Niépce correspondance et papiers

582 C ORRESPONDANCE ET PAPIERS 322 Lettre (A.S.R.) 1 S.l., 28 mai 1818. Le docteur Jones à Claude Niépce. Dear Sir, May 28 th 1818 I call’d on you yesterday morning, but infortunately you were not at home ; however I left a note from Mr. Brunell 2 to myself, in which he said that he would be at home to see us on wednesday morning, this note I left at your lodgings, since which I understand you call’d at my house for Mr. Brunell’s direction, but I think this must be some mistake made by my sister, for his address was to the note viz. (Chelsea ) you may remember that you were twice with me at his house, it is one in a row of houses, a little past Battersea Bridge, and opposite the river. You must not for a moment imagine that the part Mr. Twopeny and myself took respecting your specification was attended with any trouble, on the contrary I assure you, it was an amusement to us both. Neither we did we think of laying you under any obligation, or of any remuneration whatever, except in the pleasure of being of service to you and to science, // judge then of my surprize at your intended costly present to him and to me, I am very certain that Mr. T. who is [now] 3 in the country, will be as much mor- tified as myself when he hears of it, he is a clergyman that has a very high sen[c]e of reli- gion and honour, and maintains that we are responsible hereafter for neglecting opportu- nities of doing good and of being of service to one another, as well as for our offences in this life, and that consequently in giving you his assistance he has done no more than he was in duty bound to do, therefore if the bookseller will not take them back, I know a friend that will be glad of them, by paying for them. I shall therefore be oblig[e]d by your directing him to send the bill and receipt to my house any morning before ten, Mr. [T.] not being in London and at a great distance is not aware of your intention but as I know him so well I can answer for him as much as if he were present to speak for himself. I am now on my road to Epsom &. shall not return until Friday morning I remain dear Sir yours truly D r Jones Mons r . Neipce N° 9 Frith Street Soho 323 Mémoires (A.N. 279 AP 28-29). Inédit Londres, fin mai début juin 1818. Jacques Edouard Burignot de Varenne rencontre Claude. [...] Victor de Courtivron me proposa un voyage en Angleterre en compagnie de M. Witt qui avait été avec lui auditeur au Conseil d’Etat 4 . Le projet me sourit, mais je n’avois pas l’ar- 1. Publ. in U (doc. 11). 2. Sir Marc Isambard Brunel (1769-1849). Ingénieur civil natif de Hacqueville, près de Gisors. Il s’était installé en Angleterre en mars 1799 et y prit peu après un brevet pour une machine à dessiner, comparable dans son principe au pantographe. Parmi ses autres inventions, à signaler sa machinerie destinée à la fabrication des chaussures qui, adoptée par le gouvernement anglais, fonctionna à plein jusqu’à la paix de 1815. En 1812, Brunel avait entrepris ses premiers travaux sur la navigation à vapeur (D.N.B.). 3. New dans l’édition russe. 4. Edouard et ses deux compagnons de voyage avaient quitté Paris pour Rouen le 20 mai 1818. De là, ils avaient gagné Dieppe puis Brighton (J.E.B.V.). 1815 1824 1 8 De la seconde Restauration jusqu’à la naissance de la photographie