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Athenæum 8th Jany 1818

Dear Sir.

As Mr Roscoe has just called upon me to know if I wished to send any thing to you by a parcel he is going to forward to Sir James Smith, I avail myself of the opportunity to send you the Bust and Catalogues. I would advise you not to have the Catalogue of Mr R’s books bound at present, as I have lately learnt there was an appendix printed, which has become more scarce than the Catalogue, and which Mr Roscoe tells me he has some idea of reprinting, it contains about a sheet. You will, most probably, receive with this, the address delivered by Mr Roscoe, at the opening of the Royal Institution in this town, I hope you will derive as much gratification at reading it, as I did on hearing it, I wish we had more such men among us, but the Journal and Ledger are more read than any other description of books. You will perceive by the Catalogue, that ours is a good library, so far as it goes, and we have many very valuable works, but very few have been purchased lately, at the unfortunate failure of Mr Roscoe, we had in their hands a balance of nearly £800, this has cramped us sadly, we have received a dividend of 3s/4d, and I was publicly told, we must think ourselves lucky if we ever get another. The expences of our News Room, which is supplied with all the London, most of the provincial, and many foreign Newspapers, magazines &c &c. were in the last year nearly six hundred pounds. Our annual Income is £1312..10..—so that when the Expences of the Newsroom, the general expences of the Institution;—Salaries, Taxes &c. are deducted, we have very little remaining to purchase books with, and even that “little” is objected to, by the Commercial and Political Quidnuncs, whose numbers considerably exceed those of the Bibliomaniacs. I regret I have not been able to see Mr Martin respecting the autographs, but as soon as I do, I will not forget to mention them to him. As I have several times mentioned Mr Roscoes† portrait to him (Mr R.) I conclude he will inform you about it, in the letter he intends writing to you. Most sincerely wish {1} you, Mrs Turner, and family the Compliments of the Season

I remain Dear Sir | Yours sincerely | and respectfully
Geo Burrell.

I have just heard from good authority that the second Dividend of Messrs Roscoes will be paid in March, and not an Inch of the landed property has been disposed of. At the time of their failure, Mr Roscoe’s Coalmine, was inserted in the Schedule at £20000, but the Creditors thinking it not worth so much, two Engineers were employed to value it, who declared it worth at least £90000 and one of the finest Mines in Great Britain

[Direction:] Dawson Turner Esq | Yarmouth.

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No marks of posting.

{1} Probably a slip for ‘wishing’.

(Signed ‘J E Smith & Co’.)