The Cotman Letters 1804-1833

(pencil note) 67
To Mr John Sell Cotman, Southtown, Yarmouth.
Oct: 8. 1822. Brandsby

My dear Cotman,
I cannot tell you how much I have been shocked by the first page of your letter received this morning. I am glad you were not able to finish it at the time, as you are now enabled, thank God! to give a better account of yourself, but I entreat that you will, either by your own or some other hand, let me hear again soon how you are going on, for I shall feel most anxious for you. I foolishly concluded from your of July that you were convalescent, & an hardly tell how I came so long to omit answering two questions which you repeat in your last. My Uncle's acting executor is Ric: Nowell Esq, 30 Essex Street, Strand, to where you should, without loss of time, send an account of all that is due to you. His son has never had any other name than that of Henry Englefield. You had better send the fourth number to Nowell, as Englefield has no home at present, nor is likely to have one, as I see the house in Tilney St is advertised for 7 years. I wish you would also have the kindness to send me my account, which has been running on for so many years. For the family's sake you should not withhold. I expect to be in London by the end of next week for a few days, as I have business in Berkshire, and will readily execute any commission for you.. You may direct to me at the Union Club House, Regent St. I have been moving about, & a good deal engaged since I I received your former letter, and was a few weeks in Scarbro' ,with all my family, where Phil Cayley told me she had written to you, & I told her how ill you had been. I have just got your 4th number & think it altogether one of the most splendid and interesting works I ever saw. Do tell me, my dear fellow, if I can be of any service to you in anyway, & you will find that I have not forgotten old times & old friendships. Since I wrote to you I have had another son born, the 3rd, a very fine infant. I have one poor girl from her birth in the state of the most terrible insanity both of body & mind, but with that one exception I have been singularly fortunate in my numerous family, never having lost one out of 8, and indeed I feel I am not half grateful enough for the blessings bestowed