Letter from Thomas Manning to William Manning from Paris. He writes "Paris is a place where Luxury abounds and riots uncontrolled" though he himself lives in a retired manner. He has met Mr De Maimieux "a learned man who has invented a new language which he calls Pasigraphie". He also met an English gentleman... who has the confidence of the French Government as he has a civil place in Belgium (no name given). This man introduced him to Maria Cosway, (English painter and Engraver, 11 June 1760 – 5 January 1838)). This man has offered "to introduce me to a man who has travelled to the interior of China and who is acquainted with Chinese manners - a subject that much interests me" This man can also be of service in a literary way. Manning was admitted to the antichambers and saw Bonaparte: "I had an excellent view of him both in his going out and his returning. What a God like countenance he has! his demeanour to the spectators was very affable & unaffected. I have so exalted idea of him as a great man, that when he passed & turned his face to the party where I stood, I had a violent emotion, even to tears". He admits much is said against him and that banishments are taking place. He mentions the carnival which has just finished. Handwritten, 4 sides. Dated Tuesday 18th Ventose (French Republican Calendar) 9 March 1802
Letter from Thomas Manning to William Manning from Paris. He has been unwell for the last week but is leaving for a stay in Basle, Switzerland, before going to the south of France. He has letters of introduction to various people in Toulouse so will probably make his main stay there or in its neighbourhood. He writes he will never be happy until he is settled but has many things to do first. One of these is to penetrate to the interior of China - something which he deems difficult but not dangerous and will not be long term. He reassures his father that he will visit England before going to China and hopes to be able to recount his adventures in his father's parlour at Diss, on his return. Handwritten, 3 sides. Dated 13 July 1802
Letter from Thomas Manning to William Manning from Paris. He writes of his journey from Toulouse in the company of Madame de Serrant along the banks of the Garonne to Bordeaux, then Poitiers, Angers and by the banks of the Loire, to the magnificent chateau of Serrant which escaped damage in the revolution. He stayed a few days at the Chateau before returning to Paris but hopes that the Serrants will come to Paris shortly or he will visit them again before leaving France, He writes how Madame de Serrant could write letters of recommendation for him but knows he has no time for flirtations, therefore recommends him to be introduced to the Count de [Minnery] - an Italian of great taste in drawing. She will provide other letters as required. He adds "What you report to me from Mrs Opie would absolutely make me vain, were I mot aware that some of my friends are partial to me & my beauty too!" He claims not to have committed "the folly" yet as he has seen nothing but artists and literary men but won't promise not to be guilty of it. Handwritten, 3 sides. Dated 14th Brumaire (5 November) 1802
Letter from William Manning to Thomas Manning asking him to consider carefully his plan of going to China and the friends in England that he will leave behind. He gives family news, writes that he has harvested and is thinking of taking a fishing licence. Handwritten, 3 sides. Dated in a different hand 24 August 1803
Letter from Thomas Manning to William Manning from Paris. He is being detained in Paris and is cross as the "old Kitchen tongs", but hoping to be able to go back to Serrant. The weather is very dry and the Seine low. There are few English in Paris "We are exceedingly well off as prisoners... Let us hope there will shortly be a peace". Building works are being carried out in Paris and other parts of the Empire; the Venus de Medicis has arrived. Handwritten, 3 sides. Dated 14th September, 1803
Letter from Thomas Manning to William Manning from Chateau de Serrant. He writes that he has been given permission to return to Serrant but not to leave the country, suggesting that English men are detained in France so they may not join the military. He will try to leave France, some people are given permission to travel in other parts of the Empire. He mentions a letter from his brother, William, with praise of one of Thomas' friends. Handwritten,3 sides. Dated 21 October, 1803
Letter from Thomas Manning to William Manning from Paris. He is sending the note by private hand; he still hasn't heard from his father. He is in good health and permitted to remain in Paris. Handwritten, 1 side. Dated 28 February 1804
Letter from Thomas Manning to William Manning from Macao. He writes on 20 June, 1807, that he had travelled to Macao down the river in junks for two people and his companion was George Staunton. Since arriving in Macao he has been absorbed with mathematics and a train of thought concerning equations, so much so that he has not been out and is only stopping to write the letter because he had heard that a boat was leaving for Bombay. The letter continues on 1 July saying he had just received a letter from (Charles) Lamb. He then proceeds with instructions on how best to send letters. Manning finishes with a postscript declaring himself "vext and mortified" because the boat that had brought Lamb's letter had brought many for other Englishmen but not for him. Handwritten, 3 sides. Dated 20 June - 1 July 1807.
Letter from Thomas Manning to William Manning from Canton. He has finally received a letter from his father along with one from his brother, Edward, and another from Crabtree. However much of the letter is taken up with complaining about not receiving letters and trying to explain how best to send Mail to him. He writes that he was downhearted at Christmas but joined in the festivities at New Year. He is sending Mr Woodward "some curious seeds by the Sealeby Castle under the care of G. Staunton". He is sending his father some "supernaculum tea for the rectory". It is directed to Mr Lamb who will pay the duty and then Edward can pay him. Handwritten, 4 sides. Dated 6 January 1808
Letter from Thomas Manning to William Manning from Canton. Manning writes about the disappointment in not receiving letters but that he had one from his father and one from his brother, Edward, with a copying machine. He has sent Mr Woodward and Mr Wilkins some onion seeds in the care of George Staunton. He has written several times and hopes they are not lost. He has an upset stomach and has ordered congee - a rice gruel. He is generally in good health. He resumes the letter the next day after the Alfred had docked and was pleased to have received post including from his father dated November 1806. He had a letter from Robert Thomson, a Scot settled in France and translator of La Fontaine's stories. He recounts an episode when in France of acting on Thomson's behalf to become an English teacher at a premier French college. He then writes that he is about to embark on a trip to Cochinchina (south Vietnam). He is going with the Company boats who will put him down at Turon (Da Nang) and if he is received favourably will stay there for a month. But if the Mandarins or the Frenchmen at the Cochinchina court would "rather have my room than my company" he will stay aboard the Company boat or return to Macao with the Portuguese expedition. He considers those of Cochinchina as half civilised vagabonds but wants to compare the language with Chinese and also to see whether he could be employed by the court as Physician in a Cochinchina Embassy to Pekin. he has other plans but will not commit them to paper. He admits he is not good at belonging to institutions otherwise he might have been employed by the Honorable Company. He has petitioned to the Mandarins that he may go to Pekin to feel the Emperor's pulse and teach him to calculate eclipses. He thinks this will not happen because the English in India's fame spreads too fast for Asiatic potentates. He then writes of his opinion of the French and English at war. Handwritten, 4 sides. Dated 12 February 1808