Manchester Memoirs, Vol. xUv. (1900), iVt?. 14. 21 



fiirnisli troops sufficient for its service, observe I am speaking of the scheme 

 of putting arms into the hands of the Commonality and requiring their time 

 and trouble without any pay except when called from home for though 

 Administration should adopt the more eligible plan of raising more Soldiers 

 or augmenting the Militia, I think it would still be highly beneficial to 

 encourage Associations of Gentlemen and Tradesmen who by defending 

 their own town and neighbourhood might release the Soldiers or Militia 

 stationed there, and they might whenever there was occasion — a little time 

 will clear this matter up, at any rate we may continue together and practice 

 the exercise for our own entertainment. 



In the next letter, on August 3rd, Taylor addresses 

 his friend as " most valiant Captain," so we may presume 

 that it was about this time that Philips first gained com- 

 mand of his company, x^fter communicating the congrat- 

 ulations of the ladies, Taylor goes on to refer to the 

 performances of the Italian Opera, then proceeding in 

 in Liverpool : — 



I regretted your absence on Monday evening, I never saw our Boxes so 

 Brilliant, nor were they ever so crowded. Henderson receiv'd ^163 which 

 has pleas'd him much & I hope we shall have him again, I went to the Opera 

 on Thursday and was I confess prejudiced against the Performers fjut I 

 assure you I relurn'd in a very different humour, it was very well done & met 

 general applause the Music is most excellent. I thouglit of you many times, 

 however I am glad to inform you you will have an opportunity of seeing 

 them for they intend to perform in Manchester next Week and I don't doubt 

 they will meet encouragement, they had a very genteel audience and have 

 been solicited to exhibit again but our Manager will not permit them, and 

 that you may be able to recommend them I can assure you the opinion of 

 Wiatt Zinck and other Gentlemen, whom you know to be Judges, is that they 

 are worthy of encouragement, for my own part I thought 'em quite equal to 

 what I saw in London, the Men have all fine strong voices particularly 

 Ferrari. SS''''! Castine is the best Woman c^' much superior to Mme Martryr. 



The Wiatt mentioned is apparently the Liverpool 

 architect referred to in Bellinge's Liverpool Advertiser, of 

 March 23, 1795, as the designer of a model for the new 

 Liverpool Exchange, the old building having been burnt 

 down in that year. 



The following letter, while intrinsically interesting in 

 so far as it refers to the Liverpool Volunteer Association, 

 has a very strong personal interest. It shows, as do all 



