Petition for a pay rise

<156r>

Sir

The giveing you the truble of this being altogether a Stranger and to one of such a larg Character may justly be termed a bold attempt, but the singūlar accoūnt I have of you from Dor Gregorie and these Gentlemen of our Societie Alerdice and Mr Drūmmond, and that oblidgeing caire you have of evrie particūlar relateing to our Mint makes me venture the more on your goodnes and plad that this may humble present my sincear good wishes and most duetie Respects with a full acknowledgement of the received freedom I take to acquaint that the Generall and other Directing Officers of our Mint finding themselfs at a stand and difficūltie annent our foūnds for supporting the Recoynage; agreed to make a Representation thereof to My Lord Heigh Tresaūrer and of the necessary officers added by Doctor Gregorie on his doune comeing hier to put ūs in the method at your mint which he did with all coine and good thoūght, a Coppie wherof Mr Drūmmond is to transmit to you with this accoūnt thereof Queen Clerk I presume to informe you that being Comptroller or Coūnter warden my Sallerie is only sixtie pounds, this I complaind of to Dor Gregorie as being too mean for the office and Atendance and no ways in proportion with the other sallerie, he proposed that to saive some charge to the Government I might have a suteable allowance, and officiat as Weigher and Teller also, this besids Mr Drūmmonds and my attendance was give by tūrns as sūrviors of the meltings, and because the Qūeens Clerk had only 40£ And that a Clerk of the Irons was necessar that he should officiat <156v> in that office, and so have his sallerie by the same reason augmented, wee are hopefull hier that My Lord Tresaurer will transmit our Representation to you and the other Directing officers with you, and therefor shall earnestly beg that favour of your freindship in this for us both as you see good reason for the Aūgmentation and shall wish your thoūght and advice did determine it. also there are three new Clerks added one to the Master one to Mr Drūmmond and one to me, all to continūe for the fūtūre, and one assistant to the assaymaster to continūe only dureing the Recoynage, the new offices shoudl commence from the first of Aūgūst last, to iune with our Quarter salleries, and am hopefull there will be a reasonable allowance given them, fūrther I plead to informe out of a principall of Charetie and the benefet of oūr Mint, that oūr founder and Melter James Shiels who performs extreamly well and most usefull to ūs in a great monie things as Dor Gregorie will acquaint you, his condition is bot brean in the world and is haired by the day, when the Mint is goeing and so as his incūragement fails he may come to leave ūs, Therfor wee did propose to the Doctor if it was possible to get ten pounds a year setled on him, which he thought reasonable and that he might be named pūrvior, I am possetive this is for that service of the mint for if wee shoūld lose this man wee would have difficūltie to supply his place he haveing that exact practice of smelting with pit-coall and a most readie servant evrie way and might prove a great lose to Alerdice our Master. I know mr Drummond will wreat you annent our founds and therefor shall not double that trūble to inorme, wee shall want ane order from My Lord Treasurer to the Exchequer hier to signe precepts to us for two Quarters salleries preceeding the first of May last, and in time comeing to the officers according to oūr old Establisment befor the ūnion, a schedule wherof Mr Drummond sens ūp and for the salleries of the new added officers from the first of aūgūst 1707, all might be in a sign'd schedule by My Lord Tresaurer

<157r>

By the fue trayels wee have had of oūr new Essay Master I hope he shall answer expectation our moneyrs are verie dilligent and wee all continūe easie and freindly with onanther; Dead Sir I have been most ūnmainnerly in first presumeing this and then to insist so long on our oune particūlars, but being mint būssines and your readie inclination to favoūr ūs at all times makes me hope you'l pardin this; I beg the urther favoūr of presenting my kind Respects and service to your Warden and Mr Ellies who I hope well justly contribūt to my pairt of the Representation also to your Essay Master and the rest of the Gentlemen of yoūr Societie and again in particūlar to your self with my heartie and good wishes I am in all cinceretie and good will

Sir

Your most hūmble and real servant

Edinbūrgh 10 Iūllie 1708

Wa:Boswell