Diplomatic Text
Abbey Aprill 11th 17 - 70
its so long since I was favourd with my
Dear Miʃs Hamiltons obliging Letter that I'm almost
ashamed to acknowledge the Receipt of it but I trust
so much to your well known good Nature & justice
that I flatter myself theyll sugest to you that want
of power not inclination -- could ever cause my being
Sillent to a person I so much esteem & from whom
I am so Anxious to receive Accounts of your Pappa
& Mamma whom I hope are better now; than when
you wrote last. this is the time all Enemy's Shift their
Quarters: so I hope Mr Hamiltons Gout is by this
time disloged: pray tell me soon how you all do
both to Satisfie my Anxiety & in token that you
are not Angry with me! both the young folks &
I have been Ill with Violent Colds which are
quite Epidemicall -- Harriot is confined wt a Cough
& pain in her Cheast but begins to be better litle
Jane is distrest with Cutting Teeth -- but is a fine
Child, & would be a fine Play thing for you
the rest of your Cousins beg to be kindly remembred
to You Mr & Mrs Hamilton -- Mary sitts by me talking so
so fast that its odds if I dont insert some of her
Pratle: she asures me she remembers you all -- & has
by no means lost the remembrance of Mr Samuel & all
his Boys. -- I've just sent her Away & she desired her
compts to you all -- & says she'll come to see you one
day again -- I'm sure you'll pity me when I tell
you that Mr Napier is upon his March with the
Regt: to Coventry & Warwick -- it was thought best for
the Children & me to remain here that the course
of their Education might not be Interupted -- I willingly
make that or any other Sacriffice for their good
but I asure you its makeing a very great one not
to accompany Mr Napier as being with him did more
than compensiate for all the Disadvantages attendant
on my hitherto moveable Situation -- & to him who
is so much a familly Man; its no leʃs disagreeable
we have however agreed that he's to paʃs half the
year here the other half with the Regt: & as Winter
is the gloomiest time we chose to be together then
to make it paʃs more Agreeably -- so I expect him again
in Octr: while he was on The Wing I realy had
neither Spiritts nor time for correspondance -- since he's been
gone I've been rather worse -- : & realy this is the first
day I have been able to Muster up resolution enough
to attempt a Letter to any body but himself -- as I
think when People are in the dismalls[1] their best way
is to be Sillent & not torment their Neighbours with it.
He was very Sorry his route did not admitt of his makeing
you a Visitt which he will gladly do whenever its in
his power perhaps they may be graciously pleas'd once
more to Quarter the Greys[2] at Northampton; judge if
you'll then see him after or Not? I dare say your
Pappa will join me in regreating the Loʃs of Jack
Hope's Ellection -- or rather of his Seat in Parlt: -- I have
not been at Hoptne: House[3] since -- but can gueʃs they
are as litle pleas'd as I am. Mr Napier had a
Letter from yr Uncle at Naples a litle beffore he
left this & I have heard since from a Relation
of ours who was there (& much obliged to their
Civility's) that yr Aunt & he are Well -- I have
not heard from Ruʃsia later than Janry: last our
friends there were Well & in good Spiritts then --
but knew no more of leaveing that Country than
when they went there -- . My Br: seldom writes to any
body! but is yr Aunt grown a better Correspondant
to your House than she was? tell me in your next
how your friends at Ipswich[4] go on. Your poor Babyl
:lonians will be quite Moapt for meer want of
Society of their own kind if they remove themselves
at this rate! I saw Miʃs Thursbys marriage in the
Pappers, the remaining Sister & Mother will now doubly
feell the want of Mrs Graehme -- . pray tell me how you go on
in your next & how you continue to paʃs the time in
your Stupid Town -- surrounded by the same dull sett
of Mortals? what is become of yr very fatt Neighbour
who made so very unsuccesfull an attempt to convince
me she could not Visitt; by comeing to the Card Aʃsembly[5]
but above all tell me about yourselves which is
what Interests me the most accept my best Wishes
& present them to your Pappa & Mama -- should any
of you come this way the Pleasure of Seeing you would
be very Sincearly felt by her who shall ever remain
My Dear Madam Your Affectionate Cousin
& most Obliged Humble Servt:
M A Napier.
I heard from Mr Napier
from Durham a few days
ago who was very well --
He is always much attatched
to you Mr & Mrs Hamilton
his Son is no leʃs so; he is very buʃsie
here wt a Variety of Masters & grows a
great Boy.[6]
red text is normalised and/or unformatted in other panel)
Notes
1. ‘Low spirits, the dumps, the ‘blues’’ (OED s.v. dismal n. A.5a. Accessed 09-08-2020).
2. The Royal Scots Greys, Napier's regiment, which traditionally rode grey horses.
3. A country house near South Queensferry, just west of Edinburgh. The land was acquired by the Hope family in the seventeenth century, and the house built around 1700.
4. Hamilton's Uncle Frederick and family; see HAM/1/4/7/23, /24, /25.
5. This is reminiscent of the arch comment about Mrs Betty Isted in HAM/1/19/4.
6. The postscript begins to the left of the signature.
Normalised Text
Abbey April 11th 1770
it's so long since I was favoured with my
Dear Miss Hamiltons obliging Letter that I'm almost
ashamed to acknowledge the Receipt of it but I trust
so much to your well known good Nature & justice
that I flatter myself theyll suggest to you that want
of power not inclination -- could ever cause my being
Silent to a person I so much esteem & from whom
I am so Anxious to receive Accounts of your Pappa
& Mamma whom I hope are better now; than when
you wrote last. this is the time all Enemy's Shift their
Quarters: so I hope Mr Hamiltons Gout is by this
time dislodged: pray tell me soon how you all do
both to Satisfy my Anxiety & in token that you
are not Angry with me! both the young folks &
I have been Ill with Violent Colds which are
quite Epidemical -- Harriot is confined with a Cough
& pain in her Chest but begins to be better little
Jane is distressed with Cutting Teeth -- but is a fine
Child, & would be a fine Play thing for you
the rest of your Cousins beg to be kindly remembered
to You Mr & Mrs Hamilton -- Mary sits by me talking so
fast that it's odds if I don't insert some of her
Prattle: she assures me she remembers you all -- & has
by no means lost the remembrance of Mr Samuel & all
his Boys. -- I've just sent her Away & she desired her
compliments to you all -- & says she'll come to see you one
day again -- I'm sure you'll pity me when I tell
you that Mr Napier is upon his March with the
Regiment to Coventry & Warwick -- it was thought best for
the Children & me to remain here that the course
of their Education might not be Interrupted -- I willingly
make that or any other Sacrifice for their good
but I assure you it's making a very great one not
to accompany Mr Napier as being with him did more
than compensate for all the Disadvantages attendant
on my hitherto moveable Situation -- & to him who
is so much a family Man; it's no less disagreeable
we have however agreed that he's to pass half the
year here the other half with the Regiment & as Winter
is the gloomiest time we chose to be together then
to make it pass more Agreeably -- so I expect him again
in October while he was on The Wing I really had
neither Spirits nor time for correspondence -- since he's been
gone I've been rather worse -- : & really this is the first
day I have been able to Muster up resolution enough
to attempt a Letter to any body but himself -- as I
think when People are in the dismals their best way
is to be Silent & not torment their Neighbours with it.
He was very Sorry his route did not admit of his making
you a Visit which he will gladly do whenever it's in
his power perhaps they may be graciously pleased once
more to Quarter the Greys at Northampton; judge if
you'll then see him after or Not? I dare say your
Pappa will join me in regretting the Loss of Jack
Hope's Election -- or rather of his Seat in Parliament -- I have
not been at Hopetoun House since -- but can guess they
are as little pleased as I am. Mr Napier had a
Letter from your Uncle at Naples a little before he
left this & I have heard since from a Relation
of ours who was there (& much obliged to their
Civilities) that your Aunt & he are Well -- I have
not heard from Russia later than January: last our
friends there were Well & in good Spirits then --
but knew no more of leaving that Country than
when they went there -- . My Brother seldom writes to any
body! but is your Aunt grown a better Correspondent
to your House than she was? tell me in your next
how your friends at Ipswich go on. Your poor Babylonians
will be quite Moped for mere want of
Society of their own kind if they remove themselves
at this rate! I saw Miss Thursbys marriage in the
Papers, the remaining Sister & Mother will now doubly
feel the want of Mrs Graehme -- . pray tell me how you go on
in your next & how you continue to pass the time in
your Stupid Town -- surrounded by the same dull set
of Mortals? what is become of your very fat Neighbour
who made so very unsuccessful an attempt to convince
me she could not Visit; by coming to the Card Assembly
but above all tell me about yourselves which is
what Interests me the most accept my best Wishes
& present them to your Pappa & Mama -- should any
of you come this way the Pleasure of Seeing you would
be very Sincerely felt by her who shall ever remain
My Dear Madam Your Affectionate Cousin
& most Obliged Humble Servant
Mary Anne Napier.
I heard from Mr Napier
from Durham a few days
ago who was very well --
He is always much attached
to you Mr & Mrs Hamilton
his Son is no less so; he is very busy
here with a Variety of Masters & grows a
great Boy.
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 Anne Napier to Mary Hamilton
Shelfmark: HAM/1/19/8
Correspondence Details
Sender: Lady Mary Anne Napier (née Cathcart)
Place sent: Edinburgh
Addressee: Mary Hamilton
Place received: Northampton (certainty: medium)
Date sent: 11 April 1770
Letter Description
Summary: Letter from Mary Anne Napier [later Lady Napier] to Mary Hamilton, conveying news of her family. William Napier is with his regiment but he thought it best that his family remain at home so as not to interrupt the children's education. She notes that she would sacrifice all for her children's good but she finds it a very hard sacrifice not to accompany her husband. Napier continues her letter on her husband and his regiment. She asks Hamilton how she spends her time in her 'stupid town – surrounded by the same dull set of mortals [and] what is become of y[our] very fat neighbour who made so very unsuccessful an attempt to convince me she could not visit'. Above all, she asks that she tell her about herself and her family.
Dated at Abbey [Edinburgh].
Length: 1 sheet, 898 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.
Research assistant: Emma Donington Kiey, former undergraduate student, University of Manchester
Transliterator: Lauren O'Connor, undergraduate student, University of Manchester (submitted 6 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