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To William Hayley Esquire

March 31:^st 1795
Buckingham St^t

My Dear and Kind Friend

It would be with shame to myself that I am now writing one letter in answer to three or four kind epistolary memorials of regard from You if I had not the excuse \that/ the Study and practice of my profession occupy me wholly for a long time together, to which I might add, what you well know, that our hands are much slower in their operations than our affections, however I will endeavour by the quantity of Matter to make some amends for delay and I hope you will find the matter Satisfactory concerning M:^rs H: I neither have, nor shall attend her conversations; considering I cannot give so much time as I wish to the Study of my profession, or so much attention as my aff heart tells me is due to my Father, relations and Old Friends, some valued for their Virtues, others, revered for profound Knowledge; you will scarcely think me liable to run headlong into connection or acquaintance with people to whom I am wholly indifferent, on the contrary I am continually considering how I may limit my circle to the more chosen few, and nothing but the temptation of some rare luminary could induce me to add to the number; Yet my Dear Sir there a [sic] decorum of conduct which we owe to others friends and to ourselves which cannot be neglected without breaking one of the bonds of Society, as M:^rs H has called three times at our house, M:^rs Flaxman cannot do less than pay