Robert Carter writes to London merchant, William Dawkins, February 23, 1721, to chastise him seveerly for his impertinence in writing as he has done about the handling of the schooling of Carter's three young sons who were under his charge while in England at school. Carter reminds Dawkins that he owed his position in his firm to his apprenticeship with Arthur Bailey with whom Carter had lived while in England for his own education. He lectures Dawkins about the unnecessary sums he has spent on the school, and on jewelry, and refutes Dawkins' jest that Carter should attempt to keep up with Mrs. Heath in purchasing expensive jewelry. He informs Dawkins that he has directed his older son John to relieve Dawkins of the trouble of overseeing Robert, Landon, and Charles's schooling.

     Arthur Lee's Ship arrived hither two Days ago Your Letters
by her which were only copies (the Originals are not come to hand.) I have
That of the 20th. of September carries such an air of Pride & Waspishness
that It must not lie unanswered,

     The Affair of my Children is handled as if they were
dependent upon Your Charity for their maintenance, what they
have I expect to doubt not I shall pay for even to a farthing, You may believe
when I committed them to Your care, I had a respect to Your friend
=ship and an Opinion of Your prudence, & Expected You would

     Before I sent them I consulted You what their
maintenance might Stand me in You tell me You believed £40 per annum
apiece, to put You in remembrance of this, forsooth must pass
for unkindness, and wear the harsh name of bringing You
under an Obligation Seeing You are a Gentleman of Such a tender
touchy elevated nature that cannot Endure a plain Style and think
me so much Your Debtor for the oversight You have of my
Children, I have taken care to Ease You of that burden
my Son has orders from me to remove them to another
person who will treat me and them with more Civility
If You want not me, I Shall let You know I want You as little
Do me but Justice with the Concern of mine You have in Your
hands & I shall not value how soon I shut up all corres=
=pondence with You,

     Your next paragraph [sic ] is a note above Elah sure
You were then Sitting in Your masters Chair of State, with Your Rope
Makers and Carrmen about You and looking upon me as
one of Your Dependents and Inferiors, I shall come a little
to particulars, You had laid out my Money upon Several things
much beyond my orders among the Rest You had laid me out
£20 extraordinary upon a pair of Earrings & tell me in a
way of banter or rather tantalizing Mrs. Heath had a pair cost a
Thousand pound, this brought in the word muckworm which is
so offensive to Your nice Stomach, I had not the least thought
of throwing any Reflection upon the Memory of the Dead nor
the Living, neither does the Sentence carry any such Import
to my understanding, and if You want the Skill to Measure
the force of words You Should keep a Dictionary by You
but that You may have a true Idea of the Scope of the
word muckworm I shall reccommend to Your peru=
=sal the fifth part of Doctor Scotts Christian Life
where he's treating of the Excellency of the Soul, There
You'l find the significance of this word and how

     Now pray upon the whole where was Your prudence or
rather manners to use me with the Language that was hardly
fit for Your Footman if You keep one, You might remember I
was Your Masters equal and all along have lived in as good rank
& fashion as he did, Even [illegible] when You were something like Graves's Cabin
boy and am old Enough to be Your Father, not to mention any
more reasons that Justly give me a Title to Your Deferrence I
Shall Conclude with telling You that I resolve to live in a Calm
quiet air the rest of my Days, & will be treated with respect by
those that Do my business, if You are so overgrown & tumefied
with the little Success You have had in the World, I would
have You vent Your vanities upon those that are to be gainers
by You and not upon