Diplomatic Text
Bath 1789 --
31 July when I called upon Mrs. Rundell, this morning I found her with
most of her children about her & an upper Maid -- she was reading to them a religi
-ous story & at the concluʃion she read a few prayers -- She said “I was the only man
who would join with them” -- We have had an uncommonly wet day -- the rain began
soon after 8 and continued without intermiʃsion till past 3, and was succeeded
by a prodigious high wind -- 1 August/ I was a considerable time irresolute
this morning & could not determine whether to go to pickwick[1] or Bristol as
the Clouds were lowering & threatened us with another deluge at last I decided
for the former as I thought it not improbable but I might find a Letter from
you at my return -- I met miʃs Charlotte Isted who was riding out upon
busineʃs to a little village, she desired me to go on & she wd. return soon & go with
me to Mr. Methuen's -- I met Mrs. & Miʃs Isted in the Street Catering[2] -- & was pleased
with my coming, as they fully expected me & had made a suitable calculation
in the provision for the day -- this was lucky -- I should have spent this day
very pleasantly but for an ill natured Headache, which almost prevented my
looking up at the Pictures, it came on before 12 & continued till 9, I dont recol-
lect to have had such an one before -- there are some charming pictures indeed --
but I could not enjoy them, I was so distracted with pain -- we staid an hour and
half & returned to pickwick -- one portrait I must now mention, of Mr. Methuen's
Son by Gainsborough[3] -- which is the best picture & the strongeʃt likeneʃs that
ever was taken of your Husband -- Miʃs I. pointed it out to me & I thought it
ridiculously like -- but upon a little larger scale -- I am very much pleased
with Mrs. Isted -- Miʃs I. who has a great deal of unpleasant bluntneʃs, told me yt
she thought my visit was to the pictures & yt I took them in ye way.[4] I aʃsured her
that was not ye case, & to convince her that I meant to pay my respects to
them I would return to them the first opporty- whilst I was there Letters
came from Bath to inform them that Mr. Lockwood & Miʃs Jekyl, tired with his
Father's objections & Tardineʃs had plunged, like us, into matrimony, but
they have thrown themselves upon the mercy of a parent, who I am afraid
has very little feeling, & tho he can not deprive his Son of a good estate, yet he
may keep him on a scanty allowance, and even outlive him -- I believe there is a
great deal of merit in these young people & I feel much for them -- Miʃs
Lockwood was married last week pretty much in the same way[5] -- I left the
Isteds at ½ past 8 & rode very hard home in hopes that the exercise might
have the effect which it produced, for I was free from pain before I reached Bath --
I rode a beautiful Mare, a Hack, which had all the playful tricks of Madcap
2/ at my return last night I found a Letter & upon opening it found that
it contained one too you, from Mrs. Beavoir, who desired me to forward it to you
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------------------ I am just returned from Church where I heard a Sermon deli-
vered in so fine a manner & in a tone of voice so particularly affecting, that
every person was charmed & I hope equally edified with me (except my righthand
Neighbor who seemed comfortably asleep) -- the subject was the vanity of human
Wishes -- after the Close which was very fine & solemn -- the Major, who was
at some distance from me, Turned round to expreʃs the raptures he felt, and
I perceived, he was half in tears -- We both agreed that we never heard such
a sermon & delivered in such a manner as to make the deepest impreʃsion on
our minds before -- or as a piece of Oratory, nothing equal to it -- He said that
he never was so affected & entertained, & could have sat with delight for hours --
from the honesty of his heart he said “I wish the Marquiʃ of B.[6] had heard him --
surely his heart would have been affected, & he wd. have made this worthy curate
happy by bestowing a living upon so deserving a Man.” I am happy to add
that his character is not only unexceptionable but truly estimable --
after dinner I called upon the Isteds -- found Miʃs Harriet at Mrs. Mary's
where I staid half an hour -- at 6 Major M. & I went for half an hour to
Lady Huntindon's Chapel -- I have read the first Volume of Mrs.
Piozzis tour -- & am astonished at the Vulgarity of the Language
I made an extract out of her ode to Society in which She notices ye manners
of different Countries -- & here it is --
Or if to wiser Britain led,
Your vagrant Feet desire to tread
with measured step and anxious care
The precincts pure of Portman square
While wit with elegance combined,
And polished manners there you'll find
The taste correct -- and fertile mind
Remember vigilance lurks near
And silence with unnotic'd sneer
Who watches but to tell again
Your foibles with tomorrow's pen
Till titt'ring malice smiles to see
Your wonder -- grave Society -- [7]
Speaking of the friendlineʃs of
Lizards to the human race, she
says “I have met many vipers
and so few Lizards it is surprising,
but they will not live in London --
She gives a pleasant Account
of her travels & seems inchanted
with Venice -- she frightens me
with her Account of ye Muskitoes
& Buggs -- they would devour me
well I should like to risk my body
notwithstanding the certainty of
being Tormented -- [8] 3/ You are a perverse Creature -- after writing
me a scrap of figitts about me -- you have not sent me a word of consolation
I would not go to Bristol this morning in hopes of receiving a Letter from you
& have put off my little Tour till tomorrow -- I have just been spending
an hour with Mrs. Holroyd -- She told me that She wrote yesterday to Mrs.
Trinet, mentioned my being here & told her that I was a very odd --
excentrick young man -- for I seemed to love my Wife as well as ever &
never appeared so happy as when I was talking of her -- She told me
two or three Anecdotes of Mr. Bowdler's exceʃsive Vanity and was very
pleasant -- I have since called upon Mrs. Rundell She ------------------
------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------
------ you ------------------
She had any ------------------------ said was ------------------
We have lovely fine weather these three last days -- And
I aʃsure my health is as well as your affectionate heart
can poʃsibly wish -- it is not unlikely but I may stay a
week extraordinary for I hear Mrs. Ga[rr]ick is coming here
in a bad state of health & that Miʃs M[o]re is to meet her
I think it not unlikely but I may be introduced to Mr.
Wilberforce, who is here -- but that is all conjecture, I expreʃsed
a wish, this morning to Mrs. Holroyd. & I know I am a favorite
of her's -- this Evening I shall drink Tea with Mrs. Rundell
and go for an hour to Mrs. Hartley's -- You never saw me look
so clear, I have some small pritensions to a Colour & am in
very good spirits, except when I think of our separation &c. &c. wch.
I drive away as soon as poʃsible -- for I am satisfied that an hours
recollection & thought of things past & paʃsing has destroyed the
good effects of the waters for the preceding week -- Mrs. Isted said
“a bilious Man like you shd. never be separated from his Wife who
is so dear to him -- the Waters would have been of infinitely more
more service had she been with you” This is certainly very true
& hard is our Fate that we cannot enjoy ourselves as we might do -- my
agreeable Major is very much in a similar situation --
What horrid Accounts from France -- and too many per-
fectly true -- the history of the world does not give information
of such savage barbarities being ever committed by a Nation
even in a state the most rude & uncivilized -- but for a people so en-
lightenined as the French & who have boasted so much of their libera
lity of Sentiment -- to be guilty of such premeditated cruelties
is amazing -- one would suppose that hell was let loose & that the country
teemed with Infernal Spirits -- These commotions will not
be settled so easily I am afraid as the Patriots expect --
Mrs. Hartley has just sent me an invitation -- I know the party
that is to be there, & intended to go -- She is very good to me, & longs to be
acquainted with You --
[9]
[10]Tell Mr. D—— that I shall ruin him -- Adieu
My ever dear Mary --
I am most Affy & ardently Your own
J.D——
Louisa must have Kiʃses in abundance -- papa loves her dearly.[11]
red text is normalised and/or unformatted in other panel)
Notes
1. Present-day Corsham (Wiltshire).
2. ‘To buy or provide food’ (OED s.v. cater v. 1b. Accessed 13-08-2020).
3. Corsham House (now Corsham Court) was owned by Paul Methuen (1723-1795) and well known for its collection of paintings. Gainsborough painted portraits of Paul's son, Paul Cobb Methuen, and his wife Matilda, née Gooch.
4. See HAM/1/2/23; the Isteds had decided to take a house in Pickwick for the summer, and planned a trip to Paul Methuen's with John Dickenson.
5. Frances Dorothy Lockwood married Charles Drummond on 26 July 1789.
6. Thomas Viscount Weymouth was granted the title of Marquis of Bath in 1789 (The London Gazette, 15 August 1789, p.550).
7. This quotation from Piozzi's Journey is written in a column on the left-hand side of the page.
8. Dickenson's commentary on Piozzi's Journey is written in a narrow column to the right of the quotation, apart from the two words ‘being Tormented’, which begin a full-width line across the foot of the page.
9. The middle of the page containing the address has been torn away.
10. The remainder of the letter is written upside down at the bottom of the page.
11. This postscript to Louisa is written as an inward spiral, with a circle of dots around it to indicate where she should kiss the paper (cf. HAM/1/2/17 p.2 n.3).
Normalised Text
Bath 1789 --
31 July when I called upon Mrs. Rundell, this morning I found her with
most of her children about her & an upper Maid -- she was reading to them a religious
story & at the conclusion she read a few prayers -- She said “I was the only man
who would join with them” -- We have had an uncommonly wet day -- the rain began
soon after 8 and continued without intermission till past 3, and was succeeded
by a prodigious high wind --
1 August/ I was a considerable time irresolute
this morning & could not determine whether to go to pickwick or Bristol as
the Clouds were lowering & threatened us with another deluge at last I decided
for the former as I thought it not improbable but I might find a Letter from
you at my return -- I met miss Charlotte Isted who was riding out upon
business to a little village, she desired me to go on & she would return soon & go with
me to Mr. Methuen's -- I met Mrs. & Miss Isted in the Street Catering -- & was pleased
with my coming, as they fully expected me & had made a suitable calculation
in the provision for the day -- this was lucky -- I should have spent this day
very pleasantly but for an ill natured Headache, which almost prevented my
looking up at the Pictures, it came on before 12 & continued till 9, I don't recollect
to have had such an one before -- there are some charming pictures indeed --
but I could not enjoy them, I was so distracted with pain -- we stayed an hour and
half & returned to pickwick -- one portrait I must now mention, of Mr. Methuen's
Son by Gainsborough -- which is the best picture & the strongest likeness that
ever was taken of your Husband -- Miss Isted pointed it out to me & I thought it
ridiculously like -- but upon a little larger scale -- I am very much pleased
with Mrs. Isted -- Miss Isted who has a great deal of unpleasant bluntness, told me that
she thought my visit was to the pictures & that I took them in the way. I assured her
that was not the case, & to convince her that I meant to pay my respects to
them I would return to them the first opportunity whilst I was there Letters
came from Bath to inform them that Mr. Lockwood & Miss Jekyl, tired with his
Father's objections & Tardiness had plunged, like us, into matrimony, but
they have thrown themselves upon the mercy of a parent, who I am afraid
has very little feeling, & though he can not deprive his Son of a good estate, yet he
may keep him on a scanty allowance, and even outlive him -- I believe there is a
great deal of merit in these young people & I feel much for them -- Miss
Lockwood was married last week pretty much in the same way -- I left the
Isteds at ½ past 8 & rode very hard home in hopes that the exercise might
have the effect which it produced, for I was free from pain before I reached Bath --
I rode a beautiful Mare, a Hack, which had all the playful tricks of Madcap
2/ at my return last night I found a Letter & upon opening it found that
it contained one to you, from Mrs. Beavoir, who desired me to forward it to you
I am just returned from Church where I heard a Sermon delivered
in so fine a manner & in a tone of voice so particularly affecting, that
every person was charmed & I hope equally edified with me (except my righthand
Neighbour who seemed comfortably asleep) -- the subject was the vanity of human
Wishes -- after the Close which was very fine & solemn -- the Major, who was
at some distance from me, Turned round to express the raptures he felt, and
I perceived, he was half in tears -- We both agreed that we never heard such
a sermon & delivered in such a manner as to make the deepest impression on
our minds before -- or as a piece of Oratory, nothing equal to it -- He said that
he never was so affected & entertained, & could have sat with delight for hours --
from the honesty of his heart he said “I wish the Marquis of Bath had heard him --
surely his heart would have been affected, & he would have made this worthy curate
happy by bestowing a living upon so deserving a Man.” I am happy to add
that his character is not only unexceptionable but truly estimable --
after dinner I called upon the Isteds -- found Miss Harriet at Mrs. Mary's
where I stayed half an hour -- at 6 Major Murray & I went for half an hour to
Lady Huntindon's Chapel -- I have read the first Volume of Mrs.
Piozzis tour -- & am astonished at the Vulgarity of the Language
I made an extract out of her ode to Society in which She notices the manners
of different Countries -- & here it is --
Or if to wiser Britain led,
Your vagrant Feet desire to tread
with measured step and anxious care
The precincts pure of Portman square
While wit with elegance combined,
And polished manners there you'll find
The taste correct -- and fertile mind
Remember vigilance lurks near
And silence with unnotic'd sneer
Who watches but to tell again
Your foibles with tomorrow's pen
Till titt'ring malice smiles to see
Your wonder -- grave Society --
Speaking of the friendliness of
Lizards to the human race, she
says “I have met many vipers
and so few Lizards it is surprising,
but they will not live in London --
She gives a pleasant Account
of her travels & seems enchanted
with Venice -- she frightens me
with her Account of the Mosquitos
& Bugs -- they would devour me
well I should like to risk my body
notwithstanding the certainty of
being Tormented -- 3/ You are a perverse Creature -- after writing
me a scrap of fidgets about me -- you have not sent me a word of consolation
I would not go to Bristol this morning in hopes of receiving a Letter from you
& have put off my little Tour till tomorrow -- I have just been spending
an hour with Mrs. Holroyd -- She told me that She wrote yesterday to Mrs.
Trinet, mentioned my being here & told her that I was a very odd --
eccentric young man -- for I seemed to love my Wife as well as ever &
never appeared so happy as when I was talking of her -- She told me
two or three Anecdotes of Mr. Bowdler's excessive Vanity and was very
pleasant -- I have since called upon Mrs. Rundell She ------------------
------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------
------ you ------------------
She had any ------------------------ said was ------------------
We have lovely fine weather these three last days -- And
I assure my health is as well as your affectionate heart
can possibly wish -- it is not unlikely but I may stay a
week extraordinary for I hear Mrs. Garrick is coming here
in a bad state of health & that Miss More is to meet her
I think it not unlikely but I may be introduced to Mr.
Wilberforce, who is here -- but that is all conjecture, I expressed
a wish, this morning to Mrs. Holroyd. & I know I am a favourite
of her's -- this Evening I shall drink Tea with Mrs. Rundell
and go for an hour to Mrs. Hartley's -- You never saw me look
so clear, I have some small pretensions to a Colour & am in
very good spirits, except when I think of our separation &c. &c. which
I drive away as soon as possible -- for I am satisfied that an hours
recollection & thought of things past & passing has destroyed the
good effects of the waters for the preceding week -- Mrs. Isted said
“a bilious Man like you should never be separated from his Wife who
is so dear to him -- the Waters would have been of infinitely more
service had she been with you” This is certainly very true
& hard is our Fate that we cannot enjoy ourselves as we might do -- my
agreeable Major is very much in a similar situation --
What horrid Accounts from France -- and too many perfectly
true -- the history of the world does not give information
of such savage barbarities being ever committed by a Nation
even in a state the most rude & uncivilized -- but for a people so enlightened
as the French & who have boasted so much of their liberality
of Sentiment -- to be guilty of such premeditated cruelties
is amazing -- one would suppose that hell was let loose & that the country
teemed with Infernal Spirits -- These commotions will not
be settled so easily I am afraid as the Patriots expect --
Mrs. Hartley has just sent me an invitation -- I know the party
that is to be there, & intended to go -- She is very good to me, & longs to be
acquainted with You --
Tell Mr. D—— that I shall ruin him -- Adieu
My ever dear Mary --
I am most Affectionately & ardently Your own
John Dickenson
Louisa must have Kisses in abundance -- papa loves her dearly.
quotations, spellings, uncorrected forms, split words, abbreviations, formatting)
Notes
Metadata
Library References
Repository: John Rylands Research Institute and Library, University of Manchester
Archive: Mary Hamilton Papers
Item title: Journal-letter from John Dickenson to Mary Hamilton
Shelfmark: HAM/1/2/26
Correspondence Details
Sender: John Dickenson
Place sent: Bath
Addressee: Mary Hamilton
Place received: Taxal, near Chapel-en-le-Frith (certainty: medium)
Date sent: 3 August 1789
Letter Description
Summary: Journal-letter from John Dickenson to his wife Mary née Hamilton covering the period 31 July – 3 August 1789. The letter relates to Dickenson's time in Bath including a visit to Mrs Rundell and her family.
Dated at Bath.
Original reference No. 13.
Length: 1 sheet, 1542 words
Transliteration Information
Editorial declaration: First edited in the project 'Unlocking the Mary Hamilton Papers' (Hannah Barker, Sophie Coulombeau, David Denison, Tino Oudesluijs, Cassandra Ulph, Christine Wallis & Nuria Yáñez-Bouza, 2019-2023).
All quotation marks are retained in the text and are represented by appropriate Unicode characters. Words split across two lines may have a hyphen on the first, the second or both fragments (reco-|ver, imperfect|-ly, satisfacti-|-on); or a double hyphen (pur=|port, dan|=ger, qua=|=litys); or none (respect|ing). Any point in abbreviations with superscripted letter(s) is placed last, regardless of relative left-right orientation in the original. Thus, Mrs. or Mrs may occur, but M.rs or Mr.s do not.
Acknowledgements: Transcription and XML version created as part of project 'Unlocking the Mary Hamilton Papers', funded by the Arts & Humanities Research Council under grant AH/S007121/1.
Transliterator: Tino Oudesluijs, editorial team (completed July 2020)
Cataloguer: Lisa Crawley, Archivist, The John Rylands Library
Cataloguer: John Hodgson, Head of Special Collections, John Rylands Research Institute and Library
Copyright: Transcriptions, notes and TEI/XML © the editors
Revision date: 2 November 2021