Letter – William Bosville to Diana Beaumont – 12 Nov 1796

									Novr: 12th 1796

Dr. Mrs. Beaumont,

      I am sorry to find that Mr. Wests eyes are so bad, many thanks for the trouble you have. What a strange advertisement there was in the Morn[in]g Chronicle front page. Burke & Owen the Book<sellers>.

      Tho’ you have read so much about the dinner on the 5th you may not have heard of the suppers that took place on that night – It was suggested by the Committee from the delegates of the Corresponding Societys that those who wished to celebrate the day & could not spare eight & sixpence for a dinner might bespeak rooms & sup together – they did & a vast number of Public & some private houses furnished supper all on the same plan – Eighteen pence a head including a pot of beer each man – Mr. <Bonny> the attorney has sent about in his neighbourhood which is <Piercy> Street, Charlotte Street & Tottenham Court Road & has discovered about thirty houses who furnish’d suppers. I was in [the] City on purpose to enquire about these active suppermen, I call’d at a Warehouseman in Cornhill, a great democrat he said most of his Workmen were at one or other of the supper parties, at some houses they took in near a hundred at others fifty or Thirty, supper hour was eight or nine, at some houses in Stepney Parish,  the Minories & about Tower Hill there were most houses that furnish’d some very large rooms, I got the toasts of one of the largest meetings, they are very strong. <A.......> revolution & may none but the Guilty suffer, if that was given it is too strong & dangerous – They had one from the New Testament in the Words of Christ – Love your Enemies – that was received with great applause as we are fighting Republicans – an other religious one – The day of Resurrection – of the British Nation – You will observe that we dinner men are small indeed very small in numbers to these enthusiastic supper men – If I was to serve in the new supplementary Militia I should <choose> to serve with the parish of Stepney, where the men I am told are determined not to send substitutes but to serve they will arm to any extent Mr. Pitt <chooses> in that parish, the London Corresponding society are strong<est> there in proportion to the number of inhabitants than in any other parish. I do not think Pitts arming goes to a sufficient extent – as exercising is only on Sunday every man should learn the use of arms & have them. This arming is the best thing Pitt has ever done. Washingtons <retiring> without a large <portion>, the corrupt here will think a dangerous example, for examples sake such conduct would not have been allow’d here. Pitt is to do something <violent> on the 30th I suppose as I am told he has ordered all the <sw....> of the House to attend, he can’t want their assistance for any good, those domestic enemies as <Tooke> call[ed] them in his Hustings speech deserve their pay for they now risque their lives for it. How do you like <Tookes> song, is the music correct do you think it good? Have you read the bloody <Btt....> all that was produced by the prodigality of those in power it should be a lesson to Pitt. The Branches of house keepers augment fast , what do you think of them? <And> Beaumont of Whitley <BO.> are his opinions popular in his neighbourhood is he a leader or more of a driver, all men are Jacobins according to him, having voted for the Lock Jaw bills will not prevent BO from calling a man Jacobin, I wish to know what he calls me, I should have a rank above that, he gives <me one I suppose.>