Dear Miʃs Hamilton

      I lose no time in thanking you for your very obliging
letter of the 27^th. of September, and to inform you, that you
may depend upon receiving the Balance of your Account
entire early in the next month; I went to town yesterday
to settle that busineʃs with M^r. Huband; I aʃsure you
there has been no unneceʃsary delay, as the whole of your
money is not yet received from the Tenants, & that from
the great distreʃs of the Country I have not yet received
a shilling of my May Rents of my Lands in the Counties of
Kildare & Meath & that I shall be under the neceʃsity of
ejecting several of the Tenants.
      You may be aʃsured that I am highly sensible of the
confidence you have reposed in me with regard to the pur=
port of part of your letter, and that no improper use will
ever be made of the freedom you may think fit to use in
disclosing your sentiments to me upon any subject.
      It wou'd be a very long and tiresome detail to inform

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you minutely of my expectations & disappointments from a certain
quarter, all that I shall insist upon at present, is, that I am
persuaded there is no man living who had better founded
pretensions, resting upon the basis of royal Promises frequent=
ly repeated; how it has happen'd that I have derived so little
good from them, I will not pretend to account for; no impatience
on my part was ever improperly expreʃs'd & when the late L^d.
Warwick, many years ago had an audience of the K. on
my account, he was pleased to expreʃs his rembrance of me in such
terms as I cou'd have wish'd. I was under the neceʃsity of resigning
the honor of being Chaplain in Ordinary, having held it a certain
time, as my residence In Ireland made it extremely expensive
& inconvenient to me, for I had to return to Ireland annually
in the month of November. That this might not be look'd upon
as dismiʃsing myself & giving up all further expectations, my
B^r. S^r. W. H. at my particular desire made my resignation for
me, & explain'd my motives to the K.; this was about fifteen
years ago; to resume solicitations so long suspended, tho' my
B^r. aʃsured me, he mention'd me to his M——y when he was last
in England, seems to me to be an hopeleʃs undertaking, especially
as my ardor for worldly Things is now much abated, having

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nearly attain'd the age of 51 years. It seems to have been the
policy of Ministers to fill almost every department in this
Country with very low men, had I by chance been a Schoolmaster
or a Tutor in a great Family I might probably have been a
Bishop, for of such materials is that order here principally composed;
to be descended from noble ancestors inheriting from them sentiments
of honour & integrity with a respectable landed property if urged
as pretensions to favors wou'd produce nothing more than an answer
of contempt. Has he Parliamentary interest what can he do for
or against us? are the questions ask'd. It is hardly to be expected
that Persons of low & mean origin who have risen to high Stations
through worldly craft & servility shou'd have adequate ideas
of honour & dignity of sentiment which in the end are the best
for the interests of a State. I have had frequent thoughts
of making my appearance in London once more, upon the busineʃs
of renewing my solicitations, but have always dropp'd them
as I cou'd never so far deceive myself as to entertain hopes of
suceʃs. As I have been long forgotten as well as my pretensions
I shou'd be advised, I suppose, to proceed in form, by a Memorial,
which unleʃs presented & back'd by a Person of consequence,
wou'd have as little weight as the Petition of a mad

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Apothecary that I rember to have seen standing in the Antichamber
at S^t. James's. My D^r. Miʃs Hamilton it is full time to quit this
unpleasing subject, tho' I have fail'd of advancement in my
Profeʃsion I ought to be thankful for the many comforts I
enjoy, excellent health, admirable spirits, & a competency;
if added to these bleʃsings, I enjoy the esteem of those who
know me, an aʃsertion which can not come properly from
myself, you will not think me an unhappy being, I am
sure I shou'd be much affronted to be called so. I return
the letters you enclosed -- As your royal eléves are not
slow in attaining the stature of women I flatter myself
with the hopes, unleʃs you are honor'd with an additional
supply of them, that the time is not far distant when
you will be honor'd with some substantial mark of approba=
tion. M^rs. Hamilton desires to be remember'd to you I am
                             Dear Miʃs Hamilton,
                             Your Affectionate Uncle
                                                         Frederick Hamilton
Latour October 6^th. 1779.^[1]