Sessional papers online

* The Word of Wisdom;* the Gospel is justly declared to
be the wisdom of God. By the same illustrious title is
Christ known in the Scriptures, and to disclose the mani-
fold wisdom of God in the most wonderful work of re-
demption is expressly asserted to be the end for which all
things were created.

" The wisdom of God is also gloriously seen in consti-
tuting one great class of his creatures, moral agents. By
forming such agents, he has made beings capable, with
intelligence and^ choice, of coinciding and co-operating
with him in his own infinitely desirable and excellent
purposes. With a distant, but real resemblance to him-
self, we can know, design, and act, and this to great and
good ends ; we are capable of understanding, in some
good degree, his character, dispensation, and govern-
ment ; and the glory and excellence discerned in them
alL These also, and Him, as the Author of them, we
are capable of regarding with wonder and delight. Him
we are capable of worshipping and obeying. To one
another, at the same time, we are able to extend every
useful thought, every amiable affection, and every bene-
ficent action ; and can thus become the means of mutual
improvement, worth, and happiness.

" As formed by God, we are capable of being the sub-
jects of real, though finite benevolence, and of directing
this disposition, by our understanding, to an unceasing
variety of desirable and useful purposes. In forming
such agents, therefore, God has made for himself a
kingdom supremely glorious and divine ; composed of



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ISM. subjects whom his eye regards with infinite complacency ;
to whom his hand is stretched out with eternal bounty ;
and to each of whom on this earth his word is addressed
with a peculiar degree of favour, * For I the Lord thy
God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee. Fear not,
I will help thee/ As the ocean reflects the splendour
of the sun, so does this great kingdom reflect the bound-
less beauty and glory of the Creator, whose voice, with
awful but delightful accents, pronounces this to be a work
worthy of Jehovah. Such is the kingdom of God which
we are commanded by Christ himself to seek Jirstj and
all other things needful shall be added unto us. In this
pre-eminently important pursuit, the eye should be fixed
stedfastly upon Him, who is alone * the Way, and the
Truth, and the Life.' The ear should be attentive to the
voice of inspiration, < Let not the wise man glory in his
wisdom — the mighty man in his might' * Let not the
rich man glory in his riches ; but let him that glorieth,
glory in this, that he understandeth, and knoweth me, I

that I am the Lord which exercise loving kindness, judg- i

ment, and righteousness in the earth, for in these things ^

I delight, saith the Lord.' j \

" And, in my view, the mind of every real Christian
should be determined by constant and vigorous efforts of
the understanding and will to say and do with the Apostle,
^I count all things but loss for the excellency of the
knowledge of Christ, &c. I press toward the mark for
the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.'

^** Whether, therefore, ye eat or drink, or whatso-
ever ye do, do all to the glory of God.'

" Such being my motive in taking the liberty of address-
ing a letter to you in the first instance, I trust you will



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427

ascribe this to the same ; and believe me to be, Sir, most 1S30.
faithfully,

" Your obedient humble servant.




" Commander in the Royal Navy.

"I am travelling about, expect to be at Plymouth
shortly, and from there to town. No. 2, Adelphi Terrace.
" To Edward Thomason, Esq.,
Birmingham.''



** 19, Montague Street, Portman Square,
June 30th, 1830.
"Sir,

"I avail myself of the first opportunity in
having the honour to acquaint you, that I have received,
from Stockholm, a golden snuff-box with H. M. the
King of Sweden and Norway's * chiflfre,' in diamonds,
with directions to deliver it to you, as a proof of his
Majesty's regard. Previously informed of the gracious
intention of the King, my royal master, to confer on you
this gift, I have been expecting it for some time, but
want of opportunity has hitherto prevented its reaching
me. Not trusting, however, to the conveyance per coach,
I have to request you to favour me with the address of
your agent in London, in whose hands I will deliver it
up, in order to be forwarded to you, when I beg of you



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428

1630. to send me a few lines in intimation of your having duly
received it.

" I have the honour to he,

"Sir, 1

" Your ohedient humhle servant,




** Swedish Charg6 d' Affairs.
^'£. Thomason, Esq., Birmingham."

" Bushy, 10th July, 1830.
"Su-,

" 1 received your kind present this morning
of the two medals, struck at so appropriate a juncture ;
hut thinking you would wish them to he laid hefore their
Majesties, I took upon myself the responsihility of pre-
senting them to the Queen, in your name. Her
Majesty has, in consequence, commanded me to inform
you, how much gratified she has heen at your attention,
and to say how much her Majesty is pleased with their
execution, and to express her having graciously accepted
them.

" I remain,

" Your obliged servant,




Edward Thomason, Esq."

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429

" SaviUe Row, July 24, 1830. 1830,
"Dear Sir, -

" I avail myself of your permission to
introduce to you Mr, Jordan and Mr. Warlish, from the
Hartz mines, and I am commanded by the Duke of
Sussex to say he sh&ll feel obliged by any attentions you
can pay them, and any letters of introduction you can
give them to the places they intend to visit

" I have the honour to be,

" Yours very respectfully,




" E. Thomason, Esq., Birmingham."

I entered my work at Stationers' Hall ; the following
is what is given you for your protection : —

"July 29, 1830. — Then entered for his copy, the pro-
perty of Edward Thomason. Copy of a series of medals,
illustrative of the Holy Scriptures. Published by Edward
Thomason, of Birmingham, and struck off at his manu-
factory ; size of the medals three inches in diameter.

" Received eleven copies.



^^.^r2:^^^e^^^



" The above written is a true copy of an entry in the
register book of the Company of Stationers kept at the
Hall of the said Company.

" Witness my hand, this 2d day of August, 1830.




" Warehouse-keeper of the Company of Stationers.**

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480

1B30. «• Bogota, Abl. 7, de 1830.

<< Mi estimado SSnor,

" El Senor Corona Wilson ha tenido
la bondad de presentarme una medalla de mi busto que
la noble generosidad de y. se sirvio consagrar 4 mi me-
moria. Tanta benevolencia y estimacion gratruita de
parte del mas celebre de los artistas Britanicas debe in-
fundirme y me infunde los sentimientos mas cordiales de
un reconocimiento que debiera ser tan duradero como las
obras inmortales del que abora es el objeto de la admira-
cion de los hombres de gusto*

"Me apresurar6 4 aprovechar esta oportunidao de
ofrecer a y. los sentimientos de mi mas distinguida con-
sideracion.




TRANSLATION,

" Colonel Wilson has had the goodness to present me
with a medal of my bust, which your noble generosity
has consecrated to my memory. So much goodness and
disinterested esteem from one of the most celebrated
artists of Great Britain ought, and actually does, im-
press upon my mind, the most cordial feeling of acknow-
ledgment, which ought to be as everlasting as the works
of the man now the admiration of the scientific world. I



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431

avail myself of tliis opportunity of expressing the senti- 1830.
ments of my most distinguished consideration/'

" No. 32, St. James's Street,

« Half-past Six, 31st July, 1830.

" Dear Sir,

" I regret not finding you in town. I was duly
sensible of your obliging attention by your early call, and
have taken the first moment of freedom from engagements
to call at the address on your card.

" I wished to confer with you towards the execution of
propositions made in the anti-piratical society of Knights
Liberators for the commemoration of the final execution
of the object which they have fostered with unremitting
zeal up to this consummation of their labours, effectuated
by one of its most zealous members and collaborators, the
Count de Bourmont, who has been a constant correspon-
dent with the president, and took the secretary of the so-
ciety with him as an interpreter, whom he sent singly and
unprotected by any but a Janissary (servant of the Dey)
to signify his ultimatum, and arrange the terms and time
of surrender. In the first sitting after Lord Exmouth's
victory. Count de Bourmont either moved or seconded,
at any rate voted, a commemorative medal with the effigy
of Lord Exmouth, and an appropriate inscription, which
was executed in the Royal Mint at Paris ; one was voted
also to me as the president and instigator, but that I left
in suspense, employing the funds more suitably to the at-
tainment of the objects in perspective. The time is come
to return the ^compliment to the two French Comman-
ders-in-Chief, and their brave supporters in the cause
of humanity, order, peace, and free navigation. Some
of the metal of the guns taken will be employed for



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4dS

1880. medals similar to those of Lord Cxmoutfa. I wish to ask
you, supposing the metal to he furnished, at what rate
could you furnish, per hundred, some impressions of my
efl^ from the die in your possession, of your execution,
which I find it is the wish of the Society to place in the
series. I beg the fevour of you to send to my agent, Mr.
Hinxman, No. 72, Great Russel Street, two dozen of
those you favoured me with formerly, in white metal. I
am sorry not to have met you. I beg you will command
me towards the success of your laudable commercial un-
dertakings. Mount Atlas and the whole of N. W. Africa,
hitherto barred by piracy and barbarism, are now open to
your enterprise. If you chose to become a purchaser of
some of the gun metal from the captors, I can furnish
you Arabic moral sentences, and extracts from the
Koran, and sayings of Mahomet appropriate.

" Your very obedient servant,



"Mr. Thomason.*'

From the sudden and extraordinary revolution of the
three days in July, nothing would satisfy the Chamber
of Deputies and the people but arming the French
country. Muskets then were called for in every direc-
tion, and a Mr. Del Clarke was deputed by the French
Minister (I believe Mons. Perrier) to consult with me
if the Birmingham gunmakers would undertake to manu-
facture, in a given time, 100,000 stand of arms, exactly
to match, and in every particular as good as the French
pattern which he brought with him. Thinking that
such an order would essentially serve my esteemed
friends, Messrs. Hadley and Sons, the great gim con-
tractors, I ordered out my carriage, and took this



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433

gentleman up to Messrs. Hadleys. They undertook to iSdo.
execute the order in the given time, hut it was essential
to have the contract signed hy the Minister at Paris,
who should approve of hoth price and quality, and to
engage for payment on delivery. Nothing could hring
this to a proper termination, hut that Mr. Del Clarke
and Mr. Hadley should start hy that day's mail for
Paris ; hut it was essential, at least very desirahle, that
they should have an audience in London with Prince
Talleyrand, and which difficulty might detain them some
days* I gave them the following letter, which procured
them an immediate interview : —

"August?, 1830.
" To His Excellency the Prince Talleyrand, Ambassador
" from France to Great Britain.

"Your Excellency

" Having had the honour for many years to fill
the appointment of French Vice-Consul for this town
and neighbourhood, I take the liberty to address your
Excellency upon a circumstance which I conceive may
possibly be of some importance to the French Govern-
ment.

" Two parties from Paris have been here, calling them-
selves the agents of the Government of France, and offi-
cially sent by that Government to purchase guns or
muskets for the Government.

" Seeing one party having with them some documents
which appear official, I have given them my best advice
how to act in procuring these arms without leading to an
imposition in the price. The gentlemen of this party,
which appear to me to have directions firom the French
Government, are a Mr. George Del Clarke, and Mr.



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434

1830. Augustus William Johnson, who are returning to Paris
to make a report to the French Government, and have
with them, on purpose, our principal gun-maker, a Mr.
Thomas Hadley.

** If your Excellency could he pleased to condescend
to grant them an interview for a few minutes, they could
give your Excellency much valuable information.

** My own manufacturers are not in this line, and E
only do this, as in duty bound, to give your Excellency all
information in my power. Offering your Excellency my
best attention here on all occasions,

•* I have the honour to be,

" Your humble servant,

**K Thomasgn.'^

As regards the inconvenience and serious consequences
of not attending to the letter of a contract, I will here men-
tion the breaking off of this engagement with the French
Government, thereby throwing the whole hitherto ex-
pense upon Messrs. Hadley. The Jurniture belonging
to the French pattern, such as the steel part at the butt-
end, and the steel tubes for the ramrod, &c., the French
make out of pure rolled steel; and so did the English,
until lately that a patent was taken out for an ingenious
invention to make all these ornaments of a gun in cast
steel hardened. It is desirable to possess all the hard-
ness of steel together with the toughness of iron, and this
patent mode of case-hardening of cast steel had both
these properties ; and no difference in appearance, in
making these ornaments by the new way, which could
be discerned without some previous hint or extraordinary
penetration. On the first three thousand guns reaching
Paris, some cunning inspector observed this, when the



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A BEAUTIFUL MOSAIC, PRESENTED TO THE AUTHOR BY THE PREMIER
COUNTESS OF ENGLAND. - TH E AUTHOR HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO SHOW
IT TO HER ROYAL HIGHNESS THE DUCHESS DE BERRI, WHO PRONOUNCED IT
TO BE THE MOST EXCELLENT OF THE KINO WHICH SHE EVER BEHELD.



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435

French Government took the advantage in throwing the 1830.
3000 guns upon Messrs. Hadley's hands, and annulling
the contract, to Messrs. Hadley's great loss, for if they
had completed the 100,000, their profit would have heen
from £8,000 to £9,000.

" August 10, 1830.
"Sir,

" Notwithstanding I had the pleasure of thank-
ing you in person previous to the arrival of your splendid
present to Lady Shrewsbury, yet its beauty and perfec-
tions are so great that I cannot refrain from the high
gratification of again acknowledging our warmest thanks
for so exquisite a performance, as well as our sincere con-
gratulations on the completion of so laudable, difficult,
and interesting an undertaking. Lady Shrewsbury begs
me to say how truly she joins in these sentiments, and
" I have the honour to remain, Sir,

" Your most obedient and obliged servant,




" Mr. Edward Thomason, Birmingham.''

" Highgate, Sunday evening, Aug. 15th, 1830.
" My dear Sir,

" Adverting to what we were speaking of when
you shewed me your scripture medallions, I have referred
to Cole and Drake's History of York Cathedral, and
send you the following extract : — * What may justly be
called the wonder of the world, both for masonry and
c c

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436

1830. glazing, is the noble east window. The upper part is a
piece of admirable tracery, below which are 117 parti-
tions representing so much of Holy Writ that it almost
takes in the whole history of the Bible/ The agree-
ment for this great work is more correctly stated in the
the Appendix to Britton's History of the same edifice,
viz. * By an indenture, dated the 10th day of August,
1405, John Thornton, of Coventry, glazier, contracted
with the Dean and Chapter for glazing and painting the
great eastern window ; the painting to be executed with
his own hands, and the work to be finished in three
years ; for which he was to receive four shillings per
week, and one hundred shillings at the end of each of
the three years ; and if he performed to the satisfaction
of his employers, he was to receive the further sum of
ten pounds, in silver.*

"THOJ^gloNin {}J^}have both deserved

well of their country.

" I am, my dear Sir,

" Yours very faithfully.




^^^^^-i^Ce^.




" Edward Thomason, Esq.



" Royal Asiatic Society's House, Grafton Street,
London, August 19th, 1830.
•* Dear Sir,

*^ Being desirous of obtaining some information
about orders of merit, I should be extremely obliged by



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437

your favouring me with a copy of the statutes of the I88O.
Order of which you were lately nominated a Knight, if
you have received them, and of any others that may be
in your possession.

" Hoping that you will excuse my troubling you with
this request,

** I remain, dear Sir,

" With every respect,
** Your very obliged and obedient servant,




'*E. Thomason, Esq/*

Charles the Tenth, now under the name of Comte
de Ponthieu, the Duke and Duchess d'Angoul^me, and
the Duchess de Bern, now resided at Lulworth Castle,
Dorsetshire. Being desirous to prove my loyalty and
gratitude to the late King, I sent the five splendid
volumes of the series of the Bible Medals, in hopes that
the Comte would condescend to honour me by accepting
them. The case containing them, with a respectful
memorial, I sent to the care and management of my
esteemed friend, John Henning, Esq., of Weymouth,
whose kind letter to me is dated

« Weymouth, 13th Sept., 1830.
" Dear Sir,

•* I beg to acknowledge the receipt of your
favour of the 10th instant, and to assure you that it
will afford me great pleasure to be the bearer of your
present for his Majesty Charles the Tenth. I will deli-
ver it safely into the hands of the Duke d'Angoul^me, .
c c 2

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438

1830. as you desire. Lul worth is a pleasant ride firom this
place, the distance being only twelve miles, and I shall
feel gratified in the opportunity of being useful to you,
Mrs. Henning and my daughter request to convey,
with their compliments, their best thanks to Mrs. Tho-
mason and yourself, for the polite attention they received
from you and her at Birmingham.

" I remain. Sir,
" Your most obedient servant,




"E. Thomason, Esq."

Charles the Tenth, however, could not make up his
mind to accept the present. See the following letter : —

" Lulworth Castle, Wareham, Dorsetshire,
27th September, 1830.
" Monsieur,

" J'ai et^ tr^s fach6, a mon retour, d'apprendre
que Monsieur le Comte de Ponthieu (Charles X.) n*a pas
accept^ le magnifique hommage que vous lui avez offert
Madame la Marquise de Mosny (Duchesse de Berry),
en a fait des reproches k son beau pere, en lui parlant
de la maniere aimable dont vous lui avez fait les hon-
neurs de chez vous et de votre ville. Le roi lui a dit
vous avoir fait faire les remerciments, et me charge de
vous les renouveler, en vous assurant que s*il a refus6
un objet aussi interessant et aussi precieux, ce n'est qu'en
raison de sa position qui Voblige a voyager, mais que s*il
se trouve etabli d'une maniere plus stable, il sera tres



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439

heureux de poss^der une aussi bel ouvrage. Je pro- ^®^^*
fite de cette occasion Monsieur, pour vous parler de la
reconnoissancede Madame laDuchesse de Berry, qui dans
le cours de son voyage a souvent fait mention de voire
bel etablissement et de votre politesse.

" Agreez, Monsieur, Passurance de ma haute consi-
deration. Voudrez vous bien offrir mes hommages a
Madame Thomason ?

" Votre tres humble serviteur,




" Mons. Tliomason, French Vice-Consul, &c.
Birmingham."

Although Charles X. had abdicated the throne now
upwards of four months, yet the French Mint, faithful
to their late monarch's commands to present me with the
medals of France, to my surprise, honorably fulfilled the
promise and the case arrived in the Thames, consigned
to the care of the first Clerk of the Customs, Mr. B.
Donne, who apprised me thereof; and as I had now
strong fears that the inspectors at the Custom House
might lose some of the medals, and thereby render the
series of 1037 historically imperfect, I wrote to the
Duke of Wellington mentioning my fears, when he was
so kind as to influence Mr. Dawson, of the Treasury, to
see to it, which the Duke informed me by the return of
the post ; and soon after I received the following letter
from W. R. Dawson, Esq., M.P. : —



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1880.



440

"Treasury Chambers, 18th Nov. 1830-
"Sir,

" I am commanded by the Lords Commis-
sioners of his Majesty's Treasury to acquaint you, in
answer to your petition, that directions have been given
to the Commissioners of Customs to take the greatest
possible care in the examination of the case of French
medals therein referred to, but my Lords cannot direct
the admission of the same without examination.

"lam. Sir,

" Your obedient servant.




' Mr. E. Thomason, Birmingham.**



" Customs, London, 30th November, 1830.
" Dear Sir,

" I have indeed only time to-day to inform
you that I sent off your case on Thursday last, and
I hope before this you have it safe. I can assure you
that the greatest care was taken of it ; and, fearing that
the outer case was not sufficiently strong, you will per-
ceive that I have put it in a new one for security. I
will soon send you the account of disbursement
" Yours, truly.




" Edward Thomason, Esq., Birmingham.'*
Charged only 6d. for form sake.



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441

'•St. Petersburgh, Nov. 21st, 1830. 1830.
"Sir,

" Count Nesselrode has made known to the
Emperor your intention of presenting to him a series of
medals, representing scenes from the scriptures, and by
the enclosed note you will see that H. I. M. is pleased
to accept the present

<< I cannot learn anything of the vessel in which you
inform me the medals have been sent.
" I have the honour to be,
"Su-,
" Your most obedient humble servant.




" Edward Thomason, Esq.'*

" St. Petersbourg, le 4 Novembre, 1880.

" Mylord,

" En r^ponse k votre aimable lettre du 31
Octobre, je me fais un veritable plaisir de vous annoncer
que I'Empereur a daign^ agr6er la collection de m^dailles
que M. Thomason, de Birmingham, vient de lui ofinr.
Sa Majesty ne pent assur^ment qu' accueillir avec faveur,
un envoi plac6 sous les auspices de votre Excellence.

"Veuillez, Mylord, agr6er Thommage de tons mes
sentiments,

« A. E. S. Mylord Heytesbury, &c."



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442

1830. The Countess of Shrewsbury, the premier Countess of
England, had lately returned from Rome, when she was
so kind and obliging as to present me with a large spe-
cimen of mosaic, from one of her ladyship's designs, in
flowers, butterflies, &c., done by the celebrated Roman,
Proglio. It is most exquisitely finished, and it has been
already the admiration of many hundreds of connoisseurs*
[ showed it to her Royal Highness the Duchess de
Berri, who declared that, until she had seen this, she
thought she was in possession of the finest specimen

extant

** Munich, November 23, 1830.
"Sir,

" In answer to your letter to Lord Erskine,
received about a month ago, and dated the 30th of
April, I am directed by his Lordship to acquaint you
that the King of Bavaria has been graciously pleased to
express his intention of accepting the set of medals
which you have destined for his Majesty, as you will per-
ceive from the annexed copy of an answer from Count
Armansperg (the Bavarian Secretary of State for Foreign
Affiedrs) to a communication made to his Excellency by
Lord Erskine upon the subject

*' I am further directed by Lord Erskine to inform
you that his Lordship has sent directions to Mr. Van
Es, at Rotterdam, to forward the medals to Munich,