Portrait of Captain John Everard folded into a letter sent to John Everard Esq, Mold [Flintshire]. Dated 1804 on the front panel, with a watermark for 1802. Folded sheet approx 36.5 cm x 23 cm when unfolded. Small tear to one edge from opening the letter on the wax seal.The portrait shows a corpulent figure with his hand tucked into his opened waistcoat, with the caption “Frontispiece” which might be intended as a pun on the Gentleman’s size. The letter refers to the first impression of a frontispiece to “his History wch. is now in the press & speedily will be published & corrected with notes and annotations by Mr Nightingale who received them from Mrs Shriyer with strong assurances of their authenticity having had them from Mr Evererd’s own mouth when his soul was open over the second bowl of Rum & w[ater] Macclesfield 13 June 1804”. This would appear to be an affectionate spoof portrait of John Everard, alluding to his size, and apparent predilection for talking ( telling his “history”) over glasses of Rum and water.