SD54. James Scarlett to Edward Moulton-Barrett (father)
Published in The Brownings’ Correspondence, 1, 306 (in part).
Guilford St
Monday Mg [July 1806] [1]
My dear Barrett
I beg you would not think you give me any trouble that requires an apology, as I am always most happy to render you any service. I only wish that in so delicate an affair as the subject of your letter I had such materials for forming an opinion as might enable me to give you such advice as no person could disapprove of. However in almost every transaction of life we are left to act in some measure upon surmise & conjecture & it is not to be hoped that our conduct should satisfy every body.
If it were quite clear that the step proposed to you by Mr Swanzy would effectually relieve your father so as to expose you to no more such demands, then the only question would be how far you could with propriety & convenience to yourself & family, spare the sum in question. You are now fully aware of the extent of the sum of money you have in hand (I mean in the funds) & of the prospect you have for the current year’s crop, which certainly is not very favourable & which you must to a certain degree anticipate for your own use. I think you are not in the least bound to subject yourself to any serious inconvenience & least of all to the mortification of not being able to pay your own debts, in order that you may pay any part of your fathers. Upon this point your own judgement is enough to guide you.
But the most serious question is this, whether 3000l will do what Mr. S. pretends? In my opinion if your father owes but 16,000l & possesses bills in his favour to the amount of 35000l he would be in no difficulty at all, because no creditor he has could be so absurd as to refuse to take these bills as a security for his demand in preference to any measures of law, or if any creditor were so absurd, there is no banker that would not upon deposit of good bills to the amount of 35000l most readily advance eight, ten or twenty thousand. How therefore can a man who has negotiable securities, or any mercantile securities for 35000l be put to inconvenience for 3000l? In my opinion & belief, Mr. Swanseas statement is not true, & I rather should conjecture that he is a creditor himself (perhaps the very person now pressing your father) and is only serving his own interest by making this application to you. I would recommend it to you therefore in answer to his application to say that you cannot think of putting your name to any bills until you are in complete possession of the funds to pay them (Indeed I think it’s a dangerous thing to do at any time unless a man is a merchant) but that if he Mr Swansea will bring to you some of the bills for 35000l which your father possesses you will endeavour to get your banker to lend him money upon them which you think he would perhaps do to oblige you, even without putting your name on them, if the bills are good. This is all the answer I would give him. I shall be at Guildhall to day till two oClock. If you are disposed to come so far & will call for me in the court of Kings bench there I will go on with you into the City, where we can make some inquiries about Mr Swansea– But if you do not come by two—I shall return to the Temple.
I am My dear Barrett
Ever yours most truly
J Scarlett
Address, on integral page: Edwd. M. Barrett, Esqr / 61 Upper Berkley St.
Docket, in the hand of EM-B (father): July. 1806.
Publication: None traced.
Manuscript: Eton College Library.
1. Date based on docket.
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