71, Queen Street
                               10th. March 1807

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My Dear Sister,
      Your Letter of the 29th-
January has not been forgotten, though
it has not been replied to. The delay
in answering it, has been occasioned by
the hope of being able to tell You whether
Ministerial punishment was to be inflicted
on my Pocket, as well as on my Vanity.
It seems, however, that I am not to be
let into that Secret, as Lord Spencer has
not yet taken any Notice of the Letter, I
wrote to him, desiring to know if I was
again to be honoured with His Majesty
's Commands, as Commissioner to the
General Assembly, next May. I sent off
this Letter, on the 9th- February, a few days
after yours reached me. Several Lords are
talked of, as likely to get that Appointment,
viz. The Earls of Errol, Leven, Selkirk, & Lord
Semphill. That Lord Leven has applied
for it, I know; because, he has both
conversed & corresponded with me on
the Subject. Enquiries have, likewise, been
made, as to the Manner, in which, my
State Liveries are shaped, But, I have
not been able to discover, whether this
Curiosity proceeded from the Anxiety of
the Tailor, who applied to see them, or

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from the direction of a Superior. Thus
far I have learnt, that the Tailor who
called on my Clothier, was Foreman to
the person employed by Lord Errol. This,
however, proves nothing. The Report circulated
was, that I did not intend to ask to be re-appointed
, presuming that I was offended
at the manner, in which I had been driven
from Parliament. That I was so, is true. But,
it would have been Childish in me to revenge
their ill treatment on myself, by
voluntarily relinquishing £1000 per Annum.
If I am to lose it, Ministers shall have the
full Credit of taking it from Me. The
Chequered Votes, are explained thus. I have,
at a General Election, Sixteen Votes to give.
There are, perhaps, thirty Candidates. My political
Inclinations lean to a particular Party,
while, at the same time, from private
friendship I wish to vote for one or two
Individuals of the Opposite Party. I do so.
This disposes of one or two of my Votes, the
other fourteen, or fifteen, I give to Candidates
of my own party. Other Peers act in the same
way, and this puts it out of the possibility
of knowing how a General Election may
turn out, till the Votes are actually given. Five
Votes more than I had, would have secured
my Election, and had not the Earls of Elgin,
Stair, & Roseberry, the Lords Forbes, Somerville
& Rollo deserted me, I should have
carried my Election in spite of all the
Opposition of the present Ministers.

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Perhaps, You may have seen my Son William
's name in the Gazette, having assisted
at the demolition of a Fort, on the Coast of
his France. He is now on board the Imperieuse
with Lord Cochrane. They have lately returned
from their Cruise to Plymouth, where
the Ship is to be docked. I cannot condole
with You, on the death of Mrs- Hamilton,
The Cathcarts have put on their Sables,
but, have not mentioned the Event to
me, & have been equally silent on the Subject
. They go on very well with Us, and we
mutually exchange Dinners. I do not, however
, allow any Letters for me, to be sent
      under cover to him, nor have
      I ever asked him for a Frank.
      He has a numerous Correspondence,
      & the number of Franks are limited.
None, but one who has been in Parliament,
can conceive the Annoyance of being tormented
with Letters enclosed to them. It was a
constant source of trouble to myself, and
Servants, besides having very frequently
the pleasure of paying for these Packages,
on account of their being overweight.
      The Lay of the Last Minstrel must
please Me, “Ready, ay Ready”, for the Field.
As to your Gossips, I am the worst hand in the
World for. I believe, there are three Cathcart
Girls, none of them handsome, & four Boys.
As to the Greville Mansfields, I know nothing
of their Stock, & I make it a Rule,
to ask no Questions. A deputy Grand Daughter
of Countess Greville Mansfield, Miss Finch

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▼

▼

Hatton, is going to be married to a Brother
of Lord Hopetoun's, General Charles Hope, a
Son of my Uncle Hopetoun's by his third Wife.
Louisa is perfectly right, in taking Exercise,
As I neither ride, nor keep riding Horses, my
Misses are obliged to tramp on foot, none of
them seeming to have any particular relish
for going an Airing in the Carriage, for
which I do keep Horses, though they are hardly
ever used. I hear your old friend Mrs- Douglas,
alias Mrs- Beauvoir, alias Miss Sharp is defunct.
You will no more come to Edinburgh, than
I shall go to Japan. Adieu. My Wife joins me
in everything kind to You, Mr. Dickenson & Louisa.
My best wishes to my Countrywoman. Ever my
Dear Sister, Your faithful friend & affectionate
                             Brother
                                                         Napier



Mrs- Dickenson
      Leighton House
           Leighton Buzzard
                             Bedfordshire