MATTHEW BOULTON OPPOSES THE PENSION TO EGINTON. 353 



Copy of a Letter to the Right Honourable the Earl of Dartmouth. 



"Mr LOKD, A few days ago I received a letter from Sir John 

 Dalrymple, dated Dublin, May 27, in which he surprises me by 

 saying, ' I have written to Sir Gray Cooper to have a pension of 

 20 per annum for Mr. Eginton ; so, if there is any stop, write me of 

 it to Scotland, and I will get it set to rights, as I know nothing but 

 inattention can stop it.' 



" As I think I cannot with propriety write to Sir Gray Cooper upon 

 that matter, not having the honour of being known to him, and as I 

 have never mentioned the subject to him, or any person besides your 

 Lordship, I hope therefore to be pardoned for thus troubling you 

 with my sentiments and wishes. 



"In the first place, I wish to have an entire stop put to the 

 pension ; because Mr. Eginton hath no claim nor expectations. I 

 pay him by the year ; and, consequently, he is already paid by me 

 for all the three or four months spent in that business ; and as to 

 an overplus reward for his secrecy, I know how to do that more 

 effectually, and with more prudence, than giving him annually 20, 

 which will only serve to keep up the remembrance of that business, 

 and therefore it is impolitical. 



"Besides, it might perhaps be injurious to me, as such a pension 

 would tend to make him more independent of me and my manu- 

 facture. 



" His attachment to me, his knowing that no use hath been made 

 of the things, the obligation he is under to me, and his own natural 

 caution and prudence, renders me firmly persuaded that the scheme 

 will die away in his memory, or at least will never be mentioned. 



" If any body is entitled to any pecuniary reward in this business, 

 it is myself ; because I have not only bestowed some time upon it, but 

 have actually expended in money between one and two hundred 

 pounds, as I can readily convince your Lordship when I have the 

 honour of seeing you at Soho; and although I was induced by 

 ] to believe that I was working at the request and under 

 the authority of a noble Lord (whose wisdom and virtue I revere), 

 yet I never intended making any charge to Government of my 

 expenses or for my trouble. 



" All that I have now to request of your Lordship is that a nega- 

 tive be put upon the pension. 



"My Lord, your Lordship's most dutiful, most obliged, and most 

 faithful humble Servant, 



"M. B." 



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