June 27 -- 1789 -- Bath
      The party to which I was invited consisted only of a Mr. & Mrs
Farmer -- sister to Lady Beaumont -- to whom she has a sickly, peevish
resemblance -- the Air was so cold, that the walk to Lincom & the
Strawberry eating was deferred -- we drank tea with Mrs. Rundell and
parted -- 28. yesterday I sent off a Letter to you -- this morning I
did not go out as I found it necessary to take Castor Oil -- at 7 I
went to Mrs. Hartley's -- Mrs. Orde came soon after me, & Mrs. Holroyd
was prevented from joining us -- I stayed till 9 -- and should have left
so agreeable, and so uncommon a Woman with extreme reluctance
if I had not received a general invitation to visit her -- She showed
us several beautiful drawings of a Mr. Pocock's who has taught
the young Ladies at Miss More's school for 9 Years -- He was originally
a captain of a Ship -- & had naturally a turn for drawing
upon receiving proper encouragement from Miss Mores he was
induced to prefer drawing Vessels to navigating them -- he is
now going to London -- where his genius will no doubt be
rewarded. -- Mrs. Hartley showed a drawing of her own which She
had done for him, as a return for several which he had given to
her -- She said, “he is the humblest of human beings -- , ” that, “he will
take one of Smiths drawings & copy it with infinite pleasure at
the same that in her Opinion he far excels him”, -- She read us two
very sensible letters from the younger Cox who is commenced a Travelling
Tutor & is now abroad with a young gentleman -- he described
a canton in Switzerland where the most perfect liberty & harmony
reigns amongst the inhabitants. The greatest simplicity of dress
& manners -- he happened to be at a feast held under the Shade
of an immense tree where there was music & dancing -- the fiddle
is not used there -- he said the music was so plaintive that it
had a very powerful Effect both upon him & his pupil -- from which he
concluded that it must affect the Natives still more; which no
doubt was the reason why the Swiss are never allowed, (when absent
from their own country) to tune their native strains -- lest it should
kindle that amor patriae, which has such a wonderful power
over their minds -- he related a story which I will give you as well
as I can recollect -- A woman of fortune in the Canton of Berne at the age of 76
having conceived a maternal affection for a young Man & wishing
to give him her fortune, married him -- she allowed no other connection
to take place, but sent for a beautiful young woman
to whom She knew the young man was attached -- upon a solemn
promise being mutually given between this young couple that
they would be lawfully married as soon as She died -- the young Woman
was taken into her house, where she lived as the Wife of
the young man & bore him 4 Children -- the extreme felicity of
this family was interrupted by malice or envy & totally destroyed
by an uncommon Instance of Tyranny in the magistrates of (what
is extolled as) a free State -- The Man, upon the discovery of the connection

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was compelled to put away the object of his Love which was almost the
immediate cause of her death -- The young Man destroyed himself -- The
good old Woman died shortly from excessive grief & despair and The poor
little orphans of this ill-fated connection were reduced to Beggary ==
last night we had a sharp frost with Hail Storms -- to day it has snowed
twice -- 29. I called upon Mrs. Holroyd, whom I found in her drawing room
where she has got a picture of Lord Sheffield by Sir Joshua Reynolds, which
was really a treat to me -- for I never saw a picture of any Master's that
pleased me more -- how happy I should be to have such a picture of
the dear Object of my Love -- I believe votre mari has been a little nervous
lately -- for I never felt so uncomfortable at being separated from you before
You are every instant before my Eyes -- I wish for you every moment & am
really unhappy to be without you -- I sincerely hope Nothing will ever
happen to remove me again to so great a distance from every thing
that is dear to me in this world & I hope the advantages that I
shall derive from my sejour at this place, will compensate to you for my
Absence -- I stayed up an hour with Mrs. Holroyd -- at 6 I went to Mrs. Orde's
& stayed an hour & half with her -- (She goes tomorrow to Sandleford) -- and
then went to Miss Milnes -- Mr. & Mrs. Vanbrugh, all alive, were there -- Miss
Nicolls -- Mrs. Meynell, Mrs. & Miss Isted, who reproached me for not having
called upon them -- The younger Mr. Isted, a sweet creature, Miss Milnes
younger Brother & about a dozen Card players whose names I did not
enquire, except one, who at the first glimpse, has a likeness of my dear Lady
De Vessie -- Miss Milnes gave me a friendly invitation to dine there on Wednesday
quite en famille -- She says She loves reasonable people, who are
great curiosities at Bath, & begs you will come here in the Winter -- Mr. Milnes
told me that a day or two ago he went upon the top of Gloucester Cathedral
to see the dismal sight of all the low lands in that Country & in Worcestershire
deluged with Water to an amazing extent -- one gentleman
at Tewksbury has had a 1000£ worth of Hay destroyed & the loss to the
whole country will be immense -- Mrs. & Miss Isted came away when
I did -- I attended the old Lady home & then Miss took my
Arm & I walked with her to Mrs. Bowdler's where She was to sup -- I
desired her to make enquiries about Miss Foster -- She returned to me
in the passage with a melancholy Account indeed -- “that Miss Foster by
the last Account was speechless & the faculty had pronounced that her
death must happen in a Week” -- This I fear will overset our
Friend / -- 30 -- After my Lessons I took up that infamous paper The
Herald in which was a most scandalous allusion to our worthy
King, under the title of Insanity -- & a paragraph mentioned that
Marchesi had been uncommonly noticed by Miss Hamilton, & it was
wonderful what means he could have made use of to gain such influence over
the fair -- I had promised Sally Nicolls to drink tea with her this afternoon -- about
5 O'Clock. I received a Note from her to say that She had just received a Letter, which
would hasten her departure from Bath -- & could not see me -- suspecting what
was really the truth, that my services would be absolutely necessary to her,
I posted away directly & found her in great confusion with all her
things about her & Mrs. Hocker giving every assistance -- Mrs- Hocker could
not stay & I was obliged to pack up most of Sally's Matters -- This

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diverted me excessively, for Sally's Maid is a stiff Methodist & I believe thought
it an Abomination that a Man should touch any part of a Womans dress
I repeatedly called for her Smickets. but I could hardly create a smile
Sally was pleased as neither She or her maid could have got half the
Clothes into a Trunk, which She did not buy till the last moment, I
left them to cram their odd matters as well as they could after I had
secured her Laces & best things properly -- like a great Simpleton
She had got no money but in Bath bank bills -- which would have
been of no use to her any where else -- & the Banks were shut --
I gave her change for two & with some trouble got the rest converted
into Cash -- though She was to go the next morning She
never thought of securing places in the Coach, which I was obliged
to do -- in short I had a great deal of running about for
this crazy Creature and was quite tired July 1st. This morning
I did not wake as soon as I wished, for though I made
all the haste that I could, Sally was off about a ¼ of
an hour before I got to the Inn -- which vexed me as
I had promised to see her before She set out -- Ingles called
upon me at 9 -- at one I called upon him & we walked about
The town for an hour -- I bathed last night in the corporation
Baths which are very pleasant. though more expensive
for the Weather is too cold to bathe in the morning -- I went
to Bed immediately -- & a profuse perspiration came on which
continued for a considerable, which I rather encouraged as I
have had pains in my limbs since the former bathing, which
I attribute to the coldness of the Atmosphere at that time
I dined at Mrs. Milnes's there was only one Lady, as the young
Man had taken one of flights & I believe is gone to Sweden. I
spent a very pleasant afternoon -- Miss Milnes told me that Lord Bolingbroke
was gone off with his half Sister & that Lord Herbert had
pursued them to Norwich -- I left the Milnes's at 8 & went
to Ingles with whom I stayed an hour -- Mrs. Ingles was gone
with a Lady to a Card-party -- /2./ This morning Ingles called
upon me by Appointment, & we walked round Bath, as he
wished to see the New Buildings -- & in the course of it made
two or three proposals of Excursions, to all which I stated
objections, however I at last consented to go with him some
where to day, which goes against the grain, as I lose a Lesson
upon the Violoncello, which I regret, as I'm anxious to get all
the information I can, as there are so many more difficulties

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on that instrument than on a piano forte -- I am in momentary
expectation of seeing Ingles & am writing as fast as I can that
I may send this off to day -- I have got a ridiculous Idea in my
head, which is, that a certain person (whose ideas of things differ
from ours upon most subjects) will make a proposal to you of
taking a trip into Lancashire whilst I am out of the Way -- to
this I have always had insuperable Objections, which still remain.
I must tell you, that every Body compliments me upon the
Improvement of my Looks -- it is very lucky that Bath is so
thin of Company or I should make sad Havoc with the young
Hearts as my Beauty would be irresistible -- I am very well
and in charming Spirits thank God, for the last day or two --
Write to me my dearest Girl soon, for I'm impatient to
hear from you & of you. my dear Louisa &c &c Isaac is
just come from Ingles -- hang him -- I must go., adieu, adieu
a thousand good wishes attend you all -- I am most Affectionately Your John Dickenson

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2d. we have a tolerable fine day -- a great deal of rain yesterday
Adieu -- God bless my Love & our dear little Darling --

Kisses
100. for Louisa
from Papa

Mrs Dickenson --
Taxal
Chapel le frith
Derbyshire

X Post.