71, Queen Street
                             12th- December 1808

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My Dear Sister,
      Your puzzle remains
unravelled, and your paper uncut into four
equal parts. The former, I attempted; but,
after confounding it, & myself, a little,
I threw it aside. Though descended from
a great Mathematician, I do not feel
myself equal to divide the Paper according
to your directions, & therefore, shall
now deliver over both the Torments to
my Girls, to try their ingenuity. By
the bye, it occasioned no little Astonishment
at my Breakfast Table, when
these puzzles were produced. “Dear Mamma,
“(said my Daughter Anne), how differently
“Papa must behave in England, from
“what he does here, that it should ever
“enter into anybody's head to send him
“puzzles!!!.” What Idea she at that Moment
formed of the Liberty you had
taken with her Papa's Dignity, I leave You
to judge; but, her astonishment shows
You, in what good Discipline I keep my
Wife & Brats. It would be well for some
folks, if they would follow my Example.

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      My Boys were both well, when
I heard from them last. William
had rejoined his Ship (the Imperieuse) and
was just preparing to sail after the
Frigates, which had escaped from
Toulon, and were supposed to have
put into a Corsican Port. Francis, is at
present, at Portsmouth, where the Resistance
is undergoing some repair, having
suffered from the Storms she met with,
in a six Weeks passage from Lisbon.
My eldest daughter has been for these some
weeks past in Perthshire, endeavouring
to comfort Lady Elizabeth MacGregor Murray, for
the loss of her husband, who lately went
to Spain, with the 15th. Light Dragoons. Lady
Elizabeth is to pass her Christmas, at Dunkeld,
& Sir John Macgregor Murray escorts my daughter
home tomorrow. My Carriage is just gone
to meet them halfway. The rest of Us, have
been stationary here, for some Months
past. Of my own intended Motions, I
cannot yet speak, as they must be regulated
by the necessity there may be,
of my attending Parliament. If, I am able
to arrange my matters according to my
Wish, I shall not be desirous of quitting
my own fireside, till the end of February
next. I hate travelling in the dark, which
I must do, if I go to the Meeting of the

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House in January. I anticipate much
Debating there. The defeat of Castanos, and
the consequent alterations which must
take place in the Operations of our Forces
in Spain, are much to be lamented. On
the Cintra Convention, I can only say, that
if Sir Hew is to blame, so is Sir Arthur, for
he appears to have been as desirous of
allowing Juniot to retire with the French
Troops, as Sir Hew was. Why, the Success at Vimeira
was not followed up, on the Evening of
the day the Action was fought, Sir Harry
Burrard must explain. I do not pretend
to say, what might have been the consequence
      of doing so; but, as
      an old Soldier, I am quite convinced
      that our Troops ought
      to have advanced on the Enemy,
while the effect of the threshing they have
got, was fresh in their Memory. A Convention
might, perhaps, even then have been
necessary; but, I feel, that the Terms of it,
might have been different.
      I know nothing of Mrs- Grant,
or her Letters form the Mountains. Pray,
don't suppose, that the smallest particle
of Indigo pollutes our little domestic Circle.
Lady Ramsay's Letter was sent to her. She too,
is unknown to Us.
      We have all read Faber.
Much have I yawned, much have I slept over
his Book, where I found it too deep for me
to follow him; but, much have I admired
in it. Being a firm Believer in the fulfilment
of Prophecy, I have for many Years conceived

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that the very extraordinary Success of the
infamous Buonaparte, and the very astonishing
Events which we have all witnessed,
could not be accounted for, on any other
Ground, than the literal accomplishment
of those predictions, which are to be found
in Daniel, the Apocalypse &c. This, does not
make me superstitious. It is the duty of Man
to act according to the soundest dictates of
human Wisdom, and having done so, to leave
the Issue to the Governor of the Universe.
The Inventor of the Logarithms, published a
Treatise on the Revelation of St. John, Anno 1593.
He conceived, that the World would not last longer
than to the Year 1786 -- All here join me in
Love & best Wishes to you, & yours. Ever My Dear
Sister, Your Affectionate Brother & faithful Friend
                                                         Napier
Best wishes to my Countrywoman

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Edinburgh, Twelfth December 1808

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Mrs- Dickenson
      Leighton House
          Leighton Buzzard
                             Bedfordshire
Napier.