To GEORGE NICOL 27 JUNE 1790 283

To GEORGE NICOL,1 Sunday 27 June 1790

Printed for the first time from the MS now WSL. The MS is untraced until sold Wheatley 8 Dec. 1836 (George Sigmond Sale), lot 848, to unknown; resold Sotheby's 10 May 1875 (Pocock Sale), lot 183, to Webster; resold Sotheby's 1 Dec. 1892 (property of a Gentleman), lot 195, to Pearson; resold American Art Asso­ ciation—Anderson Galleries 25 Oct. 1934 (Thomas Hughes Kelly Sale), lot 571 (with HW to PDalrymple 3 July 1792), to WSL. Address: To Mr Nichols at the Shakespeare Gallery in Pall Mall, London. Postmark: JU 28 90.

Strawberry Hill, June 27, 1790. Sir, AS YOU and Mrs Nichols2 and Mr Boydel were so obliging as to

L promise me a morning, I shall be very glad of the favour of your company either on Saturday or Sunday next4 whichever will be more convenient to you, and at twelve o'clock, which is the hour most favourable for seeing my house, which depends much on the sun. If this is too early in the season, a week later will be the same to me, but after that I shall be absent for a little time. If young Mr Boydels will accompany you, I shall be very glad to see him. I am Your much obliged humble servant HOR. WALPOLE

I. (or Nichol) (ca 1740-1828), bookseller of London. He and his nephew Josiah to George III and to other notable col­ Boydell (n. 5 below) were partners in the lectors. He was associated with his uncle, printselling business and in the Shake­ David Wilson, in the Strand until 1777, speare Gallery, which they built in Pall later removing to Pall Mall, where he be­ Mall to house the paintings they com­ came associated with the Boydells in missioned to illustrate Shakespeare's plays printing their edition of Shakespeare He (Nichols, Lit. Anec. iii. 411-17; BERRY i. established the Shakespeare Press about 80-1 n. 27; DALRYMPLE 206 and n. 16). 1790 with William Bulmer (1757-1830) 4. HW's 'Book of Visitors' records that (CM 1828, xcviii pt ii. 279-81; Nichols, the 'Boydels and Nichols' were at SH on Lit. Illus. viii. 501). Saturday, 3 July; HW showed them the 2. Mary Boydell (d. 1820), m. (1787), as house himself (BERRY ii. 236). See follow­ his second wife, George Nicol; print col­ ing letter. lector (GM 1787, lvii pt ii. 836; 1820, xc 5. (1752-1817), painter pt ii. 574; 1824, xciv pt i. 236). and engraver; alderman of London 1805-9; 3. John Boydell (1719-1804), engraver Master of the Company of Stationers, 1811 and publisher of prints; alderman 1782- (GM 1817, lxxxvii pt i. 376-7). 1804, sheriff, 1785, and lord mayor 1790-1