Autograph letter signed : London, to George Colman, 1768 January 26.

Being provoked by Colman's delays in producing Bickerstaff's most recent opera, this lengthy and detailed letter discusses the nature of their business relations over a period of several years; saying "You intimated to me this morning upon your Stage, that I wanted to pick the heart of your Season for myself; and to that end protracted my opera: in the first place I have an absolute right to the heart of your season; and notwithstanding your ungenerous Suspicions, which I had heard of before, I can provide I did not protract my opera an Instant;" reviewing the time line of the creation of his opera and his understanding of the nature of their agreement and expressing his frustration that five weeks has passed since he delivered his opera and nothing has been done with it; complaining that Goldsmith's "The good natur'd man" had been preferred over Bickerstaff's work; saying "But you told me today that you consider'd me as an Enemy of yours: Well, Sir, even so I am a conquer'd enemy; and as such have a right to mercy, instead of sacrificing me to another, Justice and Candour would have told you that I deserv'd the preference not only on account of my former services to your Theatre; but on account of the Engagements I had with you, in which particular favor, was a suppos'd condition, and the only one by which you can claim an Equitable right to hold me. You are sensible too, that I could have been receiv'd at the other Theatre upon very handsome terms had it not been for my Article with you; yet you think it hard that I should expect to reap any particular advantage from it. You say you want to understand me; I want to understand you. The comedy is to be acted today, and to Morrow, and next Week; my Opera is to be brought out with every Advantage while you treat it with utter Neglect, and you are to bring it out this year, or next year, just as things happen. This is all I can gather from you. I have made a formal demand of my opera; you have denied to restore it to me; what right have you to deny it? I desired to have a meeting with you, and to have a friend by; you refus'd; this is a most unheard of proceeding: are you to be Judge and party? I desire, and insist upon a peremptory answer from you. For till I can better judge of your meaning, by your words, your barely saying you don't intend to injure me stands for Nothing."