Know all men by these presents That we the Right Honourable Washington Earl of Ferrers Peter Pery Burdett of Stanton Harold in the County of Leicester Gentleman are held and firmly bound to Joseph Wright of the Town of Derby Painter in the sum of one hundred and sixty pounds of good & lawful money of Great Britain To be paid to the said Joseph Wright or his certain attorney Executors administrators or assigns for which payment to be well & faithfully made We bind ourselves and each of us by himself our & each of our Heirs Executors & administrators firmly by these presents Sealed with our seal Dated this Eleventh day of July in the third year of the Reign of our Sovereign Lord George the Third by the grace of God of Great Britain France and Ireland King Defender of the Faith & so forth and in the year of our Lord One thousand and seven hundred and sixty-three The condition of this obligation is such That of the above Bounden Earl Ferrers & Peter Pery Burdett or either of them their or either of their Heirs Executors or Administrators do and shall and do well & truly pay or cause to be paid unto the above named Joseph Wright or his certain attorney Exors. Administrators or assigns the full sums of Eighty Pounds of Good and lawful Money of Great Britain with lawful interest for the same on the eleventh day of July which will be in the year of our Lord one Thousand seven hundred and sixty-four. Then their obligation to be void or else to remain in full force
Sealed & delivered being first duly stamped in the presence of
W. WOTY
From the following extract of a letter written by Wright to his brother Richard, dated Rome, 13th Ap., 1774, we learn that Burdett’s behaviour caused Wright some anxiety as to his fulfilment of the bond:—
“I have just received a letter from Mr. Tate of Liverpool, where he tells me Mr. Burdett has sold up his goods and is off. Mrs. Burdett and her dear Miss Fredried are gone into lodgings, over head and ears in debt. I stand no chance of being paid at present—well, if ever; wou’d therefore have you write immediately to Lord Ferrers and tell him how things stand between me and Burdett, that he has not paid a farthing of principal or interest of the four score pounds his Lordship was bound for, wch I lent him in the year ’60 or ’61, that he takes no notice of the letters I have wrote him lately concerning the debt, must therefore look to his Lordship for it. When you write to his Lordship send the amount of principal and interest, and desire him to pay it as soon as he conveniently can. If it is not convenient for him to pay the whole, perhaps it will be prudent to take the interest only, as that will secure ye debt, and prolong the limited time for payment. Mr. Fallows will advise you, give my respects to that family. Tell his Lordship I would not apply to him at this time for ye money was I not much distressed for it, travelling is very expensive.”
On the back of the bond, in Wright’s handwriting, is the following:—
“August the 23, 1776.
“Memo. This day the Earl Ferrers accepted a bill drawn by me for Eighty Pounds, which when paid will be in full for the principal of this Bond.”
Extract From “Wine and Walnuts.” By Pine.
“Wright was celebrated for scenes that represented the effects of fire subjects, which he painted with more truth to nature than even Schalken, so far-famed.”
Supper at Mortimer’s.
“Upon my word, a delicate little hen turkey; what, a Christmas present already! This turkey is from my old fellow-’prentice, Joe Wright,” said Mortimer,[39] “who never forgets us at Christmas. Poor Joe, the valetudinarian! I’d be sworn he procured one of the least in all Derby out of sheer compassion to our evil habits. He knows we always dress his Christmas turkey for supper, and he has generally a hint by way of postscript to his letters, touching the prevalence of apoplexy. Now Master Joe was one of your water-gruel disciples when we were youngsters together at Hudson’s; and I would wager ten pounds to a crown piece, he is just now sitting, Peter Grievous, over that wishy-washy, tasteless, humdrum, drivelling dish, and calling to old Nan Watkins—‘Nanny, have you any nice live coals? Do, pray, let me have my bed warmed.’ Are you a supper eater, Mister Gibbon?”[40] “No, Mister Mortimer; I am a single man, and a bit of a valetudinarian like your friend Mister Wright.” “And a water-gruel eater, I presume?” said Mortimer. “Yes, indeed,” said Gibbon, smiling; “though in truth, I do not know that I am at all the better for these scrupulosities in diet.”