Description:This piece of work would have been carried out as a practice exercise by John Phillp. It reads
Trade is a fluctuating thing:
it passed from Tyre to Alexandria, from
Alexandria to Venice, from Venice to Antwerp,
from Antwerp to Amsterdam and London;
the English rivalling the Dutch, as the French
are now rivalling both. All Nations almost
are wisely applying themselves to Trade; and
it behoves those who are in the possession of it
to take care that they do not lose it. It is a
plant of tender growth, and requires Sun
and Soil and fine Seasons to make it thrive
and flourish. It will not grow like the Palm tree,
which with the weight and pressure rises the more.
Liberty is a Friend to that, as that is to Liberty
but nothing will support and promote it more than Virtue and what Virtue preacheth;
Sobriety, Industry, Frugality
Modesty, Honesty, Punctuality,
Humanity, Charity and the love of our
Country and the Fear of God.
Bishop Newton
It is taken from the Phillp album, a collection of watercolours and sketches by John Phillp (c.1778-1815). Phillp may have been Matthew Boulton's son but the evidence is inconclusive. He was born in Falmouth, Cornwall and came to Soho in 1793. Boulton paid for William Hollins to teach him architectural drawing in 1795. During his time at Soho he produced designs for silver, plate, medals and tokens.
Conservation and cleaning had to be undertaken on the album before it could be scanned and this was carried out as part of the Digital Handsworth Project.