Flaxman-1-3

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Dec:^r 29^th 1794

Dear Sir I have at last got a temporary residence at N:^o 6 Buckingham Street Fitzroy Square near Portland Road & in the neighbourhood of our dear Romney, we are at present exceedingly busy as you will readily believe in carrying and placing furniture for the house and study, into the dwelling elect — we hope on Monday or Tuesday next to carry ourselves also for the Commencement of our Career on those premises; we hope my Dear Sir as soon as our home is made a little comfortable that it will be honoured by your presence accompanied by my friend that is, and my pupil that is to be - You will not need to be informed by me how very difficult it is for a Sculptor to find a sufficient space of ground with Studies to exercise his profession in, all the premises in this Great Commercial City are so generally occupied at enormous rents for the purposes of Trade and Luxury

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as soon as you my kind Friend come to town we shall quickly finish the preliminary Consultations to the commencement with our mutual pupil – our literary consultations shall continue as long as you shall find that I have matter for Your purpose, or can indicate where it is to be found — the existing reason alluded to in my last, was M:^rs H: of whose residence in London I was ignorant ‘till some time after our arrival, and now that whole passage of my letter will be more intelligible than before — this was begun some days since when I had hopes that we should have been able to have set our house in order and have made it ready for our habitation by this day, but things have turned out differently, for the attendance which I have been obliged to give at the Custom House the extreme severity of the weather, and the many things I have had to attend \to/ will still I fear keep us out of our house till the latter end of this week — in the mean time I was willing to let you know the present State of things and to repeat how very happy we shall be to see our Great, and little, Friend in

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town as soon as we are a little settled in our dwelling – You will have the goodness in the mean time to let us know as nearly as You can, when we may expect the pleasure of seeing you — M:^rs Flaxman and my Father unite in every good wish

I have the honour to remain
My Dear Sir

Your most obliged servant
J Flaxman Jun^r

N:^o 420 Strand

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William Hayley Esquire
Eartham
near Chichester