 15 1794

My very dear Flaxman

Your two very kind & most welcome Letters arrived here in the same moment, & I eagerly seize the first post to assure you with my own Hand, what I have repeatedly desired our dear Romney to tell you in my name, that my Heart & soul are most tenderly interested in your safe & joyous Return - a blessed event ! that I have panted for, not only with all the zeal of the most cordial Friendship, but with parental anxiety for the sake of the dear little future artist, whose education has been my chief delight for fourteen years; & whom I can now consign to your guidance & Instruction with a confident & chearful pride, that extends equally to the Disciple & the Master.

I must be greatly deceived indeed by my double partiality for both, if you do not become more & more dear to each other as you become more acquainted - when I speak of you, I include the dear Nancy as making a considerable part of my valuable Friend the sculptor, in whose professional prosperity

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& domestic Happiness I feel myself most deeply & delightfully interested -

I should have felt infinite joy, my dear Friends, in receiving & refreshing you both after the Fatigue of yr Travels in this tranquil & pleasant Retirement; but I feel & acquiesce in the justice of the reasons, that forbid you to quit London, even for a day or two, at this important period;- & as I have much to say to you, on many most interesting Topics, I shall fly up to you with great eagerness, as soon as we can be all tolerably accommodated under one Roof – it is my particular wish, if the plan is consistent with your convenience & satisfaction, to be your Tenant, my dear Flaxman, for the second Floor of the House, in which you settle, at any rate you may think proper: - these apartments I will furnish so as to form a complete little separate Establishment for Tom, & the singular, but good, quiet, & intelligent Housekeeper, who will manage his Food Linnen [sic] &c & do every thing for Him & herself without giving Trouble to any servant of the House –

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This system, for many good & powerful reasons, that I will enumerate to you whenever we meet, I should greatly prefer to every other mode of fixing the young artists [sic] Board & Lodging – it will be singularly convenient to me, because by placing a little press Bed in Toms [sic] chamber, I can sleep in his apartment, whenever I visit London, & mess also with Him, as it is an invariable rule with the Hermit, not to dine in company, when he visits the great City, where long dinners make half the disagreeable Heat & bustle of Life –

It pleases me not a little to find you think as highly as I do of our beloved Romneys late Works, particularly his Milton – I consider your return as a great Blessing to Him as well as to Tom & myself, & I trust we shall all animate one another to the happy accomplishment of many creditable Productions – Between ourselves I am meditating a copious work of Verse & Prose on your art, & I shall want to

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catch Light & Instruction from you, almost as much as your little disciple.

I flatter myself you & the dear Nancy will be pleased with his sweetness of disposition & alacrity of Spirit – If I am not deceived, He has the dawn of Talents for Art; but of that you will be soon able to judge – He certainly has a \mind &/ the art to esteem & love you as I do, & to sympathise in all those kind & grateful sensations towards you & yr excellent little woman which you perfectly deserve from

Yr very sincere & affectionate Friend
WHayley

I am pleased with Capt. Q^s civility to my Friends & will not fail to thank Him –
Remember me kindly to yr good & now happy Father – adieu –