Diplomatic Text
x 8
Typed To Lady Wake
Clarges Street
15th. Febry 1785
What excuse shall I make to you my Dearest
friend for so ununcommon a silence, it is true I
have been constantly engaged -- I never spend a whole
day at home & every Morning has been much taken
up wth. people coming to see me, this however wd.
not have prevented my finding time to write to
You -- but when I tell you that my Mind has been
in an uncomfortable unsettled state you will readily
believe that I had reasons for not writing -- I did
not like that you should find out that I was
unhappy -- & could I disguise my feelings to you?
But as the cause of my unhappineʃs no longer
exists I can now write to you with pleasure.[1]
I was sorry to hear from Dr. Lady Dartrey last night
that there could be no certainty of your coming to
Town as Sr. William was still too much of an
Invalid -- I suppose you know -- I went wth. Lady D——
to Texiers & that we were much pleased wth. his
Translation of ye. School for Scandal -- I also went
wth. her to see Mrs. Siddons in ye. Maid of Honor &
last night we went to see Macklin perform in
ye. Merchant of Venice & Love á la Mode, how
I wish you had been of ye. party You would have
been delighted to see this Stage veteren in his 85 Year
performingkeeping up these Characters to admiration --
See the power of love! what think you of that
sensible amiable Miʃs Cooper combating wth. him
for 8 or ten Years & at last forced to own his
sway publikly by marrying Monr. de Luc, he is
a fortunate man, I have no doubt but that she
will be happy as he is to my knowledge quite a
good creature; he will nurse her wth. ye. greatest
tenderneʃs -- & except when ye. Q or Madame S
requires his attendance never leave her a moment.
Miʃs Gunning is in great Beauty this Winter &
has been wonderfully well -- Bell is vastly ill, but
is so fortunate as to look in high Health, grow fat
& is able to support Balls Aʃsemblies Operas &c &c
night after night -- is not this an extroadinary
state of health -- for she has no appetite, no sleep
no spirits sufficient for existance -- you ask me
for folio letters -- did you see ye. Packets I am obliged
in charity to send into Derbyshire you would not
be so unreasonable -- Mr. D has had a thousand
vexations since we parted & he tells me my letters
(&c ought I not to give credit to what he says?) keep
up his spirits -- our affairs are going on -- but when
all matters will be settled God knows -- patience is
a great virtue & I hope Mr. D. will lay in such
a stock now that itas will serve him all his life.
Mrs. Vesey told me yesterday that Lady Clermont
told her that ye. Dʃs. of Devonshire was again Pregnant
& that she meant to lead a sober quiet life this
Winter -- If our People of ye. Bon-ton go on as they
have begun there will be a scarcity of them next
Year -- judge -- this week there are 5 Balls running each
to begin after great Aʃsemblies -- Almacks besides --
& 6 & 7 o'Clock in ye. Morning is ye. hour they break
up -- the P. selects & invites the Company either
from ye. Opera or an Aʃsembly -- I take care to keep
out of ye. way as I am not desirous of being one
of ye. chosen. -- You did not tell me whether
I might[2] put Your name down as a
subscriber to ye. Poor Milkwomans
Verses wch. are to be published this spring, pray
inform me -- ye. Sub: is a Crown. Mrs. Carter is
much as usual always tormented wth: an headach
we never meet without talking of you & she desired
when I wrote to send her affectionate love -- the
Glovers are all well -- the Dear old Man never fails
when I am there drinking your health. Lady
Stormont and her Children are well -- I live a great
deal at Lord Stormonts -- She leads ye. most exem-
plary life of any Young Woman of fashion in London
I think Lady Dartrey never look'd better than she has done
this Winter -- I fear she will lose themher good looks during ye. absence
of Lord D -- as she will have many apprehensions abt. him
-- Julia is delightful as to Temper -- manners &c &c but
she grows thin & & though in health appears very delicate, Master Dawson
is astonishingly tall & is a little encreased in bulk -- he grows
every day more & more like his late Brother. Mr. Antrobus
(tell Mr. C: this) is in perfect health & as lively as a Bird at
full liberty -- he looks ye. picture of happineʃs & good humour.
Are Dr. Mariannas complaints leʃsen'd? I must sincerely hope not only
▼
that they are but that her health is perfectly reestablish'd -- My
love to her. & Charlotte. have you detirmin'd abt. Charlotte? I say nothing on yt.
subject as I am not able to advise. remember me kindly to Sr. Wm. &
Mr. Wake -- Adieu -- do not punish me for having been so long
silent -- you know my Dearest friend how much I love You
& that my heart must cease to beat ere my affection for you can
be leʃsen'd. Ever Ever Your faithful & most afft. fd. M: Hamilton
[3]
Lady Wake
Courteenhall
near
Northampton[4]
[5]
red text is normalised and/or unformatted in other panel)
Notes
1. This comment possibly relates to the gossip and questions among Hamilton's friends and acquaintances about her long engagement, which seems to have been prolonged by John Dickenson Senior's reluctance to agree to the wedding taking place before he had made arrangements for his finances and property. See HAM/2/15/3 and Anson & Anson (1925: ch.17) for further details.
2. The paper around the beginning of this line and the next has been torn upon opening the seal; however, the missing paper still remains stuck to the sealing wax, at the end of the line.
3. Seal in red wax.
4. Moved address here from the middle of the page, written vertically.
5. Bishop mark in black ink, dated 16 February.
Normalised Text
Clarges Street
15th. February 1785
What excuse shall I make to you my Dearest
friend for so uncommon a silence, it is true I
have been constantly engaged -- I never spend a whole
day at home & every Morning has been much taken
up with people coming to see me, this however would
not have prevented my finding time to write to
You -- but when I tell you that my Mind has been
in an uncomfortable unsettled state you will readily
believe that I had reasons for not writing -- I did
not like that you should find out that I was
unhappy -- & could I disguise my feelings to you?
But as the cause of my unhappiness no longer
exists I can now write to you with pleasure.
I was sorry to hear from Dear Lady Dartrey last night
that there could be no certainty of your coming to
Town as Sir William was still too much of an
Invalid -- I suppose you know -- I went with Lady Dartrey
to Texiers & that we were much pleased with his
Translation of the School for Scandal -- I also went
with her to see Mrs. Siddons in the Maid of Honour &
last night we went to see Macklin perform in
the Merchant of Venice & Love á la Mode, how
I wish you had been of the party You would have
been delighted to see this Stage veteran in his 85 Year
keeping up these Characters to admiration --
See the power of love! what think you of that
sensible amiable Miss Cooper combating with him
for 8 or ten Years & at last forced to own his
sway publicly by marrying Monsieur de Luc, he is
a fortunate man, I have no doubt but that she
will be happy as he is to my knowledge quite a
good creature; he will nurse her with the greatest
tenderness -- & except when the Queen or Madame Schwellenberg
requires his attendance never leave her a moment.
Miss Gunning is in great Beauty this Winter &
has been wonderfully well -- Bell is vastly ill, but
is so fortunate as to look in high Health, grow fat
& is able to support Balls Assemblies Operas &c &c
night after night -- is not this an extraordinary
state of health -- for she has no appetite, no sleep
no spirits sufficient for existence -- you ask me
for folio letters -- did you see the Packets I am obliged
in charity to send into Derbyshire you would not
be so unreasonable -- Mr. Dickenson has had a thousand
vexations since we parted & he tells me my letters
(& ought I not to give credit to what he says?) keep
up his spirits -- our affairs are going on -- but when
all matters will be settled God knows -- patience is
a great virtue & I hope Mr. Dickenson will lay in such
a stock now as will serve him all his life.
Mrs. Vesey told me yesterday that Lady Clermont
told her that the Duchess of Devonshire was again Pregnant
& that she meant to lead a sober quiet life this
Winter -- If our People of the Bon-ton go on as they
have begun there will be a scarcity of them next
Year -- judge -- this week there are 5 Balls running each
to begin after great Assemblies -- Almacks besides --
& 6 & 7 o'Clock in the Morning is the hour they break
up -- the Prince selects & invites the Company either
from the Opera or an Assembly -- I take care to keep
out of the way as I am not desirous of being one
of the chosen. -- You did not tell me whether
I might put Your name down as a
subscriber to the Poor Milkwomans
Verses which are to be published this spring, pray
inform me -- the Subscription is a Crown. Mrs. Carter is
much as usual always tormented with an headache
we never meet without talking of you & she desired
when I wrote to send her affectionate love -- the
Glovers are all well -- the Dear old Man never fails
when I am there drinking your health. Lady
Stormont and her Children are well -- I live a great
deal at Lord Stormonts -- She leads the most exemplary
life of any Young Woman of fashion in London
I think Lady Dartrey never looked better than she has done
this Winter -- I fear she will lose her good looks during the absence
of Lord Dartrey -- as she will have many apprehensions about him
-- Julia is delightful as to Temper -- manners &c &c but
she grows thin & & though in health appears very delicate, Master Dawson
is astonishingly tall & is a little increased in bulk -- he grows
every day more & more like his late Brother. Mr. Antrobus
(tell Mr. C: this) is in perfect health & as lively as a Bird at
full liberty -- he looks the picture of happiness & good humour.
Are Dear Mariannas complaints lessened? I must sincerely hope not only
▼
that they are but that her health is perfectly reestablished -- My
love to her. & Charlotte. have you determined about Charlotte? I say nothing on that
subject as I am not able to advise. remember me kindly to Sir William &
Mr. Wake -- Adieu -- do not punish me for having been so long
silent -- you know my Dearest friend how much I love You
& that my heart must cease to beat ere my affection for you can
be lessened. Ever Ever Your faithful & most affectionate friend Mary Hamilton
Lady Wake
Courteenhall
near
Northampton
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: Letter from Mary Hamilton to Lady Mary Wake (née Fenton)
Shelfmark: HAM/1/8/8/21
Correspondence Details
Sender: Mary Hamilton
Place sent: London
Addressee: Lady Mary Wake (née Fenton)
Place received: Northamptonshire
Date sent: 15 February 1785
Letter Description
Summary: Letter from Mary Hamilton to Lady Wake. She writes asking what excuse can
she make for her long silence. She notes that she has been constantly
engaged each day and each morning her time is spent with people visiting
her but this would not have prevented her from finding time to write to
her. Her silence is the result of her mind being in an 'uncomfortable
unsettled state'. Hamilton did not wish Lady Wake to find out that she
was unhappy and she would not have been unable to hide her feelings. As
the cause of her unhappiness no longer exists she feels she can now
write.
Hamilton writes of friends and of going to see Mrs Siddons at the theatre
in the
Maid of Honour
,
the
School for Scandal
and Charles Macklin [Actor and playwright, c.1699-1797] in the
Merchant of Venice
. Hamilton
wished Wake was with her party to see this old 'veteran in his 85 year
keeping up these characters to admiration – see the power of love'.
Hamilton writes of news and gossip of friends and acquaintances. She
notes that Miss Gunning (see HAM/1/15) is 'in much beauty this Winter'
and is well. Whilst Bell [Gunning] is greatly ill and looks very healthy
and has been attending balls, assemblies and operas night after night.
'Is this not an extraordinary state of health – for she has no appetite,
no sleep, no spirits sufficient for existence'. Hamilton reports that Mrs
Vesey (see HAM/1/6/2) told her yesterday that Lady Claremont told her
that the Duchess of Devonshire [Cavendish, née Spencer], Georgiana,
duchess of Devonshire (1757-1806), political hostess]is pregnant again
and that she 'means to lead a sober quiet life this Winter'. Mrs Carter
[Elizabeth Carter], she reports is much the same and is suffering with an
headache. She tells Lady Wake that they never meet without talking of her
and Mrs Carter asks that Hamilton sends her 'affectionate love' when next
she writes. She writes that the Glovers are all well and the 'old man
never fails when I am there drinking your health'.
Hamilton provides a picture of the busy social life of her society and
notes that in this week alone there are five Balls remaining and each are
to begin after great assemblies and they can go on until 6 or 7 the
following morning. She reports that the P[rince] 'selects & invites
the Company either from the Opera or an assembly – I take care to keep
out of the way as I am not desirous of being one of the chosen'.
Hamilton reminds Lady Wake about a subscription of the Milk womans Verses
as they are to be published that Spring.
Hamilton ends her letter by asking Lady Wake not to punish her for her
long silence and asks to be remembered to her family.
Dated at Clarges Street [London].
Length: 1 sheet, 928 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: Christine Wallis, editorial team (completed 25 February 2021)
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: 19 December 2021