Letter 1750

[fol. 289] Dear Sr Tho I had not now of a letter from you this Convoy, in answer to my last, I can’t bear troubling you. I hear from Dublin my Lady Rawdon is dead, & I rekon Sr John is now at age, who I hope is how.e will pay his fathers debts. I know Sr. yr influence you have upon that family & desire yr kind assistance. I have sent a letter of Attorney to Mr Robt Sherard of ye Post office who has the Bond for 180tt in his hands. I don’t expect it can presently be discharg’d, tho I hope (sr Arthur having been to long dead) most of ye debts are paid off. I hear ye astute in Chesshire is moving ag’d to yr family, & shou’d be glad to know if it be viable to debt is it should be, by ye morty age. Any service you shall please to do me by yr own or friends interest in this affair, shall be gratefully acknowledged. I am glad to hear you have purchas’d Dr Plukenets plants; I had wrote to Engld about them, but wth no other design, But yt they might not be sold to a foreigner; they are better in yr hands then mine, since I promise my self ye use of them at my return, for my Pinax you will have heard there is a Dr of Bala yt is about an adition of it, but he pretends to give an acct of above 20,000 plants, wch will far out do mine. I have fresh hopes of recovering ye collection designed me by Dr Tournefort, & promises of all his duplictes. [fol. 289v] The service I can do ye Academia for Antiquites, has much promoted my interest in this affair. I beleive twoud be no difficult matter for you to procure Sr Arthur Rawdons Jamaica collection, & then I might hope of adding to mine, such as were lost. I have sent you ye three first vol. of ye Giornale de letterati printed last year at Venice, not knowing whether they may have yet reached Engld they will be deliver’d to you by Mr Stonestreet or my brother. I have sent above an hundred Greek inscriptions to Mr Chishull by this convoy, besides what e had before from Eeyra & other places. he writes me he shall be ready for them at ye return of oe ships, having ye only diversion I have less in these parts, if I may call yt a diversion yrs accompanied so much danger fatigues & expense for wnt of some books my Pinax is at a stand; I have sent a note of them to Mr stonestreet hoping he will procure me them a line from you at yr leisure would be very acceptable to Dear Sr Yr obliged humble servt W.Sherard Smirna May 28.1711 my humble service to yr Lady & family