HAM/1/19/21
Letter from William Napier (later 7th Lord Napier) to Mary Hamilton
Diplomatic Text
[1]
5th-
X
Parts copied
EGA
Canterbury Octbr. 26th- 1772
p ---
I was favored with My dearest Mary's
letter of the 22d instant last night, and
am extremely ʃorry to find you have been
so very ill, but I thank God you are now
so well again, Fevers are a very dangerous
thing so I hope you'll take great care for
the future not to catch Cold especially
in this Seaʃon of the year, as a Cold got
now com̅only holds all Winter, but
is a Companion I don't deʃire for my
dear Girl. I make no doubt but Mary's
illneʃs made Mrs Hamilton indisposed, but
now as Marys well so I hope she is so
too, please my best Compliments to her.
[2]I think it will be very proper for
you to write your Uncle Cathcart
& congratulate him on his ʃafe arrival ------------
once more in Great Britain, & I think
you ought to make ʃome apology for
being so long a doing it. its always
worth every body's trouble to keep well
with their connexions, especially a young
Lady who's dispoʃition is so willing at
all times to do right as I know My dear
Miʃs Hamilton is. its not in my Power
My dearest Girl to get to London even
to meet you which I can aʃsure you
would be the greatest inducement
I know off, but I am at present tyed
by the foot in ʃuch a manner taking
care of a parcel of Boys that I am
heartily fatigued every day, & this
must be the Case all this Winter
whither I will or not, so must pospone
viʃiting the Great City to April or May
next, then indeed I should be extremely
happy to meet you, perhaps that may
be your time but we shall always
know one anothers motions by letter
I am so sencible of your judgement
in every thing that I am quite convinced
the colouring you have given yr late
& constant Partner is not a bitt too
high tho I don't understand what
you mean by the difference of your
ages -- as I dont find that you are above
five Hundred years older than he
is, speaking in the antediluvian stile,
tho I find ʃome young Lady's can add
a Compliment in a genteel way when
they please, the Hook was extremely
well baited, but my dear Girl I am not
quite Gudgeon enough to swallow it,
tho I must own that ʃuch a Pill from
you was double gilt & would have been
eaʃier taken then from any other Lady
& with more pleaʃure as I know none
I have so good an opinion off and of
whos Friendship I so much deʃire and
prize, and I own I flatter myself that I
do at present enjoy ʃome of it, & it shall
be my constant study to encrase it
as much as poʃsible so I hope my dear
Mary I don't deceive myself in thinking
you are so good as give me a little of
that ʃame thing so very seldom to be
mett with in this world --
I rejoice greatly the Kitten bears her
great loʃs with Christian patience I
was afraid their departure[3] wtout her might have
have given a shock to a frame so delicate
as might have brought on a Comnsumption
which I know would have effected you
greatly. I can aʃsure you Mrs- Litchfield
told you truth about suckling Children
by the Blacks in America they likeways
do the ʃame in both the East & West Indies
so that deceit & treachery are com̅only
most happily blended in most, if not
all the Americans, East, & west. indians
both Men and Women tho the Men
are not given so much up to Hypocrisy
as the Women as I have been told, but
much more to abuse than the women
tho I dont believe much about the
transmigration of Souls yet I am afraid
had the Crocodile one or the Serpent
we would find much wrose ones
amonst the human race they are
at least kind & good to one another wh
I am ʃorry to ʃay is not the case wt
the people of this age as ill nature,
scandell, & backbiteing seem to be the
Characteristic of this world especially,
amonst those in high Life --
I heard yesterday from the Abbey all
well & I shall you may be sure make
your apology tho' I dont think you
ought to wait for one being made
your illneʃs is apology enough for any
reaʃonable person & those that won't
be content with that one ought not to
be wrote too at all; however I can
aʃsure you, your letters will always be
agreeable at the Abbey & on the faith
of my word write & then you'll be con=
=vinced that I am only writing you truth
& on second thoughts I think its best
for me not to say any thing about it
but let you & Mrs Napier clear your
own accounts by yourselves.
I am extremely obliged to My dearest Mary
for her kind inquirys about my health
its much better than when I left you
& if the shortneʃs of my breathing wd
go away I might ʃay I never was in
better health & spirits then now, but
it still continues which makes me
unable to walk about so much as I
ought to do, & of consequence my whole
exercise is on Horseback & that can
be but only once per day, now were
was I able to walk in the afternoon wd
I am convinced do me a great deal
of good, however I thank God I am so
well, a few months ago I had little
reason to expect ever to have been
so well as I find myself at present
& I hope if I get over this winter as
I am, a few weeks next year at
Buxton will make me a new Man
again where I hope to be happy in
the Company of my dear Girl
I am not particularly acquaint wt
the Officers now of the Seventh Dragn-
except for Col. Bland, tho I have heard
that they are ʃome very pretty young
Folks amonst them & will be a great
acquiʃition to a Country aʃsembly
in dancing with the Miʃses. as for
any Account of them was I much
acquainted with them I hope you
would not deʃire as I make it a
rule never to give or take a Character
to any body as I think people's behaviours
only should recom̅end them to the
different places they go too, & I am
sorry to ʃay I have seen Officers very
well uʃed in a town who abused the
people (for no other reason than that
they had been civil to them) after
they marched away -- I wish I could
see so long a letter from my dearest
Miʃs Hamilton & an answer as quick
returned however I wont complain
you are a good Girl & I shall always
be happy in receiving yours whither
long or short Adieu My dearest Mary
believe I am & that none can be
more your most faithfull & most
afft yours -- Wm.N: --
5th -- [4]
red text is normalised and/or unformatted in other panel)
Notes
1. An extract from this letter appears in Anson & Anson (1925: 18).
2. A marginal line in red crayon runs down the outside of this whole paragraph as far as the first line of p.2 col.2. Only the first part is excerpted in the Ansons' book.
3. Probably the brother and sister Napier mentions in HAM/1/19/18.
4. This annotation is written vertically below the closer.
Normalised Text
Canterbury October 26th- 1772
I was favoured with My dearest Mary's
letter of the 22d instant last night, and
am extremely sorry to find you have been
so very ill, but I thank God you are now
so well again, Fevers are a very dangerous
thing so I hope you'll take great care for
the future not to catch Cold especially
in this Season of the year, as a Cold got
now commonly holds all Winter, but
is a Companion I don't desire for my
dear Girl. I make no doubt but Mary's
illness made Mrs Hamilton indisposed, but
now as Marys well so I hope she is so
too, please my best Compliments to her.
I think it will be very proper for
you to write your Uncle Cathcart
& congratulate him on his safe arrival
once more in Great Britain, & I think
you ought to make some apology for
being so long a doing it. it's always
worth every body's trouble to keep well
with their connexions, especially a young
Lady whose disposition is so willing at
all times to do right as I know My dear
Miss Hamilton is. it's not in my Power
My dearest Girl to get to London even
to meet you which I can assure you
would be the greatest inducement
I know of, but I am at present tied
by the foot in such a manner taking
care of a parcel of Boys that I am
heartily fatigued every day, & this
must be the Case all this Winter
whether I will or not, so must postpone
visiting the Great City to April or May
next, then indeed I should be extremely
happy to meet you, perhaps that may
be your time but we shall always
know one anothers motions by letter
I am so sensible of your judgement
in every thing that I am quite convinced
the colouring you have given your late
& constant Partner is not a bit too
high though I don't understand what
you mean by the difference of your
ages -- as I don't find that you are above
five Hundred years older than he
is, speaking in the antediluvian style,
though I find some young Lady's can add
a Compliment in a genteel way when
they please, the Hook was extremely
well baited, but my dear Girl I am not
quite Gudgeon enough to swallow it,
though I must own that such a Pill from
you was double gilt & would have been
easier taken then from any other Lady
& with more pleasure as I know none
I have so good an opinion of and of
whose Friendship I so much desire and
prize, and I own I flatter myself that I
do at present enjoy some of it, & it shall
be my constant study to increase it
as much as possible so I hope my dear
Mary I don't deceive myself in thinking
you are so good as give me a little of
that same thing so very seldom to be
met with in this world --
I rejoice greatly the Kitten bears her
great loss with Christian patience I
was afraid their departure without her might have
given a shock to a frame so delicate
as might have brought on a Consumption
which I know would have affected you
greatly. I can assure you Mrs- Litchfield
told you truth about suckling Children
by the Blacks in America they likeways
do the same in both the East & West Indies
so that deceit & treachery are commonly
most happily blended in most, if not
all the Americans, East, & west. indians
both Men and Women though the Men
are not given so much up to Hypocrisy
as the Women as I have been told, but
much more to abuse than the women
though I don't believe much about the
transmigration of Souls yet I am afraid
had the Crocodile one or the Serpent
we would find much worse ones
amongst the human race they are
at least kind & good to one another which
I am sorry to say is not the case with
the people of this age as ill nature,
scandal, & backbiting seem to be the
Characteristic of this world especially,
amongst those in high Life --
I heard yesterday from the Abbey all
well & I shall you may be sure make
your apology though I don't think you
ought to wait for one being made
your illness is apology enough for any
reasonable person & those that won't
be content with that one ought not to
be written to at all; however I can
assure you, your letters will always be
agreeable at the Abbey & on the faith
of my word write & then you'll be convinced
that I am only writing you truth
& on second thoughts I think it's best
for me not to say any thing about it
but let you & Mrs Napier clear your
own accounts by yourselves.
I am extremely obliged to My dearest Mary
for her kind inquiries about my health
it's much better than when I left you
& if the shortness of my breathing would
go away I might say I never was in
better health & spirits than now, but
it still continues which makes me
unable to walk about so much as I
ought to do, & of consequence my whole
exercise is on Horseback & that can
be but only once per day, now
was I able to walk in the afternoon would
I am convinced do me a great deal
of good, however I thank God I am so
well, a few months ago I had little
reason to expect ever to have been
so well as I find myself at present
& I hope if I get over this winter as
I am, a few weeks next year at
Buxton will make me a new Man
again where I hope to be happy in
the Company of my dear Girl
I am not particularly acquaint with
the Officers now of the Seventh Dragoon-
except for Colonel Bland, though I have heard
that they are some very pretty young
Folks amongst them & will be a great
acquisition to a Country assembly
in dancing with the Misses. as for
any Account of them was I much
acquainted with them I hope you
would not desire as I make it a
rule never to give or take a Character
to any body as I think people's behaviours
only should recommend them to the
different places they go to, & I am
sorry to say I have seen Officers very
well used in a town who abused the
people (for no other reason than that
they had been civil to them) after
they marched away -- I wish I could
see so long a letter from my dearest
Miss Hamilton & an answer as quick
returned however I won't complain
you are a good Girl & I shall always
be happy in receiving yours whether
long or short Adieu My dearest Mary
believe I am & that none can be
more your most faithful & most
affectionate yours -- William Napier --
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 William Napier (later 7th Lord Napier) to Mary Hamilton
Shelfmark: HAM/1/19/21
Correspondence Details
Sender: William Napier, 7th Lord
Place sent: Canterbury
Addressee: Mary Hamilton
Place received: Northampton (certainty: low)
Date sent: 26 October 1772
Letter Description
Summary: Letter from William Napier [later 7th Lord Napier] to Mary Hamilton,
advising her to contact her uncle, Lord Cathcart. He notes that it is
‘always worth every body’s trouble to keep well with their connections’
especially for someone such as Hamilton whose disposition is one that always
‘wishes to do right’. Hamilton is advised to congratulate Cathcart on his
return to Britain and to make an apology for her delay in doing so.
Napier continues in the letter to write on Hamilton's health and apologises
that he will be unable to go to London even to see her as he is ‘tied by the
foot in such a manner taking care of a parcel of boys’ [his regiment].
Napier also alludes to a romantic attachment that Hamilton has. Touching on
the subject of the Americas, Napier notes that Mrs Litchfield had told
Hamilton the truth ‘about suckling children by the Blacks in America they
likewise do the same in both the East & West Indies so that deceit &
treachery are commonly most happily blended in most if not all the
Americans, East & West Indians’. He continues on the subject of the
characteristics of the people of the age as being one of scandal and
back-biting especially amongst those of high society. Napier ends his letter
on the subject of the 7th Dragoons [regiment that is to camp near
Hamilton's] which he understands to have some fine looking young men in it
who will make a great addition at a country assembly by ‘dancing with the
Misses’.
Dated at Canterbury.
Length: 3 sheets, 1202 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.
Transliterator: Cassandra Ulph, editorial team (completed 14 December 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: 28 November 2021