"Monsieur, "Londres, le 6 Fevrier, 1833. "Je m'étais empressé en son tems de soumettre à à Sa Majesté Imperiale la collection de médailles représentant des sujets tirès des saintes écritures que vous aviez témoigné le désir d'offrir à l'Empereur. "Sa Majesté a également apprecié et l'interet que présente cette belle collection, et l'intention que vous a parlé à la lui offrir. Elle a ordonné qu'elle soit déposée au cabinet Imperiale des Antiques et Médailles en même tems qu'elle a daigné me charger de vous remercier en son nom de l'attention de la lui avoir offerte, et de vous transmettre, comme une marque de la satisfaction qu' elle a éprouvée, la cijointe medaille en or. "Je suis charmé, Monsieur, de me trouver dans le cas de vous faire une communication aussi flatteuse, et je saisis cette occasion pour vous renouveller l'assurance de ma consideration distinguée. "Will you allow me to introduce to your notice, and to solicit your attention to the bearer of these lines, La Comte Louis de St. Leu, son of the late King of Holland, Louis Bonaparte, who, with his friend, a Milanese gentleman, is making a tour of curiosity. I know you will be glad to show him what is within your own power, 1833. 1833. and I shall be obliged to you if you can put him in the of seeing what is most worthy to a stranger in your town. Hoping you will excuse this trouble, way "I am, Sir, your obedient servant, Sander "Sir E. Thomason, Knt." Tunis, Feb. 8, 1833. "Sir, "Your medals, as you describe them, sixty in number, are now in the Royal Palace of this city, and have been accepted by his Sardinian Majesty, to whom I had the case forwarded agreeably to your desire. I have not seen them yet, but I am told that they are very beautiful specimens of the numismatic art. I read your petition myself to the Grand Master of the Household, and left it with him. The Queen understands English, and will, I doubt not, read it to his Majesty. "For your obliging offer of services, of allowing any friends of mine to see your establishment, I beg to offer you my thanks, and I am, with great truth, Sir, "Your most obedient humble servant, "J'ai reçu les dessins des objets qui se fabriquent dans vos ateliers, que vous avez eu la bonté de m'envoyer. Je ne manquerai pas, selon vos intentions, de les faire connaitre aux artistes de l'Egypte, qui sont cepen dant très-loin d'être capables de faire les belles choses 1883. que j'ai vu dans vos riches magasins. Je suis súr qu'ils vous en seront reconnaissants et vous en remercie, moi-même, Monsieur, pour eux. "Je montrerai aussi vos dessins au Vice-Roi, et lui parlerai de la beauté de vos travaux. Je ne laisserai pas échapper cette occasion de lui rappeler l'envoi que vous lui avez fait, et je ne doute pas qu'il ne s'emprésse de vous en témoigner sa reconnaissance. 66 Quant à moi, Monsieur, je suis on ne peut plus satisfait de la manière bienveillante avec laquelle vous nous avez accueilli, mes compagnons de voyage et moi; je n'oublierai jamais les politesses que vous nous avez faites et les chefs-d'œuvres dont vous êtes l'auteur. Je me trouverai très-heureux, Monsieur, si en Egypt, je pouvais trouver l'occasion de vous être agréable en quelque chose. "Je vous remercie des vœux que vous faites pour mon heureux voyage, et veuillez agréer ceux que je forme pour votre bonheur, en vous priant de me croire, Monsieur, avec la plus parfaite consideration, "Votre trés-humble et très-obeissant serviteur, Clot Bey "P. S. Présentez, je vous prie, mes respectueuses salutations à Madame Thomason. "Je quitterai Londres Lundi prochain 18 du courant, pour me rendre à Paris et de la en Egypt. "A Mons. Edward Thomason, a Birmingham.” 1833. "Sir, "East India House, 28th February, 1833. "I am commanded by the Court of Directors of the East India Company to acknowledge your memorial, stating your desire to present to the Emperor of China a series of your medals (contained in five splendid volumes) illustrative of the Holy Scriptures, and requesting the Court's assistance to enable you to carry into effect. it "The Court direct me to acquaint you that they will have pleasure in forwarding your views so far as may be in their power, and will accordingly be prepared to transmit this specimen of British art to Canton, with instructions to their Select Committee to use their best endeavours to procure its presentation to the Emperor, as the offering of its author. "I have had the honour to receive your letter, and am gratified to find that your application to the Court of Directors has met with that attention it so well merited. "Your address to the Emperor of China upon this occasion appears to me quite unexceptionable. It does not appear to me to be necessary to introduce into the Eng lish letter any of the peculiarities of Chinese phraseology; 1833. but I shall write to my friend, the Rev. Dr. Morrison, at Canton (to whom the duty of translating your letter into Chinese will devolve), to request of him to take every pains to do justice to it, and to render it as acceptable as possible to the Chinese monarch. "I shall also write to the chief of the British Factory on the subject, and hope that, by the return of the ships next year, you may have an account of the honourable reception of your splendid donation. "I have the honour to be, Sir, "Your most obedient servant, Gesturstaunt "Sir Edward Thomason, &c. &c." "I beg leave to acknowledge the receipt of a box from you containing a series of medals; I lost no time in complying with your request to present these medals, together with your letter, to the President of the United States, and I have great satisfaction in mentioning to you that his Excellency received them with an expression of sincere thanks and gratitude; and he desired me to state to you that he would take an early opportunity of writing to you upon the subject. "I have the honour to be, Sir, "Your most obedient humble servant, Charles Bankhead "H. B. M. Chargé d'Affaires." |