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ED; E731| 28
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[To] Mr Butts, Gr Marlborough St, London
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Felpham August 16. 1803
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Dear Sir
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I send 7 Drawings which I hope will please you. this I
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believe about balances our account--Our return to London draws
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on apace. our Expectation of meeting again with you is one of our
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greatest pleasures. Pray tell me how your Eyes do. I never sit
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down to work but I think of you & feel anxious for the sight of
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that friend whose Eyes have done me so much good--I omitted (very
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unaccountably) to copy out in my last Letter that passage in my
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rough sketch which related to your kindness in offering to
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Exhibit my 2 last Pictures in the Gallery in Berners Street it
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was in these Words. "I sincerely thank you for your kind offer of
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Exhibiting my 2 Pictures. the trouble you take on my account I
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trust will be recompensed to you by him who Seeth in Secret. if
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you should find it convenient to do so it will be gratefully
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rememberd
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by me among the other numerous kindnesses I have recievd from
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you"--
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I go on with the remaining Subjects which you gave me
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commission to Execute for you but shall not be able to send any
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more before my return tho perhaps I may bring some with me
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finishd. I am at Present in a Bustle to defend myself against a
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very unwarrantable warrant from a justice of Peace in
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Chichester. which was taken out against me by a Private in Captn
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Leathes's troop of 1st or Royal Dragoons for an assault &
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Seditious words. The wretched Man has terribly Perjurd himself
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as has his Comade for as to Sedition not one Word relating to
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the King or Government was spoken by either him or me. His
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Enmity arises from my having turned him out of my Garden into
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which he was invited as an assistant by a Gardener at work
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therein, without my knowledge that he was so invited. I desired
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him as politely as was possible to go out of the Garden, he made
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me an impertinent answer I insisted on his leaving the Garden he
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refused I still persisted in desiring his departure he then
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threatend to knock out my Eyes with many abominable imprecations
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& with some contempt for my Person it affronted my foolish Pride
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I therefore took him by the Elbows & pushed him before me till I
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had got him out. there I intended to have left him. but he
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turning about put himself into a Posture of Defiance threatening
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& swearing at me. I perhaps foolishly & perhaps not, stepped out
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at the Gate & putting aside his blows took him again by the
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Elbows & keeping his back to me pushed him forwards down the road
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about fifty yards he all the while endeavouring to turn round &
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strike me & raging & cursing which drew out several
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neighbours. at length when I had got him to where he was
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Quarterd. which was very quickly done. we were met at the Gate by
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the Master of the house. The Fox Inn, (who is [my] the
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proprietor of my Cottage) & his wife & Daughter. & the Mans
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Comrade. & several other people My Landlord compelld the Soldiers
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to go in doors after many abusive threats [from the]
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against me & my wife from the two Soldiers but not one word of
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threat on account of Sedition was utterd at that time. This
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method of Revenge was Plann'd between them after they had got
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together into the Stable. This is the whole outline. I have for
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witnesses. The Gardener who is Hostler at the Fox & who Evidences
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that to his knowledge no word of the remotest tendency to
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Government or Sedition was utterd,--Our next door Neighbour a
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Millers wife who saw me turn him before me down the road & saw &
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heard all that happend at the Gate of the Inn who Evidences that
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no Expression of threatening on account of Sedition was utterd in
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the heat of their fury by either of the Dragoons. this was the
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womans own remark & does high honour to her good sense as she
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observes that whenever a quarrel happens the offence is always
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repeated. The Landlord of the Inn & His Wife & daughter will
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Evidence the Same & will evidently prove the Comrade perjurd who
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swore that he heard me <while> at the Gate utter Seditious words
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& D--- the K--- without which perjury I could not have been
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committed & I had no witness with me before the Justices who
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could combat his assertion as the Gardener remaind in my Garden
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all the while & he was the only person I thought necessary to
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take with me. I have been before a Bench of Justices at
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Chichester this morning. but they as the Lawyer who
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wrote down the Accusation told me in private are compelld by the
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Military to suffer a prosecution to be enterd into altho they
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must know & it is manifest that the whole is a Fabricated
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Perjury. I have been forced to find Bail. Mr Hayley was kind
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enough to come forwards & Mr Seagrave Printer at Chichester.
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Mr H. in 100L & Mr S. in 50L & myself am
bound in 100L for
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my appearance at the Quarter Sessions which is after Michaelmass.
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So I shall have the Satisfaction to see my friends in Town before
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this Contemptible business comes on I say Contemptible for it
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must be manifest to every one that the whole accusation is a
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wilful Perjury. Thus you see my dear Friend that I cannot leave
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this place without some adventure. it has struck a consternation
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thro all the Villages round. Every Man is now afraid of speaking
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to or looking at a Soldier. for the peaceable Villagers have
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always been forward in expressing their kindness for us & they
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express their sorrow at our departure as soon as they hear of it
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Every one here is my Evidence for Peace & Good Neighbourhood &
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yet such is the present state of things this foolish accusation
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must be tried in Public. Well I am content I murmur not & doubt
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not that I shall recieve Justice & am only sorry for the trouble
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& expense. I have heard that my Accuser is a disgraced Sergeant
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his name is John Scholfield. perhaps it will be in your power to
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learn somewhat about the Man I am very ignorant of what I am
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requesting of you. I only suggest what I know you will be kind
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enough to Excuse if you can learn nothing about him & what I as
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well know if it is possible you wll be kind enough to do in this
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matter
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Dear Sir This perhaps was sufferd to Clear up some doubts &
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to give opportunity to those whom I doubted to clear themselves
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of all imputation. If a Man offends me ignorantly & not
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designedly surely I ought to consider him with favour &
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affection. Perhaps the simplicity of myself is the origin of all
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offences committed against me. If I have found this I shall have
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learned a most valuable thing well worth three years
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perseverance. I have found it! It is certain! that a too
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passive manner. inconsistent with my active physiognomy had done
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me much mischief I must now express to you my conviction that all
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is come from the spiritual World for Good & not for Evil.
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Give me your advice in my perilous adventure. burn what I
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have peevishly written about any friend. I have been very much
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degraded & injuriously treated. but if it all arise from my own
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fault I ought to blame myself
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why was I born with a different face t1535
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Why was I not born like the rest of my race
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When I look each one starts! when I speak I offend
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Then I'm silent & passive & lose every Friend
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Then my verse I dishonour. My pictures despise
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My person degrade & my temper chastise
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And the pen is my terror. the pencil my shame
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All my Talents I bury, and Dead is my Fame
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I am either too low or too highly prizd
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When Elate I am Envy'd, When Meek I'm despisd
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This is but too just a Picture of my Present state I pray
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God to keep you & all men from it & to deliver me in his own good
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time. Pray write to me & tell me how you & your family Enjoy
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health. My much terrified Wife joins me in love to you & Mrs
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Butts & all your family. I again take the liberty to beg of you
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to cause the Enclosd Letter to be deliverd to my Brother & remain
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Sincerely & Affectionately Yours
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WILLIAM BLAKE
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