Flaxman-1-11

[page 1]

July 12 1797

Dear and Kind Friend

Various professional concerns have prevented me from answering your Note and Letter before together with an expectation that one of Your Letters would contain M:^r Guy's opinion of Thomas's health, which I desired Thomas to send as soon as convenient after his arrival, but which I suppose he has not yet been able to obtain; I shall be glad to hear the opinion of this able and Worthy Man in addition to what has been said on the same subject in London, for perhaps, from this aggregate of Council it may more easily be determined, what Thomas should do in future, you are I believe already apprized that D:^r Latham & M:^r Long have uniformly thought that the disorder was of no great consequence, & they seemed to think such as many young People of his age are liable to, they have besides continually asserted that a Shortness of breath

[page 2]

can never be dangerous where it is attended by neither the Symptoms of Spitting, nor pains in the Chest; Yet nothwithstanding these favorable opinions his disorder has been sufficient to prevent his making any progress in his Art for these last six months, I have been afraid to let him draw much, lest sitting & bending forward should oppress his lungs, I have been no less afraid to employ him in Modelling because he might have taken Cold from the wet Clay, so that we have gone on doing so little that it only served to keep up what he knew already without adding to the stock; I therefore thought with the advice of D:^r Latham that he would do well to try the effect of his native Air for the rest of the Summer to confirm his Constitution & then if any Symptom of the disorder remains that he should continue where he is till next Spring because he certainly would be liable to as dangerous colds the ensuing winter as he was last shold he come into the atmosphere of larger blocks of Marble & Masses of wet Clay at that Season, in short if his Lungs are so tender I cannot think our profession fit for him in which he will be continually liable to attacks from cold, whilst I shall

[page 3]

be in a constant State of uneasiness, because accountable for the life& health of a friend's Son —& now we are on this Subject I cannot omit saying something concerning the State of Thomas's mind, if I may conjecture from appearances I don't believe that he has ever been happy in London, his love of retirement & his Native place seem always foremost in his thoughts, & that has shewn itself strikingly for many Months past, thus it is very likely that the disorder of the Mind has added to that of the body; You will favor me with Your Sentiments on the Subject in a future letter, for the present I have laid down a plan for his exercise in Sculpture at Eartham & Petworth which will tend to his improvement for a considerable time to come — pray give my love to him &, thank him for his solicitude concerning the Statue of the L:^d Mayor which (thank God) is safely erected & finished much to the satisfaction of my employer &, the Citizens, it is cased up at present because the Church is repairing,

many thanks for the quotation from Aretin, which M:^l Angelo's civility praised, but whose good sense I suppose despised the farago [sic] of fashionable Allegory as much as we do — Nancy writes in kindest wishes to Yourself, Tom & all the Household & I have the honor

to remain Dear Sir
your affectionate J Flaxman

[page 4]

M:^r Reid is employed at present in setting up M:^r Smith's Monument in Chichester Cathedral

[vertical]

William Hayley Esq^re
Eartham
near Chichester
Sussex