HAM/1/20/107
Letter from Francis Napier, 8th Lord Napier, to Mary Hamilton
Diplomatic Text
Edinburgh, 23rd: March
1789.
My Dear Sister,
Your letter of the 22nd- Decr. 1788,
has never been one day out of my pocket since
I received it; & it has remained unanswered
for so long a time, from my wish of having it
in my power to tell You, that all my Irish Bu=
=sineʃs was settled. The 15th. day of last Janry- was
appointed for the Hearing of my Cause. The deter=
=mination has not yet reached Me, tho' they have
extracted £200 from my pocket since the commence=
=ment of this Year. I am now fairly tired out, &
reproach myself, that I have seemed to be so long
negligent, when my inclination has been to
send you good News.
The happy change in the
health of our Excellent King gives universal
satisfaction in this Country. During his melan=
=choly illneʃs, Party ran very high. The Majority
of people were his friends; & those who were
the friends of his Enemies, are now forced to
join in profeʃsions they by no means relish.
I cannot agree with You in regretting Ld-
Stormont's situation. I beleive him cold and
without sincere friendship. When Interest
points out to him the line he ought to
pursue, he may fawn, but it will be
difficult to point out one single act of
disinterestedneʃs, which he may have been Guilty
of, since the beginning of his political existence.
You well know I have no obligations to him,
& you may likewise recollect the manner
in which I supported him, at the last General
Election, contrary to my political wishes, and
perhaps contrary to my private interest. I
have lately written Circular Letters to the
Peers of Scotland, notifying my intention of
offering myself to their Patronage & Protec=
=tion, whenever a General Election may take
place. Cathcart answered my Letter with
more warmth of friendship, than I could have
expected. Ld. Stormont's answer, was uncivil,
not to say impertinent. My family connections
in the Peerage were numerous, & the probability
was, that my friends in power, were likely to
retire from their Offices. I then wished to
strengthen any claim I might have, for
the Aʃsistance of future Ministers, by placeing
myself in a situation, which might oblige them
to be attentive Me. Whether I shall persist in
my desire of being in Parliament (now that
my friends remain in their Ministerial Capaci=
=ties) is very doubtfull. Tho' I may be (like Yourself)
saucy, yet I know the value of Domestick Comfort
& Quiet, & do not wish to be placed in any si=
=tuation, which may annoy or disturb Me or
Mine.
I have within these Ten Days walked
out to the residence of the Alisons. The weather
has been so very cold & bad, that I did not obey
your Commands sooner, tho' I confeʃs I have
known where they lived, for upwards of two
Months. She did not appear, but I delivered
your Meʃsage to her husband who desired
Me to say that All was Peace between You.
N.B. This was more than you deserved. Mrs- Alison
has lately produced a third Daughter. What brought
them to Scotland, or what situation they are in, I
have not been able to learn; but I fear, they
are far from knowing what affluence is: I
never was very partial to your Mrs- Montagu's &
Mrs- Walsingham's. Much vanity, much ostentation
& pride, was endeavoured to be hid under
an appearance of being learned & of protecting
indigent Merit. I shall say no more on
this subject, for fear of drawing the Tribe
of Blue Stockings on my back, & I honestly confeʃs
myself unable to quote Horace or to Scratch
with any of them.
To comfort you, my hollow Tooth has
been Extracted, but as I have ever been of a
perverse disposition, I have not made use of
your Allum Recipe.
Your poor little Godchild has
been at Death's Door. A fever & inflammation in
the Glands of her Throat, had nearly proved fatal.
A Dyʃsentery has succeeded, but I flatter myself
it will not go too far, but may be the means
of restoring her to health. She is an enviable Child &
was remarkably forward both in walking & speaking.
▼
My best wishes & those of Maria ever attend Your
Mr. Dickenson & your little one. Sincerely &
faithfully your Affect. Brother N——.
P.S.
I say nothing about Sisters,
I wish mine was Married[1]
[2]
[3]
Mrs- Dickenson
▼ Taxall
Chapel le Frith
Derby[4] [5]
[6]
------------------
------------------
------------------
------------------
------------------ [7]
red text is normalised and/or unformatted in other panel)
Notes
1. The last 3 lines of the letter and the postscript appear at the bottom of page.
2. Postmark in red ink, divided by unfolding, dated 24 March.
3. Manuscript figure 11/3 in brown ink.
4. The address is crossed by a large manuscript figure 7, denoting postage due.
5. Moved address here from the middle of the page, written vertically.
6. Seal, in red wax.
7. Moved annotation here from above the address, written at right angles to the address, and crossed out.
Normalised Text
Edinburgh, 23rd: March
1789.
My Dear Sister,
Your letter of the 22nd- December 1788,
has never been one day out of my pocket since
I received it; & it has remained unanswered
for so long a time, from my wish of having it
in my power to tell You, that all my Irish Business
was settled. The 15th. day of last January was
appointed for the Hearing of my Cause. The determination
has not yet reached Me, though they have
extracted £200 from my pocket since the commencement
of this Year. I am now fairly tired out, &
reproach myself, that I have seemed to be so long
negligent, when my inclination has been to
send you good News.
The happy change in the
health of our Excellent King gives universal
satisfaction in this Country. During his melancholy
illness, Party ran very high. The Majority
of people were his friends; & those who were
the friends of his Enemies, are now forced to
join in professions they by no means relish.
I cannot agree with You in regretting Lord
Stormont's situation. I believe him cold and
without sincere friendship. When Interest
points out to him the line he ought to
pursue, he may fawn, but it will be
difficult to point out one single act of
disinterestedness, which he may have been Guilty
of, since the beginning of his political existence.
You well know I have no obligations to him,
& you may likewise recollect the manner
in which I supported him, at the last General
Election, contrary to my political wishes, and
perhaps contrary to my private interest. I
have lately written Circular Letters to the
Peers of Scotland, notifying my intention of
offering myself to their Patronage & Protection
, whenever a General Election may take
place. Cathcart answered my Letter with
more warmth of friendship, than I could have
expected. Lord Stormont's answer, was uncivil,
not to say impertinent. My family connections
in the Peerage were numerous, & the probability
was, that my friends in power, were likely to
retire from their Offices. I then wished to
strengthen any claim I might have, for
the Assistance of future Ministers, by placing
myself in a situation, which might oblige them
to be attentive Me. Whether I shall persist in
my desire of being in Parliament (now that
my friends remain in their Ministerial Capacities
) is very doubtful. Though I may be (like Yourself)
saucy, yet I know the value of Domestic Comfort
& Quiet, & do not wish to be placed in any situation
, which may annoy or disturb Me or
Mine.
I have within these Ten Days walked
out to the residence of the Alisons. The weather
has been so very cold & bad, that I did not obey
your Commands sooner, though I confess I have
known where they lived, for upwards of two
Months. She did not appear, but I delivered
your Message to her husband who desired
Me to say that All was Peace between You.
N.B. This was more than you deserved. Mrs- Alison
has lately produced a third Daughter. What brought
them to Scotland, or what situation they are in, I
have not been able to learn; but I fear, they
are far from knowing what affluence is: I
never was very partial to your Mrs- Montagu's &
Mrs- Walsingham's. Much vanity, much ostentation
& pride, was endeavoured to be hidden under
an appearance of being learned & of protecting
indigent Merit. I shall say no more on
this subject, for fear of drawing the Tribe
of Blue Stockings on my back, & I honestly confess
myself unable to quote Horace or to Scratch
with any of them.
To comfort you, my hollow Tooth has
been Extracted, but as I have ever been of a
perverse disposition, I have not made use of
your Allum Recipe.
Your poor little Godchild has
been at Death's Door. A fever & inflammation in
the Glands of her Throat, had nearly proved fatal.
A Dysentery has succeeded, but I flatter myself
it will not go too far, but may be the means
of restoring her to health. She is an enviable Child &
was remarkably forward both in walking & speaking.
▼
My best wishes & those of Maria ever attend Your
Mr. Dickenson & your little one. Sincerely &
faithfully your Affectionate Brother Napier.
P.S.
I say nothing about Sisters,
I wish mine was Married
Mrs- Dickenson
▼ Taxall
Chapel le Frith
Derby
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 Francis Napier, 8th Lord Napier, to Mary Hamilton
Shelfmark: HAM/1/20/107
Correspondence Details
Sender: Francis Scott Napier, 8th Lord
Place sent: Edinburgh
Addressee: Mary Hamilton
Place received: Taxal, near Chapel-en-le-Frith
Date sent: 23 March 1789
Letter Description
Summary: Letter from Francis Napier, 8th Lord Napier, to Mary Hamilton, containing
news of the King's health, politics and Hamilton's bluestocking friends.
Napier writes of his relief that his Irish business relating to a legacy has
now been resolved and of his pleasure at the King's return to health. This
is to the great satisfaction to the people of Scotland. He notes that during
the King's illness ‘[p]arty ran very high. The majority of people were his
friends & those who were the friends of his enemies, are now forced to
join in processions they by no means relish’. The letter also relates to
Lord Stormont who Napier finds cold. He had supported him in the last
General Election, contrary to his own political wishes and he notes that he
has lately written circular letters to the Peers of Scotland informing them
of his intention of offering himself to their ‘patronage & protection,
whenever a General Election may take place’. Lord Stormont's answer he
describes as ‘impertinent’. Napier has many family connections in the
peerage and he notes that it is probable that his friends in power were
likely to retire from office and he wished to ‘strengthen any claim I might
have for the assistance of future Ministers, by placing myself in a
situation, which might oblige them to be attentive’. Now his friends have
retained their ministerial offices he is unsure as to whether he will
continue in any attempt to be in Parliament himself. He enjoys his domestic
comforts and does not want to put himself and his family in a place which
could cause him some annoyance.
Napier also talks of Hamilton's ‘blue stocking’ friends. He writes that he
was never very fond of Hamilton's ‘Mrs Montagu's & Mrs [Charlotte]
Walsingham's’. He continues ‘much vanity, much ostentation & pride, was
endeavoured to be hid under an appearance of being learned & of
practicing indignant Merit’. He writes that he will say no more on the
subject for ‘fear of drawing the Tribe of the Blue Stockings on my back,
& I honestly confess myself unable to quote Horace [...] with any of
them’.
The letter continues with news on Napier's family.
Dated at Edinburgh.
Length: 1 sheet, 745 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: Christine Wallis, editorial team (completed 21 October 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: 3 December 2021