14 Faraday, Correspondence of Lt.-Col. J. L. Philips. 



the cards designed by Philips. These two young ladies 

 were Maria and Elizabeth Jane PZarle, aged 20 and 17 

 respectively ; they were the daughters of Thomas Earle, 

 of Leghorn, whom I mentioned above. Mrs. Earle, their 

 mother, was living with them. The mourning (alluded to 

 in the letter) was worn for Mr. Thomas Earle, who died 

 on April i8th, 1781. The house at Crosby was in the 

 occupation of Mr. Ralph Earle, and Mrs. Hardman and 

 Mrs. Stanley frequently stayed there. Mrs. Stanley 

 was Sarah, the sister of Thomas Earle and the widow of 

 the Hon. and Rev, John Stanley, who was Rector of 

 Liverpool from 1726 to 1740. He was subsequently 

 Rector of Bury. He died on May i6th, 178 1. Mrs. 

 Hardman was Jane, the daughter of George Leigh, sen., of 

 Oughtrington. She died in 1795, aged 93. She vv'as thus 

 the great-aunt of Colonel John Leigh Philips, being his 

 mother's* aunt, and the great-aunt of the two young 

 ladies we have mentioned, being half-sister to their grand- 

 mother, Mrs. Martha Mort of Wharton Hall. I\Irs. 

 Hardman herself lived chiefly at Allerton, in which she 

 had a life interest. 



In this letter Taylor addresses his friend, for some 

 unapparent reason, as " Happy Dog," and continues : — 



I went to Crosby ou Sumlay & deliverd your cards to their serene 

 liighnesses «S£ it is with the sincerest satisfaction that I comnumicate to 

 you the result of my Emljassy. They were Graciously pleas'd in the Plenitude 

 of their Princely Benignity, to receive your Humble Offering with an affaljility 

 & condescension astonishing in personages of a rank so elevated k a station 

 so exalted. And not content with bestowing on your performance the mere 

 empty acknowledgement of praise they have resolv'd the ingenious Artist 

 shall receive more solid advantages. A Patent was instantly ordered to be 

 made out constituting you their Highnesses sole Engraver and it only remains 

 that you come and kiss their Imperial hands and you are at once in possession 

 of all the emoluments annex'd to that most Lucrative Office. — 



To descend a little — the cards have given the ladies the greatest pleasure 



* Sarah Leigh, the tenth child of George Leigh, became Mrs. John 

 Philips, of Bank, Heaton Norris. She was born in 1742 and died in 1809. 



