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so kindly wishes to see in print, before that tremendous crisis of his cruel malady arrives, when our dear medical Guy most strongly apprehends, that He must sink to the Grave. — His present state how ever is such, that altho He passes thro daily Torture of the severest Kind, He has Intervals of ease, when He can enjoy Conversation upon Topics of Literature, Art, & Friendship.

If my Book proves worthy of the sculptor to whom it is address’d, & prospers in the World, I may probably request you to enrich a future Edition with some of yr exquisite designs, in the manner of yr engravings from Homer, & with some additional Notes. For my first Edition I wish to have only the two following Decorations, if you approve them.- a Frontispiece & a Vignette at the close the 1st from poor Toms outline of Demosthenes at the Base of Neptunes Statue (a scene describ’d express for this purpose in the poem) & a neat small Head, as a closing vignette, from your medallion of the dear disciple, whose character I have sketch’d in the closing Epistle — you I know will have the Goodness to retouch for Him his Demosthenes in such a manner, that it may form an engraved outline, & yet still remain very fairly his own design — & you will have the goodness to desire our Friend Howard to make for me such a drawing from your Medallion of the dear Disciple, as may furnish us with a proper siz’d ornament for a quarto page to appear under the closing Lines of the poem — I know you will have the goodness to indulge me in these Fancies of an afflicted Heart, & in return I will send you some of the proof sheets of the Poem, before the notes are printed — I deceive myself very much, if they will not prove \where they speak of Tom/ a melancholy yet very pleasing Gratification to you & yr dear Nancy, & to Her only I shall entreat you to shew them, till the whole work is ready for the Public — adieu! my excellent Friend, accept our united Benedictions to you both, & believe me

Ever your most affectionate
afflicted Hermit

Dec 21
1799