Novr 29th 1772.

Dear Sir

many thanks for y^r Letter. I hope to borrow a Sibbald. Baleen. as to Prints; the Porpess & Dolphin from Borlase’s cornwall may be reduced according to a size I shall send; & Roberston Whale in the Transactions of last year.

I am much obliged for y^r account of the woodcocks. I admired the paintings of the Labors of Hercules. do you write the painter manvire or manvize & who was he?¹ The first of the paintings at Penicuick will be of no use to me. M^r Gough is lazy & does not answer Letters: The weapon is saxon; & I had a fine drawing of it speedily to be engraven, it was found at Comerie the upper end of Strath-earn.

Do not hurry yourself about the measurements &c of Rosslyn: next summer will be time enough. I am ashamed not to find the chaise hire to Rosslyn among my bills: I must insist on knowing what it is; & that you would at the end of this year pay for the magazines & let me know what all comes to. Pray excuse my writing in this cover for I have urgent occasion to send the inclosed to Doctor Ramsay. I see that Sibbald mentions drawings of Animals in his 2^d vol. which is still in M.S. Pray where are those M.S.

If you see M^r Shairp of the R:Bank. Please to present my best thanks for his Letter & for the beautiful drawing of the nunnery at Columb-kill.

I am Dear Sir y^r obliged & faithful humble Servt

Tho. Pennant.

By Howey

Be so good as to call on Yonge Newcastle carrier & ^{The Boxes 2. weight 7.^lb3[...] as marked the Book. 25^th Sept^r lab^d to the Manchester [...] at Newcastle Packham of[...] Inn can answer tell him I never received the Box directed to M^r Falconer² at M^r Bells Manchester. It was a small heavy box sent Sept^r 24 or 25^th. tell him I will certainly prosecute him if he does not produce it.

^FreeRMostyn

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Editorial notes

1. Likely the same artist and work, or works, that Pennant refers to in his description of the paintings of Holyrood Palace in his Tour in Scotland, and voyage to the Hebrides 1772 3rd edn. (London: 1790), pp.245-46: 'The life of Hercules, in ten small pieces, highly finished, but with a stiff outline, like the manner of Albert Durer. In the back ground are views of Flemish houses; so probably these were the work of a Flemish artist. Perhaps of John de Mabeuse, who was in England in the time of Henry VIII.' The 'manvire', 'manvize' or 'Mauvise' mentioned here and in Paton's letter of December 3 1772, is probably the same John de Mabeuse, an alternative name of the Flemish artist Jan Gossaert (c.1478-1532).
2. Possible Thomas Pennant's friend, Thomas Falconer of Chester.