Autograph letter signed : Lambeth, to an unidentified recipient, 1841 April 5.

Concerning a contractual dispute involving a Mr. Payne; saying "On my return home, I find the enclosed piece of sheer rascality. As Payne took my word without asking your guarantee sealed up, I took his, but the stipulations are clear, positive, admitting no more discussion in any particular and the signing of the articles was the only matter left which he undertook to do on receiving notice from you or me. I blame myself now for not having taken a writing from him of some sort - but in the contract as a real bond between man and man there was and is no favor. I have sent him the following letter 'Sir, You know as well as I do, that you are positively engaged to Mr. Macready from the 20th September next at four Pounds per week for yourself and one pound for Mrs. Payne, that on the commencement of the season, your daughter was to be placed in the [illegible] and that you were to sign the articles as soon as they were prepared. You know that we shook hands upon the positive bargain without a question of doubt or cavil and that there can be no circumstance on which you have no contract that can free you to break your absolute engagement. I send your letter with a copy of this to Mr. Macready and I advise you for your welfare in [illegible] not to break the faith you have given - if you attempt it I should like to know how you can look him or me in the face again;'...It is difficult to tell you how vexed I am but I entirely believed the man and the words passed between us 'will then you take my word' - 'Yes, sir, certainly'...and as far as I know [illegible] the vexations [illegible] is that if I had not believed this scoundrel entirely I could have made a legal contract with him."