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intend to have presented him with Half a Guinea but as I cannot be so liberal at present as I should like to be, I will in preference beg of my friend Thomas to give Half a Guinea to poor Herrington's family (I mean the Madman) without mentioning my name to them and I will return it to him when he comes to town — I could not send this letter before to day because I have been collecting information concerning M:^r Weller; M:^r Sharpe is not inclined to take a pupil, but I have seen M:^r Parker an old acquaintance of mine & a friend of M:^r Stothard's who does not seem unwilling to enter into a negociation with M:^r Weller on the subject, I have seen different prints after Stothards [sic] drawings by him, beautifully engraved in Strokes, Stothard says if he intended to make either of his Sons an engraver he would put \him/ under M:^r Parker;" if I had a Son I should be glad to do so too, for he is one of those Steady, persevering men, who is constantly advancing in the best pursuits of his Art, he is besides, religious, mild & Conscientious; he said concerning M:^r Weller's relation that he could not take \him/ for 5 years to do his duty by him for less than 200 Guineas & that concerning his employment & time, he shall be carefully instructed in the principles of his profession whilst his Master will look much more to his diligence in his Studies than to the exact observation of hours:

If M:^r Weller is inclined to open any Correspondence with M:^r Parker, he lives at Spring Place Kentish Town

London