Diplomatic Text
70
Windsor 21 Septr- 1786
indeed my Dear Mrs Dickenson
I must appear both unkind and uncivil to
have been so long without acknowledging
your very kind and obliging Letter -- but I aʃsure
you that has not been the case -- Coud I write
for my Self I shoud more frequently send
you testimonies of my rememberance
and affection but my Secratary having
many occupations to call Her away from
that office and several inquiring Freinds
to satisfy makes it impoʃsible to be as
regular as I wish in my answers --
-- my Niece I thank god has now quite
recoverd the Langour that she Sufferd
for some time after the Measles she
has now so much time to recover with
Her Masters -- which I cannot break in
upon -- that she is of no use to me
in writing -- I have the satisfaction
to aʃsure you that she improves very
much and begs I will make Her particular
Compts to you and Mr Dickenson -- the
amiable and worthy Miʃs Burney is
Establish'd much to Her satisfaction much
approved of by Every body -- Especially by those
she wishes most to Please -- I certainly
am very happy in Her being Placed so near
me -- which gives me an opportunity of
seing Her often tho' Her Visits are generally
short. and she has so many absent Freinds
to consider that all Her Spare time
is scarsly sufficient to satisfy their different
demands -- never any body was better Calculated
71
for the Post she is now in as no part
of the confinement is disagreeable to Her
This moment my girl is steped
in to my Chaise to call Lady Louisa
Clayton who is to Chaperon Her to
Maidenhead Races which began yesterday --
it is reported and I believe not without
foundation that Miʃs Clayton (Mr Claytons
Daughter) by His first Wife)[1] is to be married
to Collnl Fox who bears a very good
Character and has shown a steady attachment
to Her -- she has a good fortune is sensible
and agreeable -- and His circumstances I
suppose are approved of by Her Friends --
I know my Dear Friend is anxious to
know how my shatter'd frame goes on I
feel that decline which I might have
Expected many years ago -- but much I
owe to Provedence for the support and
Comforts I dayly Experience -- I am now
recovering from a Langour that often
Seizes me and warns me of what is
to come -- yesterday morning I ventured to
Early Prayers I went in my chair which
I don't do when I am in my best Health
-- after Prayers were over and the King
and Queen had with their usual Condescension[2]
taken notise of those they Paʃsd by -- Her
Majesty took me by the hand and said
is my Dear Mrs Delany well enough to
go with us to the Lodge to Breakfast --
to which you may believe I with Pleasure
and gratitude Consented to -- and after having
Breakfasted with the bright Constellation
composd of their Majesties and 5 Princeʃses
I saw them all depart in their Coaches for
Kew the Coronation Day is to be Kept
72
on Friday and the return again on
Saturday. I own I shall be glad when
the day returns -- for when the flag --
does not appear on the round tower
Windsor is dismal to me -- Princeʃs Eliz'
is much recoverd I hope in a way of
being quite well but they are Cautious
and dont suffer Her to use any great
Exersise -- She is very Amiable and I
some times spend an evening with Her
at the Lower Lodge -- I have been much
shoked by the Death of Mrs Fountain
which has been very unexpected as
she was Ill but one hour before she
died -- she is a very great loʃs to all
those she was Connected with Particularly
to my good and never failing Friend
Mr F Montagu -- I have frequently had
accounts from my nephews of their
agreeable Freinds Mr & Mrs Dickenson
always happy when they had an opportunity
of enjoying their Conversations no wonder
the Death of the Marchioneʃs of
Graham is universally Lamented[3] -- Lady
St Asaph was one day last week
brought to bed of a second Son[4] -- and
I am giving to write to dear Lady
Weymouth to Congratulate Her -- I had
a Letter last Post from Badminton
from Mrs Boscawen were she is happy
with 9 grandchildren about Her besids
Sons and Daughters when I write I will
obey your Commands -- I suppose you
hear Constantly from Lady Cremone and have
better information then I have lately And
73
I fear my much respected Friend
Lord Mansfield is in a declining
state not as to His intelects -- but
suffering great Ruins from Rheumatism
and Sleepleʃs Nights -- tho' I coud fill
a Page or two more were I as
able as willing -- I find I can dictate
no longer -- but what Ever Feelings
I am sensible of -- nothing will diminish
the Esteem and affection and warm wishes of My
Dear Madam your most affectionate
and Obligd MDelany
I am much flatterd with
Mr Dickensons Partiallity Pray make my very
Particular Compts to Him -- to hear of your
mutual Happineʃs will always give me Pleasure
we will settle about the Catalogue
when we Meet
Septr. 1786
Mrs. Delany[5]
red text is normalised and/or unformatted in other panel)
Notes
1. Mary Delany is either unaware that Mrs Fox (née Clayton) was the daughter of Mr Clayton and his second wife, Maria Eliza Catherine Lloyd, or she forgot. Mr Clayton's first wife was Mary Warde, with whom he had Catherine Clayton, later Griffin (1748-1807).
2. ‘Gracious, considerate, or submissive deference shown to another’ (OED s.v. condescension n. 3. Accessed 13-04-2021).
3. Lady Jemima Elizabeth Graham had died four days before this letter was written, and 14 days after giving birth to a son (who would die on 29 April 1787). She was 24 years old and had only been married to Lord James Graham for a year and a half.
4. George and Sophia Ashburnham would not have a second son until June 1798. Mary Delany was either unaware or had forgotten that Sophia Ashburnham had given birth to Elizabeth Sophia Ashburnham on 16 September 1786, five days before this letter.
5. This annotation is written upside down at the bottom of the page.
Normalised Text
Windsor 21 September 1786
indeed my Dear Mrs Dickenson
I must appear both unkind and uncivil to
have been so long without acknowledging
your very kind and obliging Letter -- but I assure
you that has not been the case -- Could I write
for my Self I should more frequently send
you testimonies of my rememberance
and affection but my Secratary having
many occupations to call Her away from
that office and several inquiring Friends
to satisfy makes it impossible to be as
regular as I wish in my answers --
-- my Niece I thank god has now quite
recovered the Languor that she Suffered
for some time after the Measles she
has now so much time to recover with
Her Masters -- which I cannot break in
upon -- that she is of no use to me
in writing -- I have the satisfaction
to assure you that she improves very
much and begs I will make Her particular
Compliments to you and Mr Dickenson -- the
amiable and worthy Miss Burney is
Established much to Her satisfaction much
approved of by Every body -- Especially by those
she wishes most to Please -- I certainly
am very happy in Her being Placed so near
me -- which gives me an opportunity of
seeing Her often though Her Visits are generally
short. and she has so many absent Friends
to consider that all Her Spare time
is scarcely sufficient to satisfy their different
demands -- never any body was better Calculated
for the Post she is now in as no part
of the confinement is disagreeable to Her
This moment my girl is stepped
in to my Chaise to call Lady Louisa
Clayton who is to Chaperone Her to
Maidenhead Races which began yesterday --
it is reported and I believe not without
foundation that Miss Clayton (Mr Claytons
Daughter by His first Wife) is to be married
to Collonel Fox who bears a very good
Character and has shown a steady attachment
to Her -- she has a good fortune is sensible
and agreeable -- and His circumstances I
suppose are approved of by Her Friends --
I know my Dear Friend is anxious to
know how my shattered frame goes on I
feel that decline which I might have
Expected many years ago -- but much I
owe to Providence for the support and
Comforts I daily Experience -- I am now
recovering from a Languor that often
Seizes me and warns me of what is
to come -- yesterday morning I ventured to
Early Prayers I went in my chair which
I don't do when I am in my best Health
-- after Prayers were over and the King
and Queen had with their usual Condescension
taken notice of those they Passed by -- Her
Majesty took me by the hand and said
is my Dear Mrs Delany well enough to
go with us to the Lodge to Breakfast --
to which you may believe I with Pleasure
and gratitude Consented to -- and after having
Breakfasted with the bright Constellation
composed of their Majesties and 5 Princesses
I saw them all depart in their Coaches for
Kew the Coronation Day is to be Kept
on Friday and the return again on
Saturday. I own I shall be glad when
the day returns -- for when the flag --
does not appear on the round tower
Windsor is dismal to me -- Princess Elizabeth
is much recovered I hope in a way of
being quite well but they are Cautious
and don't suffer Her to use any great
Exercise -- She is very Amiable and I
some times spend an evening with Her
at the Lower Lodge -- I have been much
shocked by the Death of Mrs Fountain
which has been very unexpected as
she was Ill but one hour before she
died -- she is a very great loss to all
those she was Connected with Particularly
to my good and never failing Friend
Mr Frederick Montagu -- I have frequently had
accounts from my nephews of their
agreeable Friends Mr & Mrs Dickenson
always happy when they had an opportunity
of enjoying their Conversations no wonder
the Death of the Marchioness of
Graham is universally Lamented -- Lady
St Asaph was one day last week
brought to bed of a second Son -- and
I am giving to write to dear Lady
Weymouth to Congratulate Her -- I had
a Letter last Post from Badminton
from Mrs Boscawen where she is happy
with 9 grandchildren about Her besides
Sons and Daughters when I write I will
obey your Commands -- I suppose you
hear Constantly from Lady Cremone and have
better information then I have lately And
I fear my much respected Friend
Lord Mansfield is in a declining
state not as to His intellects -- but
suffering great Ruins from Rheumatism
and Sleepless Nights -- though I could fill
a Page or two more were I as
able as willing -- I find I can dictate
no longer -- but what Ever Feelings
I am sensible of -- nothing will diminish
the Esteem and affection and warm wishes of My
Dear Madam your most affectionate
and Obliged Mary Delany
I am much flattered with
Mr Dickensons Partiality Pray make my very
Particular Compliments to Him -- to hear of your
mutual Happiness will always give me Pleasure
we will settle about the Catalogue
when we Meet
quotations, spellings, uncorrected forms, split words, abbreviations, formatting)
Notes
Metadata
Library References
Repository: Lewis Walpole Library, Yale University
Archive: Mrs. Delany correspondence
Item title: Letter on behalf of Mary Delany to Mary Hamilton
Shelfmark: LWL Mss Vol. 75(77)
Correspondence Details
Sender: Anne Agnew (née Astley) and formerly Pendarves), Mary Delany (née Granville
Place sent: Windsor
Addressee: Mary Hamilton
Place received: unknown
Date sent: 21 September 1786
Letter Description
Summary: Letter on behalf of Mary Delany to Mary Hamilton, which starts with an explanation for Delany's delay in replying to an earlier letter, which she attributes to not being able to write herself, and her secretary (Anne Astley) being too busy. Her niece, who also sometimes writes for Delany, has been ill for some time but is recovering. The letter continues to inform Hamilton of Delany's various social engagements.
Length: 1 sheet, 876 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 13 April 2021)
Copyright: Transcriptions, notes and TEI/XML © the editors
Revision date: 2 November 2021