HAM/1/19/63
Letter from William Napier, 7th Lord Napier, to Mary Hamilton
Diplomatic Text
[1]
Gaieties
criticized[2] X
41st 41st-
Edinburgh May 9th- 1774
yours from Chesterfield Street wtout a date My
dearest Mary came to hand last post
but before I anʃwer it I must just hint
that I am not a little surprised you take so little
notice of my last letter I make no doubt but
you are satisfied in your own mind but
in this world one ought to satisfy their
friends likeways in every thing that can
make them uneaʃy & I cannot think yt
you can imagine that Lady Napier & I
can be very easy upon your account after
what you wrote about Mrs- Rogers so
great a friendship & intimacy with a Lady
that I must ʃay I had all the reason in the
world to suppose she loved you as her own
daughter & at once to be at ʃuch a distance
dont hang together, a reason there must
be for it, we are not worthy to know the
reaʃon, or in the hurry of the great City
those things may be triffles that a letter
any day may set right, as it is of so little con=
sequence what an Old Maid ʃays or what
friends at a distance may think.
you see My dear Girl how good yr Mama
has been to you to go so far as Barnet wt
you on your road to leave her should make
you at all time do every thing to oblige her,
few mothers would have been at that
trouble in this age so as I think I know
you have a good heart, be gratefull
for those Bleʃsings you receive. It gives
me great pleaʃure that she has been
so well ʃince you left her & I hope you will
find her so very soon on your return
home to her, I am very glad you write
every post it will be the only satisfaction
she can poʃsibly have in your abʃence.
I am extremely glad you have been
with your Uncle Cathcart & that my Young
Nieces[3] pleases you, they seem to be
good Girls & I hope will turn out worthy
amiable women. My two eldest daughters
have been both ill of Fevers & sore throats
but thank God they are very well &
join their Brother in best Compts- to
you & I am pleased you like the lines I
sent you, but you mistake the author
they are not Mr Napiers, I send you another
from the ʃame hand if you find any fault
please correct & amend, it will at least
oblige me and they are in no other hands
that I know off -- XPlays, Operas, Pan=
theon, & Renalagh Good God is not thy
little head turned with so much non-
=sense Play & Operas I will allow may be
both amusing, deverting & instructing
The Pantheon to see & be ʃeen for once or
twice may be allowable but Renalagh
insipit from the first night will always
continue so to people of a ʃenʃible taste
few very few I am ʃorry to ʃay you'll
meet with in that great City unleʃs
greatly altered ʃince I have been in the
beau monde your remarks on the last
place pleases me much as they ------
agree exactly with my own opinion which is
always flattering when one has a good opinion
of the Person who makes them. Most parts
of Young Ladies education in this Age are
extravagant Muʃic & drawing not the least
so, and very improperly so, as by that many
fine genious's are left in the lurch that
would have been an honour to the Country
The Masters are not to blame as they
want to make as much as poʃsible
The rich foolish people has a pride in
learning blockheads of Sons & dauthers
a smattering of what they have no capa
city for to shew their superiority of
Riches and ʃenʃible people must pay
extravagantly or lose their accomplish
ments they are fit for ʃuch is my dear
Girl the way of the world & when the tide
runs strong we must give a little way to it
like the Bulrush otherwise like the Oak we
will be tore up by the roots, Lady Napier
deʃires me to tell you she will esteem
a drawing of yours greatly as she knows
you have too much good ʃense to con-
-tinue learning unleʃs you see that you
profit by it but any thing from you will be
acceptable to her -- I have not the
pleasure of Lord & Lady Dawtry's acquain
tance but as they are esteemed by Mrs-
Carter I am quite ʃure they are deʃerving
of all you ʃay of them I am glad that
you have found Mrs Carter ʃuch as
I told you off I know not a better woman
or a more amiable one pray remember
us in the kindest manner to her if you
should see her after you get this, but
I suppose you'll be at home or on the
way by the time that this gets to North=
Hampton after your Bath jaunt I long
to have your remarks of Bath &c As to Mr-
F. Hamiltons scheme for his daughter[4] I shall
take the liberty to adopt your good ʃense and say
nothing of it, as I am not a proper judge of
whats fit for anothers daughter especially
as I have no buʃineʃs in the affair --
Well Miʃs Hamilton at a Masquerade, Curiosity
thy name is —— I hope it will be the
last as it is the first you shall ever go too
& I most ʃincerely wish you well at Home
& out of all temptations of London I may
be abused for this by your Gay friends and
called an old illnatured creature but if I
can make my dear ward agree with
me I care not for what is ʃaid otherwise
the expence two thouʃand pounds & fifty pounds
for a ticket its a shame conʃidering how
many poor miserable creatures it might
make happy for their lives & all this, for
what, a nights amusement to a parcel
of fools that has more money than any thing
else but Good God what must senʃible People
think of them, but no matter its taste, and
keeping the best Company, a poor apology
for doing a despicable nonʃensical thing
fit only for children at a dancing School
& not for rational minds -- I shall my
dear Girl be extremely happy to see a letter
dated from Northampton & to find you have
returned the fine ʃenʃible amiable Girl
as formerly otherwise I can aʃsure you
I'll curse London & all London folks for
your sake -- Lady Napier joins the
young folks in best wishes to you & I
am my dearest mary most ʃincerely Yours
Napier
I expect the Cathcarts en famille
in a few days here
Did Mrs Carter go to the Masquerade? I dare anʃwer
No, No, No, two of them might have been construed
yes, but three of them is not liable to the ʃame
construction
red text is normalised and/or unformatted in other panel)
Notes
1. Excerpts from this letter appear in Anson & Anson (1925: 27-28).
2. This phrase, whether written by Sir Archibald Anson or by one of the Anson sisters, is underlined in red by one of the sisters.
3. Presumably this refers to Charles Cathcart's daughters Jane Cathcart (1754–1790), Mary Cathcart (1757–1792), Louisa Cathcart (1758–1843) and Catherine Charlotte Cathcart (1770–1794).
4. Most likely Frederick Hamilton's elder daughter Elizabeth, described by him in May 1776 as ‘amazingly improved’ but lacking ‘steadiness‘ (HAM/1/4/1/1), rather than the six-year-old Jane.
Normalised Text
Edinburgh May 9th- 1774
yours from Chesterfield Street without a date My
dearest Mary came to hand last post
but before I answer it I must just hint
that I am not a little surprised you take so little
notice of my last letter I make no doubt but
you are satisfied in your own mind but
in this world one ought to satisfy their
friends likeways in every thing that can
make them uneasy & I cannot think that
you can imagine that Lady Napier & I
can be very easy upon your account after
what you wrote about Mrs- Rogers so
great a friendship & intimacy with a Lady
that I must say I had all the reason in the
world to suppose she loved you as her own
daughter & at once to be at such a distance
doesn't hang together, a reason there must
be for it, we are not worthy to know the
reason, or in the hurry of the great City
those things may be trifles that a letter
any day may set right, as it is of so little consequence
what an Old Maid says or what
friends at a distance may think.
you see My dear Girl how good your Mama
has been to you to go so far as Barnet with
you on your road to leave her should make
you at all time do every thing to oblige her,
few mothers would have been at that
trouble in this age so as I think I know
you have a good heart, be grateful
for those Blessings you receive. It gives
me great pleasure that she has been
so well since you left her & I hope you will
find her so very soon on your return
home to her, I am very glad you write
every post it will be the only satisfaction
she can possibly have in your absence.
I am extremely glad you have been
with your Uncle Cathcart & that my Young
Nieces pleases you, they seem to be
good Girls & I hope will turn out worthy
amiable women. My two eldest daughters
have been both ill of Fevers & sore throats
but thank God they are very well &
join their Brother in best Compliments to
you & I am pleased you like the lines I
sent you, but you mistake the author
they are not Mr Napiers, I send you another
from the same hand if you find any fault
please correct & amend, it will at least
oblige me and they are in no other hands
that I know of -- Plays, Operas, Pantheon
, & Ranelagh Good God is not thy
little head turned with so much nonsense
Play & Operas I will allow may be
both amusing, diverting & instructing
The Pantheon to see & be seen for once or
twice may be allowable but Ranelagh
insipid from the first night will always
continue so to people of a sensible taste
few very few I am sorry to say you'll
meet with in that great City unless
greatly altered since I have been in the
beau monde your remarks on the last
place pleases me much as they
agree exactly with my own opinion which is
always flattering when one has a good opinion
of the Person who makes them. Most parts
of Young Ladies education in this Age are
extravagant Music & drawing not the least
so, and very improperly so, as by that many
fine genius's are left in the lurch that
would have been an honour to the Country
The Masters are not to blame as they
want to make as much as possible
The rich foolish people has a pride in
learning blockheads of Sons & daughters
a smattering of what they have no capacity
for to show their superiority of
Riches and sensible people must pay
extravagantly or lose their accomplishments
they are fit for such is my dear
Girl the way of the world & when the tide
runs strong we must give a little way to it
like the Bulrush otherwise like the Oak we
will be torn up by the roots, Lady Napier
desires me to tell you she will esteem
a drawing of yours greatly as she knows
you have too much good sense to continue
learning unless you see that you
profit by it but any thing from you will be
acceptable to her -- I have not the
pleasure of Lord & Lady Dawtry's acquaintance
but as they are esteemed by Mrs-
Carter I am quite sure they are deserving
of all you say of them I am glad that
you have found Mrs Carter such as
I told you of I know not a better woman
or a more amiable one pray remember
us in the kindest manner to her if you
should see her after you get this, but
I suppose you'll be at home or on the
way by the time that this gets to NorthHampton
after your Bath jaunt I long
to have your remarks of Bath &c As to Mr-
Frederick Hamiltons scheme for his daughter I shall
take the liberty to adopt your good sense and say
nothing of it, as I am not a proper judge of
whats fit for anothers daughter especially
as I have no business in the affair --
Well Miss Hamilton at a Masquerade, Curiosity
thy name is —— I hope it will be the
last as it is the first you shall ever go to
& I most sincerely wish you well at Home
& out of all temptations of London I may
be abused for this by your Gay friends and
called an old ill-natured creature but if I
can make my dear ward agree with
me I care not for what is said otherwise
the expense two thousand pounds & fifty pounds
for a ticket it's a shame considering how
many poor miserable creatures it might
make happy for their lives & all this, for
what, a nights amusement to a parcel
of fools that has more money than any thing
else but Good God what must sensible People
think of them, but no matter its taste, and
keeping the best Company, a poor apology
for doing a despicable nonsensical thing
fit only for children at a dancing School
& not for rational minds -- I shall my
dear Girl be extremely happy to see a letter
dated from Northampton & to find you have
returned the fine sensible amiable Girl
as formerly otherwise I can assure you
I'll curse London & all London folks for
your sake -- Lady Napier joins the
young folks in best wishes to you & I
am my dearest mary most sincerely Yours
Napier
I expect the Cathcarts en famille
in a few days here
Did Mrs Carter go to the Masquerade? I dare answer
No, No, No, two of them might have been construed
yes, but three of them is not liable to the same
construction
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, 7th Lord Napier, to Mary Hamilton
Shelfmark: HAM/1/19/63
Correspondence Details
Sender: William Napier, 7th Lord
Place sent: Edinburgh
Addressee: Mary Hamilton
Place received: unknown
Date sent: 9 May 1774
Letter Description
Summary: Letter from William Napier, 7th Lord Napier, to Mary Hamilton, relating to
Hamilton’s visit to Bath and her time in London. Napier writes ‘Plays,
Operas, Pantheon, & Ranelagh – Good God is not thy little head turned
with to much nonsense. Plays & Operas I will allow may be both amusing,
diverting & instructing. The Pantheon to see & be seen [...] but
Ranelagh, insipid from the first night – will always continue so to people
of a sensible taste’. Hamilton is also to attend a masquerade and Napier
hopes that it will be her last as well as her first.
Napier writes on education and on Mrs [Elizabeth] Carter. He is glad that
Hamilton likes her very much and that she has a new friend in her. ‘I know
not a better woman or a more amiable one’. He is also glad that Hamilton has
spent some time with her Uncle Cathcart and that she is pleased with her
cousins. They seem to be good girls and Napier hopes that they will grow to
be ‘amiable women’. Napier alludes to a ‘scheme’ that Hamilton’s uncle,
Frederick Hamilton, has for his daughter of which he will say nothing as it
is not for him to say what is right for another man’s daughter.
Napier ends his letter by jokingly asking if Mrs Carter attended the
masquerade.
Dated at Edinburgh.
Length: 2 sheets, 1171 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: Tino Oudesluijs, editorial team (completed 21 January 2021)
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: 2 November 2021