Wilton Lodge, 13th. October
                                                         1789.

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My Dear Sister,
      I would begin this Letter with
a Proverb, but knowing the Indigo tint of your
disposition, I am fearful of being sent to Chesterfield
for a rebuke. But, You are much satisfied
with my last letter!!! Three points of Admiration
are not sufficient to express my feelings at so
uncommon a declaration, & had it not been economy
, to save my paper, I should have made three
dozen. I proceed to answer your Questions -- not from
the dread of enraging You, for thank God your tongue
cannot reach me at this distance, & the laziness
of your fingers will not allow You to write me
a scold, but to prevent my having the trouble of
reading the same thing over again, should you
ever be tempted to epistolise me in future. In
the first place (since you dislike imprimis) Wilton Lodge
is 47 miles from Edinburgh. In the second place, I
have not sold my House there. In the third place,
I am to pay £5100 for my purchase the eleventh day
of next November, besides 6 or 700 which finishing
the house will cost Me. And lastly, Harriot no
longer lives with Me, for it would not do.
Leaving Edinburgh furnished a good reason, for a
separation which must have taken place.
The World know nothing of the matter, & neither party
are reflected on for parting. She likes to live
in Town, We like the Country. These subjects cannot
be fully written on, but I never would
advise any man to quarter his Sister on his
Wife. If they agree it is very well, but if they do

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not, the situation is most disagreeable, to be obliged
to take a part with a Wife against a Sister, or with
a Sister against a Wife. Harriot now occupies the
house in Edinburgh I lived in, when a Bachelor, where
I hope & trust she will be happy. Maria had
difficult cards to play. I became very sensible,
where the blame of disunion originated, & heartily
rejoiced when the disjunction took place. This history
is between ourselves.
      As to politics, I remain quiet. The
dissolution of Parliament will occasion the Horns
of the Snail to creep out. Happy & contented in my
family life, I do not flatter my Ambition with
much hopes of success, though the probability, of my
appearing at the Election with credit to my friends
& to myself, is pretty strong. But you must not
suppose, that if I fail at the General Election, I shall
start at every single Election afterwards. That I am
not entitled to do, either from my Rank in the Peerage,
or from my property in the Country. Where Sixteen
are to be chosen, accident may throw the choice on
Me, but vain as I may be, I have never wished
to start singly.
      Lady Cathcarts legacy has been paid
me, and her Executor Mr. Cosgrave sent me a
copy of the bequests. The Will was dated 23rd. March
1780, (when I was at Tewin Water) it begins with directions
for her Funeral. The bequests are as follows, viz. To
the poor of the Parish of Tewin £25. To her Grandson Francis
Lord Napier £200 Irish. To her Niece Valentine Malyn £200
Irish. To her Niece Frances Malyn £200 Irish. To the Revd-
Mr. Brown (an old friend) £100 Irish; To her God daughter
Frances Sabine £100 Irish. To Mrs- Caroline Sabine £100
Irish. To Mrs- A. Singleton of Grosvenor Street (I know nothing

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of her) £150, 3per Cent. Consols. To Mr. Richard Reynolds, his
wife Anne (formerly her Maid) his daughter Margery (who
always lived with her) and his Son Richard £50 each
3per Cent. Consol. To the said Margery Reynolds the further
Sum of £1000 Irish. To Mrs- Cheshyre (an old neighbour)
£100. To Mary, the wife of Arthur Warren Esqr- £100,
a Silver Tankard, Silver Mug, Two small Salvers &
½ a dozen Silver Table Spoons. (Mrs- Warren died before
the old Lady). To Mary Colly, her housekeeper, £100,
3per Cent Consols. and an annuity of £30 for life, all her
wearing Apparel, some furniture, half the household
Linen, a large Silver bread basket & three Table
Spoons. To Margery Reynolds, the other half of the
Household Linen, some furniture, a small
Silver bread basket & three silver Table Spoons.
To Sarah Pilgrim the Cook, all the goods, furniture
& Utensils in the Kitchen, back Kitchen, & Laundry, &
an Annuity of £20 for life. To Sarah Perrot the House
Maid, some furniture & £20. To Mary Williams the
Dairy Maid, all the Cows, Calves & Poultry, & everything
in the Dairy. And to the three last mentioned Maid
Servants all the goods & furniture in the Garrets.
To James Reilly & Phillip Reilly, Gardeners, £30 a piece &
to each a Saddle horse. To William Calver, postilion, a One
horse Chaise, Harness & a horse; & to the said William Calver
& John Tyler the errand Boy Ten Guineas each. To
her day labourers, all the sheep, hogs, pigs, the Ass &
foal, to be equally divided. To six poor old Women, three
Guineas each. The remainder of her fortune is bequeathed
by the Will to Mr. Cosgrave, who is likewise
named Sole Executor -- By a Codicil, dated 5th. October
1784, She confirms her Will dated in March
1780, except as to the alterations & additions following,

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To her Cousin John Loveday Esqr. of Caversham near
Reading, Berkshire, £100, & in case of his death before her,
to his Eldest Son. To the said John Loveday, her Diamond
Watch, Gold Chain & Diamond Equipage, & in case of
his death, to go to his Eldest Daughter. To the said John Loveday
, a Case with Silver handled Knives & forks & Spoons,
& a large Silver Salver. In case of his death to go to
his second Son. To Mary the wife of Arthur Warren
Esqr. an Annuity of £20 (Mrs- Warren died before Lady Cathcart).
To Mary Colly over & above what is given her by
the Will, £20. To all & every other Servant living
with her at her decease, £10 each. To Lawrence Reilly
nephew to Mrs- Colly, Ten Guineas. To Richard Reynolds
& Anne his Wife, over & above what is given them
in the Will, £20 each. To the Son Richard Reynolds
£100, over & above what is given him in the Will.
To Richard Reynolds & Anne his Wife, & to the longest
liver of them, an annuity of Forty Pounds during
their lives.
      These are all her legacies except
to some Servants, who from having quitted
her family, lost their right to receive them.
Mr. Cosgrove informs me that her funds consisted
of £8118..7..6 Irish Mortgage (£2000 of which
is disputed) & some Money in the funds, which
I believe not to exceed two or three thousand
Pounds, in which case, he will be no very
great gainer by the Executry. You will,
however, perceive the Cathcarts were never
once thought of. Indeed their behaviour to
her, for many Years, was far too magnificent
to please. When she married my Grandfather

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she had no Jointure settled on her, but on his
death, by our law, became entitled to one third
of his property, which she immediately gave up
to the late Lord. So scrupulous was she in retaining
any part of my Grandfathers property,
that I have seen his own receipt to her for
£300 for a pair of Diamond Earrings, which she
refused to accept on any other terms. I imagine
the Jewels, You allude to, were given to the late
Lady Cathcart, not to the present, if I remember
right, they composed a Diamond Solitaire.
My Mother got from her, an ornament for
the hair, at the same time, which I sold for
£50 or £60. The anecdote, I never heard before.
It is probably fact, though perhaps exaggerated.
The Baron was General C——n's, Aid de Camp; the
General, I consider to be at least half Mad.
He very possibly might have behaved rudely
to the Baron, but I dare say the holding the
stirrup was very accidental, if ever it happened
. Military people are sometimes severe,
on those, who may have been more fortunate
than themselves; & as you know, I am not unnecessarily
partial to the noble Baron, I think,
you will give me credit for not wishing to
extenuate the relation of Mr. Dickensons acquaintance
more than I really think probable.
      I rejoice to hear of Mr.
Dickenson's perfect recovery, & I hope, one
day or other, our families may meet.

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If ever we do; for the first day we shall
look prim, endeavouring by Lavaters rules
to discover, whether we are pickpockets or
not. Having tired of so silly an occupation,
we shall give way to the natural corruption
of our Nature, & our meeting will certainly
resemble the march of a Troop of Geese
from Lincolnshire. Much cackling, much
gabbling, all wishing to ask questions & none
waiting for an answer. N.B. This description is
not intended to include Mr. Dickenson I trust to
his rationality for bringing us back to
a proper behaviour. Your Louisa too,
will out-talk my Mary. By the bye, my
Son William is this day three Years old, &
exactly measures three feet. Those who
see the crown of his head, I flatter myself
do not see his height. Not that I wish
the poor fellow to be suspended in the Air.
      I can perfectly well account
for, the beginning of your letter, waiting from
the 16th- to the time of it's ending the 28th- September, without
possessing any strong degree of the spirit of divination
I have composed the colour of the Ink, & find
the whole idea to be a poetical fiction, to cover,
what in some people, I should call laziness &
indifference. Perhaps you may endeavour to frame
another apology, & I own it will please me to

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see the efforts of your ingenuity. I never was
at Parkgate, nor ever desire to be. It looks
towards Ireland, I therefore affectionate it not.
(The last half line, is a little Hannah Mooreish.
I not affectionate, it should have been). If
You come to this Country & wish to see ruined
Castles, we can show you many. Castles in ruins,
are likewise no rarity, & Castles in the Air,
thrive at Wilton Lodge, in as high perfection,
as in most other places. Though Grand Master Mason
of Scotland, I find it difficult to discover proper
foundations for those I build, but I perfectly
agree with the author of Candide & Mr. Pope (this
to show my reading) that, whatever is, is right.
Your incense was not incense to Me,
as the explanation was a direct attack on
my knowledge of the English language. I could
pun on the word for half an hour, but
that would cost you the price of a treble
Letter. You cannot grudge to pay double, as
the reading the old Lady's Will at Drs. Commons would
have cost you half a Crown. Adieu. Believe
Maria & myself sincerely attached to You
Mr. Dickenson & your Brat. I expect an
additional Brat to my number next Month.
Ever Your Affectionate friend & Brother
                                                         Napier.
P.S. Your Uncle Fredericks Son, I
thought a Noodle; perhaps he
remains so still.

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The Pechells returned to England last Spring, &
Charlotte has (since her arrival) produced a Son.
You may thank the Rain (which is incessant) for
the length of this Epistle. Nothing but the impossibility
of getting out of doors could ever have induced
me to scribble over two sheets of Paper. The
Tiviot is full to the very top of it's banks & my Cascade
is tumbling down in a torrent of froth & smoke.
These appearances are very beautiful, but my
Oats are spoiling. I have had one field cut
down for three weeks past, without being
able to bring the sheaves into the stack yard. This
is fine encouragement for a young Farmer.


                            
Mrs- Dickenson