SD1132. Edward Moulton-Barrett (father) to Septimus Moulton-Barrett
Published in The Brownings’ Correspondence, 4, 367–368 (in part).
Torquay
August 26th [1840]
My dear Sette
Enclosed are the three Bills of Exchange, accepted according to the dates you say that they were presented, & I beg that you will take care the right owners get their respective Bills. The 40 pr cent mentioned on them is the difference between the currency of Jamaica & the sterling of this Country, irrespective of the premiums which Bills from the former Country bear– Your mistake is not half so good as dear Ba[’]s who thought the £800 come for my acceptances, were really for the purpose of putting them into my pocket, instead of taking so much out– Whilst upon business, tell Stormy I want him to go again to the Marine Office for the purpose of insuring Ba’s & my shares in the ship David Lyon from London to Jamaica with liberty to call at Madeira & to dock & undock—but as there is some little difficulty about this, he must call at the Jamaica Coffee House on Friday & Captn Selby will go with him; the value of the shares are to be taken at what he has put on his own, & for this purpose I have written to him. It must be done on friday, as on Saturday the Ship goes into Dock as Selby expresses it to have her bottom looked at, & I would run no risk in her going there & back, particularly as no difference is made in the amount of insurance, further than the loss of the little interest on the premium between this & the time she commences her voyage–
I am sorry to say that my expectations are not so good from Jamaica, I shall not make the Crop I expected. The Bills are terrible these three with one I accepted before make £1100 drawn during the month of June. Edward Barrett is still in England & has through Mr Dyer requested that he might see me, but he has behaved so ill in sitting by & hearing meeting after meeting such base insinuations made respecting the proprietor of Oxford without a contradiction, & this when I have it under his own hand how contrary my conduct was as well during the apprenticeship as before, that I have very little anxiety about it– He must be either a very weak man, or he is thoroughly embued with the spirit of Knibb, that the end justifies the means, or in other words “let us do evil that good may come”– If Mr Kenyon be coming ask him to bring the Enquirers, but if I dont return soon, my affairs will be so enta[n]gled that I shall never be able to unravel them– Oh that our precious one was so much better, that I could, with any satisfaction, leave her; if only for a fortnight. She is much the same, altho as Scully said to-day certainly better than she was 10 days ago—at the same time the least excitement would throw her back. Can you get the Advertiser which alludes to her & Southey, or has Pick filled up the two Poets with the names– Write to her, to be sure, write every one of you, she will be glad to read all your sayings and doings. It will alleviate if only for a short time, but that is worth something– After all her real & only permanent comfort must be from above, & it has come I think in a measure & will come in God’s time in amplitude– Tell Ocky, enquiries will be made about his Napole[o]n, & he will hear soon about it– Remember me to Treppy & Mr Hunter
Yrs very affectionately
E M Barrett
Love to all–
Have you got the £50—divide 6 or 7 sovereigns amongst you–
EMB
Publication: None traced.
Manuscript: Gordon E. Moulton-Barrett.
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