71, Queen Street
                                                                 2d. September 1808

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My Dear Sister,
      It requires no share
of second Sight to discover why You
don't write, when You ought to do so.
Your known & incurable Indolence
will furnish a full answer to your
question. But, pray observe that I
never find fault with You, about
writing. For, there is Justice enough,
in my composition, to lead me to
excuse in others, what I am frequently
apt to be guilty of myself.
      Now, Madam, for your prediction.
It may relate to the French Revolution,
and, it may not have any connexion
with it. “A captive King humbled”
cannot mean the King of France, for
he is no Captive. The Black Eagle cannot
mean the despicable King of Prussia,
Austria, is more likely to be intended
by that sign. The Lion of Leon is purple.
May not purple be considered as black.
Allowing these two points, then the
Prediction will import, that the Infamous
Napoleon is to be demolished,

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by Spain & Austria. The captive King
humbled, is Ferdinand 7th-; humbled, by
having been forced to resign his pretensions
to the Crown of Spain; restored
by the Patriotism of the Spaniards.
All which, is just as plain, as the
Prophecy itself. Brunswic's Lion is.
Blue.
      My Wife & I have been remarkably
frisky this Summer, having made
a three Weeks Tour in the Highlands,
visiting the Trosachs, Loch Earn, Duneira,
Ochtertyne &c. &c. &c. No sooner did we
return from that excursion, than
off I set, with my two Boys, and made
another Tour for three Weeks in
Roxburghshire & Selkirkshire, introducing
them to Thirlestane, the ancient
Seat of their Forefathers, St- Mary's
Loch, Melrose & Dryburgh Abbeys,
&c. &c. &c. During this last excursion,
I received an unexpected piece of Intelligence
, Arriving at a Gentleman's
House, He asked very particularly after
my Eldest Son, & on my replying that
I had not heard of him for some Months,
he bluntly said “then You don't know,
“that he is a Prisoner -- ” He confirmed
the fact, by desiring his Son to show

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me a Letter he had received from my
William, dated Ivica 1st. of May. This rather
disconcerted me, though the certainty
that he must have been released before
I knew of his captivity, was some
comfort to me. Now, all my uneasiness
about him is over, having received
a Letter from himself dated Gibraltar
14th. July, where he had arrived in perfect
health two days before. I am still
ignorant of the cause, or manner of his
having been taken, as the Letters he
wrote to me through Spain, and Barbary
      , have not yet reached
      me. My second Boy Francis,
      sailed with the Expedition under
Sir Arthur Wellesley. We have had
two Letters from him, since he left Cork,
and are daily expecting some accounts
of the landing of the Troops from him, as
we know from another source, that he
was employed debarking them on the
first of August. As the Brothers are now
near one another, I trust, they may
have the good fortune to meet. My
Sister Henrietta is well. I shall tell her
of your enquiries after her. She can
have but little personal recollection
of You, as it is not yesterday since
she saw You at Northampton. As

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▼

▼

Maiden Ladies, of a certain time of Life, are
not fond of being reminded of Occurrences
long passed, it might be dangerous to
hint that She had ever seen You, were
it not, that her Memory has been frequently
refreshed on that subject, by my having
done You the honour of talking of You.
Adieu, My Dear Sister. Give my Love
to Your Husband & Daughter, and My
Lady's civilities to them both. You may
make a formal Compliment to Louisa's
Grandpapa, if you please. My Countrywoman
's Letter has been forwarded.
                             Ever your faithful Friend
                             & Affectionate Brother
                             Napier

Edinburgh, Second September
                             1808

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      Mrs- Dickenson
      Leighton House
            Leighton Buzzard
                  Bedfordshire
Napier.