Diplomatic Text
Deal
June 11: 1779
I received your kind letter My dear
Miʃs Hamilton at Tunbridge,[1] & that I have not
answered it till now, has proceeded from want of
power, not inclination. In the life of perpetual
motion in which my beloved friend & I have
been engaged ever since we left London, very
little has been the liesure we cou'd get, & I found
all I cou'd get really neceʃsary to be spent in
resting my fatigued spirits. I have all the
time enjoyed the happineʃs of finding that
my dear Mama's health has not suffered by
the journey which she so kindly undertook
for the benefit of mine. We have travelled
thro' a very fine country, quite in the sublime
stile; particularly from Tunbridge to Arundel.
One scene tho' I can think of it now with
pleasure, was at the time rather too sublime
for me. It presented itself to us a few miles on
this side Steining[2], where we slept in our way
to Arundel. We found our selves just at the
last stage of the setting sun (without at all
all knowing how far we had to go to the place
of our destination) on an immense wild heath,
as romantick as high hills & precipices cou'd
make it, no one living creaturething either of the brute
or human creation disturbed the solitude of this
place: to add to the solemnity the evening was
very black, except that just before us the setting
sun mixed some stripes of a bloody coloured red
with the purple-ish black of the clouds. We travelled
thus for a mile or two, uncertain of our road
till we came to a dreadfull steep hill, & as we went
down it, percieved by the very little light we
had left, as even the gloomy red had then
deserted us, the ruins of bramber Castle, on
a very steep bank, at the foot of which the
road was. This hill however all steep & frightfull
as it was, brought us safe to Steyning; & we
proceeded next day to Arundel castle, thro' a
beautifull & romantick road. I took two views
of the Castle; as I have done of one or two
places, more, which I will show you when we
meet, & finish any one for you that you
may like. To give discriptions of the places
we have seen, wou'd make a volume of my
letter, I must therefore say no more of it, till
I see you, which I intend shall be in a little
time, & shall be glad to know what days & time
you have to yourself at Kew. I feel very
sensibly my dear Miʃs Hamilton for your
your depreʃsion of spirits. No creature
can be more attached than I am to the privilege
of sspending one's live in the manner, & with
the people of ones choice, & I can not help
grieving whenever a mind like yours is so
situated as to be deprived of that privilege.
Yet surely my dear Miʃs Hamilton your situation
for one of any restraint, has more circumstances
to sweeten it, than almost any other where
unbounded liberty can not be had. You are
placed where your virtues may be of great
useextensive use to those under your care, who I
fear too seldom meet with characters of real
honesty, & integrity; this consideration I know
will have its weight with you. You have also
the comfort of being esteemed as you deserve, by
one whose esteem if report says true, is not
desirable only from her high situation, but
still more from her amiable qualities.
Consider also that when in town, except as
has lately accidentally happened, you are by
no means excluded from the society of
those you love. Your situation at Kew is not
I suppose equal to that in town, but even
there if you have an advantage which
every one has not; that of poʃseʃsing
accomplishments which serve to make
your liesure moments paʃs agreeably, by which means
you are not under a neceʃsity of seeking
company unsuitable to your disposition rather
rather than be alone. Do not for all this
think me unfeeling, I wou'd only wish you to
follow a maxim my dearest Mama has
endeavoured to teach me, of looking always
on the bright side of things. Your situation
my dear Miʃs Hamilton certainly has a bright
side, forgive me for trying to place it before
you. You enquire after my village. Mrs
OKeeff whose story I believe you know, is to
be the superintendant of it. She is to have
25£ pr year, coals, milk, & garden stuff,
to be found her. One of her children is to
live with her. You shall know how we go
on, when this arrangement has taken place
which will be the first of next month.
Our dearest Mrs Carter sends her affect
love to you. If you wish to be sure you
poʃseʃs it, & will trust to my knowledge
of her sentiments you may depend on it,
as she always mentions you with great
esteem & affection. She intended to have
enclosed a few lines to you, but an ill
natured fit of the head ake prevents
her. Adieu try to be chearfull, Believe
me ever Yrs Affectly
M Sharpe.
If you write next
week direct here if not to Mill Hill.
red text is normalised and/or unformatted in other panel)
Normalised Text
Deal
June 11: 1779
I received your kind letter My dear
Miss Hamilton at Tunbridge, & that I have not
answered it till now, has proceeded from want of
power, not inclination. In the life of perpetual
motion in which my beloved friend & I have
been engaged ever since we left London, very
little has been the leisure we could get, & I found
all I could get really necessary to be spent in
resting my fatigued spirits. I have all the
time enjoyed the happiness of finding that
my dear Mama's health has not suffered by
the journey which she so kindly undertook
for the benefit of mine. We have travelled
through a very fine country, quite in the sublime
style; particularly from Tunbridge to Arundel.
One scene though I can think of it now with
pleasure, was at the time rather too sublime
for me. It presented itself to us a few miles on
this side Steining, where we slept in our way
to Arundel. We found our selves just at the
last stage of the setting sun (without at
all knowing how far we had to go to the place
of our destination) on an immense wild heath,
as romantic as high hills & precipices could
make it, no one living thing either of the brute
or human creation disturbed the solitude of this
place: to add to the solemnity the evening was
very black, except that just before us the setting
sun mixed some stripes of a bloody coloured red
with the purple-ish black of the clouds. We travelled
thus for a mile or two, uncertain of our road
till we came to a dreadful steep hill, & as we went
down it, perceived by the very little light we
had left, as even the gloomy red had then
deserted us, the ruins of bramber Castle, on
a very steep bank, at the foot of which the
road was. This hill however all steep & frightful
as it was, brought us safe to Steyning; & we
proceeded next day to Arundel castle, through a
beautiful & romantic road. I took two views
of the Castle; as I have done of one or two
places more, which I will show you when we
meet, & finish any one for you that you
may like. To give descriptions of the places
we have seen, would make a volume of my
letter, I must therefore say no more of it, till
I see you, which I intend shall be in a little
time, & shall be glad to know what days & time
you have to yourself at Kew. I feel very
sensibly my dear Miss Hamilton for
your depression of spirits. No creature
can be more attached than I am to the privilege
of spending one's life in the manner, & with
the people of ones choice, & I can not help
grieving whenever a mind like yours is so
situated as to be deprived of that privilege.
Yet surely my dear Miss Hamilton your situation
for one of any restraint, has more circumstances
to sweeten it, than almost any other where
unbounded liberty can not be had. You are
placed where your virtues may be of great
extensive use to those under your care, who I
fear too seldom meet with characters of real
honesty, & integrity; this consideration I know
will have its weight with you. You have also
the comfort of being esteemed as you deserve, by
one whose esteem if report says true, is not
desirable only from her high situation, but
still more from her amiable qualities.
Consider also that when in town, except as
has lately accidentally happened, you are by
no means excluded from the society of
those you love. Your situation at Kew is not
I suppose equal to that in town, but even
there you have an advantage which
every one has not; that of possessing
accomplishments which serve to make
your leisure moments pass agreeably, by which means
you are not under a necessity of seeking
company unsuitable to your disposition
rather than be alone. Do not for all this
think me unfeeling, I would only wish you to
follow a maxim my dearest Mama has
endeavoured to teach me, of looking always
on the bright side of things. Your situation
my dear Miss Hamilton certainly has a bright
side, forgive me for trying to place it before
you. You enquire after my village. Mrs
OKeeff whose story I believe you know, is to
be the superintendent of it. She is to have
25£ per year, coals, milk, & garden stuff,
to be found her. One of her children is to
live with her. You shall know how we go
on, when this arrangement has taken place
which will be the first of next month.
Our dearest Mrs Carter sends her affectionate
love to you. If you wish to be sure you
possess it, & will trust to my knowledge
of her sentiments you may depend on it,
as she always mentions you with great
esteem & affection. She intended to have
enclosed a few lines to you, but an ill
natured fit of the head ache prevents
her. Adieu try to be cheerful, Believe
me ever Yours Affectionately
Mary Sharpe.
If you write next
week direct here if not to Mill Hill.
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 Sharpe (later Beauvoir) to Mary Hamilton
Shelfmark: HAM/1/22/10
Correspondence Details
Sender: Mary Beauvoir (née Sharpe, later Douglas)
Place sent: Deal
Addressee: Mary Hamilton
Place received: Kew (certainty: medium)
Date sent: 11 June 1779
Letter Description
Summary: Letter from Mary Sharpe to Mary Hamilton. The letter relates to Sharpe's journey (see HAM/1/22/9). She writes that, since leaving London, her life as been one of almost 'perpetual motion'. She is happy that the journey has not affected the health of her 'mama' [Elizabeth Carter], who has only undertaken the journey on her behalf.
Sharpe also writes of Hamilton's situation at Court and of her unhappy 'spirits' at not being able to spend her time as she pleases. Sharpe attempts to stress to Hamilton the positive situation that she is in. That she is in a place where her 'virtues may be of great [...] use to those under [...] [her] care, who I fear too seldom meet with characters of real honesty, & integrity'. Hamilton also has the comfort of being 'esteemed' by the Queen. She also notes that when Hamilton is in London, she has access to the society of those she holds dear. Her situation in Kew is not equal to that of London but even there she must 'have an advantage which every one has not'. Sharpe does not want to seem unfeeling towards Hamilton's situation but wishes that she will follow the 'maxim [...] [her] dearest Mama has endeavoured to teach me, of looking always to the bright side of things' and that Hamilton's situation certainly is bright.
The letter continues with news relating to Sharpe's village and Mrs Carter, who had intended to add a few lines to this letter but is ill with a headache.
Dated at Deal, [Kent].
Length: 1 sheet, 897 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: XML version first created without transcription as part of project 'Unlocking the Mary Hamilton Papers', funded by the Arts & Humanities Research Council under grant AH/S007121/1. Transcription added after the funded period under the supervision of David Denison and Nuria Yáñez-Bouza.
Transliterator: Pete Morris, Artificial Intelligence and Ideas Adoption (AIIA), The University of Manchester Library (Plain text transliteration submitted 22 May 2025)
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: 7 April 2026
