date

range in it. For four year's together — nevertheless
range in it. For four year's together — nevertheless

my dear Sam, be cautious of disobliging him; comply

with him in any respect, but that of working

along side more than you have been used to do,

for that I am satisfied, as well as you can

never answer to your real Improvement —

and sho d he be nerverse in y h respect rather than

comply, I sho d be willing to apply to the Navy

Board to get leave for you to remove to Portsmouth

or some other yard for y e Remainder of your

Time — Short as it is — but I hope for better

things than that there sho d be occasion for such a

step —

I have no Intention of making any abatement

out of your Board for absent Time — but it will

not suit me to pay the half year till Christmas

any Drains the workmen are still in my House

and the Stair case not yet quite finished, - let

me hear from you soon as I shall be impatient

to know how matters go on between you & the Builder.

adieu my dear Sam & believe me

Your affectionate Father

Jh Bentham

Q s. Sq Pla

14 Nov. r 1776
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    Description: it, to an excess — He tells me he has not seen his father these twelve years, whether he is to be believed I cannot tell, — He appeared but Shabby, tho'

    his were , and his Breath stank abominably with Gin, or some other spirituous liquor — I asked him his age he told me he was 29, & that his Wife was dead who I had heard was a Common Creature — if he was not weak, & thereby incorrigible, his father surely sho d

    yet attempt to reclaim him; and if he is weak, he is the more pitiable — Adieu, My Dear Child, till I see you, all salute you. My paper as you see fails me to say more than that I am (Compliments to Mr Gray) Your affect t Father J h Bentham Mr Sam. l Bentham at M r Gray's Master Builder, in his Majesty's Dock-Yard near Rochester Kent Q.S.P. Dec r 10 h 1773
  • Title: [not be expected, sho d you go to Russia,]
    Description: not be expected, sho d you go to Russia, that Persons there wo d

    want to know of you a thousand Particulars relative to the

    materials made use of in Shipbuilding here, & the Compar

    expences of Constructing them. in short my dear Sam. !

    my earnest wishes are that you wo d take every thing

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    be most for your Advantage with a view of practising

    the Profession, for without such View , you had better

    abandon it altogether, & turn your thoughts some oth

    way — Mr Randal promis'd to make Enquiries

    & let me know the Result of them, & to call upon me

    w ch. I dare say he will do. I hope you will let

    me see you soon. we shall go to Waltham Abbey

    on Sunday till Wednesday in next week — and probably some time

    in the week following shall set out for Northamptonshi

    for the Summer, we shall be at Imley Park, near Brackl

    a House belonging to Mr Basset, who has been so

    obliging to give me the use of it, & of it's Furniture

    which is compleat.

    1779} Q.S.P. at Q.S.P.

    May} to

    S.B. Portsmouth

    Russia II.

    My old french Servant Jean Franque has play'd

    the fool & married a notorious Strumpet, upon w ch.

    present I was oblig'd to part with him last Saturday

    after his having liv'd with me near Seven years,

    I had been informd of his intention a month ago & talk

    to him very roundly & told him the ruinous consequence

    he wo d bring upon himself at w ch. he protested he wo d

    marry her but break off all Connection with her, but

    after all he was infatuated enough to marry her yeste day

    was se'en night, & he had no sooner done it but he

    was convinced of his folly & was ready to hang himself

    Adieu my dear Sam, God grant you may do the best for

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  • Title: [Dear Sam Of what M r Gray loses by]
    Description: Dear Sam

    Of what M r Gray loses by your absence one way, he gains

    only a part the other - Your pay is 1 s. 6 d p r day - the

    cost of your board is but half that - This I know by my

    experience - for I am lately become a Housekeeper - When

    we meet again I hope to give you a dinner - clear not

    as at the 3 Tuns - & plentiful, not as at Queen's Square -

    I have laid in a Stock of Apples, which your friend M rs Green

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    Bolus. For Meat I have a Machine by which upon occasion,

    I could dress any thing myself without incessant watching,

    burning out my eyes or greasing my fingers.

    You complain of the multitude of your speculations upon

    Euclid — clap them all down - it takes up less time

    than considering whether they are necessary or no — When

    you are in possession of a certain quantity, by surveying

    them with this view, you may collect them into genera,

    and so reduce the multitude of them, or rather the space

    they occupy upon the paper, for the future. As to your scheme

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    is concluded upon already — For any further contrivance,

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    J.B. Nov r 1773.