260. Robert Bloomfield to Isaac Bloomfield, 29 April 1811* 

City Road. Monday. April 29. 1811

Dear Brother

By the time I could get inteligence of the kind required from Mr Boys, I found it too far in the last week to get it to your hand by Saturday's Waggon. I therefore write by the first post in this week, and wish I had better news to send. Mr B. calld here two days after I had yours and began with 'So I find your Brother is gone home! I calld as I came along at your Brother's in Moorfields where I first heard of it' &c. I then felt anxious to explain to him by confab the why and the wherefore, but he was not alone, and James, who then lodged here while the sick boy came back, was just come in. The next morning I sent him your letter in the following envelope which I copied that you might see what I said.

'I enclose my Brother's letter that you may read him for yourself. He has work'd indefatigably at his job [1]  while here, but found that he could not perform the labour so fast as he expected. In consideration of circumstances which, I understand he made you acquainted with, namely being oblidge'd to send part of your bounty to the family, he ran short, and determin'd to take a conditional walk home, and give a Spring dressing to his Garden. He can have no claim on your further assistance certainly, and he feels delicately situated, and still confident of success without the means. And to me this information which has thus fallen to my lot to give is at least as delicate, for you know that I ought not, and He knows that I dare not offer to stand Godfather to your money. I leave you therefore entirely to yourselves, with admiration of your generosity, and love for your character. And Am &c.'

Another two days elapse'd when he calld here with a large party of Girls and brought tea and Sugar in his pocket &c and now I found him asking for further information and repeating that 'he did not understand it.' He referd me to my own writing (as above) where I mention'd your having sent money to your family, and appeard, I say appeard totally ignorant of such application of any more than that you had stated to him in writing relative to a G. piece some time before. He was anxious to see the process and I felt that I could not do otherwise than draw forth my key. He seemd to wonder at the scale on which you had proceeded, and (I thought) lookd displeased and dissappointed, talkd repeatedly of his perswasion of its failure from what he had heard, and said that it was you who had made a wrong estimate, for you had stated to him the Sum of –––– would enable you, you thought, to bring you to a certainty. 'And that I let him have that he might perfect it, or undecieve himself and set his heart at ease.' I thought it not my place to hint to him the conditional promise which he made to you of a further loan, and it was to that I had alluded in my note above that you had 'no claim &c' On the whole I am sure is he sick of the job, but that need not prevent your explaining by writing to him any thing you may feel to be requisite and just, or correcting any thing which I may have misrepresented or of any still keeping the thing alive by the best means in your power, He owns that he knows no more of Mechanism than I do, but he knows I suppose a great deal more about the Guineas.

James was here yesterday perfectly well. The Sick Boy has been to work, but is oblidged to return to the Country again.

All well here except myself,

Love to All Yours

Rob Bloomfield