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HAM/1/16/36
Letter from Lady Frances Harpur (née Greville) to Mary Hamilton
Diplomatic Text
My dear Mrs. Dickenson
I Return you My best Thanks for your last
Kind Letter; & for the Trouble you have taken on Acc.
of those, I wish to serve; I shall not Make Apology on
this Subject; as being perfectly convinced, It would give
you equal satisfaction, to be Instrumental, in promo=
=ting their wishes; -- & that you feel, & Value, the Im=
=portance of the View, they have; in this Desire; &
I Really do Believe, no Persons, can be more Zealously,
& Sincerely Devoted -- in Heart & Life, than they, they
are; It May Justly be said, It Is their Meat, & Drink;
“to Glorify, & do, the will, of their Heavenly Father” --
yet; this, would be, rather an Objection, than a Recom=
=mendation, to Many, who are Moral, & have good Conduct;
for Real Religion, extending, to the Affections, of the
Heart; & a leading Desire of Glorifying God; Is very
rarely to be Met with; the great Cause, I Believe,
not having Conviction of the Divine Authority of the
Scriptures; Making Human Conjectures, & Philosopical
Reasonings, their Standard; I will not Believe, what
they cannot comprehend; so define; dispute & cavil
at Many Points of Scripture, which are not Eʃsential
Points of Doctrine, & If they cannot be Immediately
or clearly Answered; Make this a Reason; to disbelieve
& Reject the Divine Authority of the Bible; -- to
Instance; one Objection; I have been told; that the
Investigation of Volcanos; Absolutely contradict the
Mosaic Acc. of the Creation, I mean in point of
Date; that the Observations Made, on their Erup=
=tions & the length of Time, in which Vegeta=
=tion can take Place; clearly proves; that the
World, Is of Much greater Antiquity -- This Single
Instance, I have Heard Alledged, in contradiction to the
Authority of Scripture; I Really am not learned in
these Philosophical Enquiries -- but I am very sure;
that all who study the Bible, with a proper Disposition
of Mind, will be enabled, to see & feel, Its Power; & be
convinced It was wrote by Divine Inspiration; But I
daily see; It Is not the Knowledge or Wisdom of this
World, that will give us, saving Knowledge; -- I have
wrote to inform my friends of your goodneʃs to them;
they will feel Much Obliged, & be Content, in whate=
=ver; situation may be Allotted for them; -- I am very
sorry to Hear, Mr. Dickenson, had so bad a Fall;[1] &
that you suffered so Eʃsentially by It; I Hope you are
now Both quite well; -- & that you will another Time
be More Succeʃsfull;[2] -- I have only Heard once from
Lady Stormont since Her Return from Scotland; She
tells Me a great deal, of the Improvement of
Her Children; -- My Son; goes next Week; to Warwick
Castle; & will stay some Days -- He has promised to
Attend, My Brother Charles, the 1st. of Novr.. He gives
a Dinner that Day, as He Is chosen Mayor of
Warwick; no very agreable Office; -- I have been
preʃsed to be of the Party, but have excused
Myself -- but I still think of paying them a
Visit, before I leave this Neighbourhood, when that
will be, Is not yet fixed, & Whether We go
from Hence; to Bath or London; -- Sr. Harry Is
tolerably Well; but sometimes has slight Symp=
=toms of Gout; but of no Continuance; -- have
you fixed any Time for going to Warwick Castle,
or any Plan for the Winter; -- they are All well;
Lady Warwick again Breeding -- the last Letter
I had from My Brother, He says, His two Sons of
6. & 5. Years of Age; were playing at Cheʃs, &
seemed quite Eager in their Game; -- Lord Brooke
Is well at Winchester, Lady Caroline Peachy, has
great Pleasure, in the Idea of seeing Him, the Middle
of next Month, in their way to Bath, where They
are going on Sr. Jamess Acct.. He Is tolerably well;
now; but has frequent & severe Attacks of the Disor=
=der in His Stomach; so that He Is, advised, to try the
Bath Waters; I mention you; when I write, Lady Car:
Peachy desires Compts. Thanks, & best Wishes to you; --
Mr. & Mrs. Peachy & their Son; are at Westdean;
the Child Is weakly -- I have this Moment had a Letter
from Lady Stormont; She Is well, & Her Sons, Mast. Murray
Is with Her for a few Days, She says He Is grown stouter
& goes on vastly Well; -- I suppose you will very soon, Hear
from Her; as She Mentions, intending soon to Write to you;
Lady Wallingford Is Better; & has lately had Society, in
Attending Lady St. Asaph; Who has a Son; none of Her
Family Were in Town; -- I am afraid you will soon find It
Cold, in your part of the County; It begins to look Wintery,
Here; as the Leaves fall & change daily; perhaps, that
you are not affected by severe Cold, I am; Which Is the
Re[aso]n, I am thinking, of a Removal from
------ ;[3] towards the end of next Month;
[the] House not being Calculated for Cold
Weather; tho' we have Many Warm Rooms; -- I continue
to Drive often; as no Exercise agrees so Well w. Me;
but am afraid I shall often; be prevented by Weather;
do you Ride, Drive, or Walk Most; the latter May be
too fatiguing for you; -- Lady Stormont has seen My Brs.;
they were vastly pleased with their Tour; & are Both
Well; -- Robt. preparing His Cavalry, for his Waiting; w.
begins the 1st. of January -- & will continue 3 Months;
so that It Is neceʃsary His Horses, should be in good
Order, & Exercise, in Which He Is very exact, &
Attentive -- I Beg My Compts. to Mr. Dickenson; I Hope
you Behave Well, & are not quite spoilt; & am
ever Yours Most Affecly- Frances Harpur
Single Sheet[4]
To
Mrs. Dickenson
at Taxal, near Chapel le Frith
Derbyshire
(hover over blue text or annotations for clarification;
red text is normalised and/or unformatted in other panel)
red text is normalised and/or unformatted in other panel)
Notes
1. Francis Napier also writes to Hamilton about her husband's fall (see HAM/1/20/99).
2. This is perhaps a mistakenly pessimistic reference to Hamilton's pregnancy, which did in fact go successfully to term three months later with the birth of Louisa.
3. Presumably ‘Caulk’, the present Calke Abbey.
4. Remains of a bishop mark, in black ink, to the right of the address line.
Normalised Text
Caulk October 24th.
My dear Mrs. Dickenson
I Return you My best Thanks for your last
Kind Letter; & for the Trouble you have taken on Account
of those, I wish to serve; I shall not Make Apology on
this Subject; being perfectly convinced, It would give
you equal satisfaction, to be Instrumental, in promoting
their wishes; -- & that you feel, & Value, the Importance
of the View, they have; in this Desire; &
I Really do Believe, no Persons, can be more Zealously,
& Sincerely Devoted -- in Heart & Life, than they,
are; It May Justly be said, It Is their Meat, & Drink;
“to Glorify, & do, the will, of their Heavenly Father” --
yet; this, would be, rather an Objection, than a Recommendation
, to Many, who are Moral, & have good Conduct;
for Real Religion, extending, to the Affections, of the
Heart; & a leading Desire of Glorifying God; Is very
rarely to be Met with; the great Cause, I Believe,
not having Conviction of the Divine Authority of the
Scriptures; Making Human Conjectures, & Philosopical
Reasonings, their Standard; I will not Believe, what
they cannot comprehend; so define; dispute & cavil
at Many Points of Scripture, which are not Essential
Points of Doctrine, & If they cannot be Immediately
or clearly Answered; Make this a Reason; to disbelieve
& Reject the Divine Authority of the Bible; -- to
Instance; one Objection; I have been told; that the
Investigation of Volcanoes; Absolutely contradict the
Mosaic Account of the Creation, I mean in point of
Date; that the Observations Made, on their Eruptions
& the length of Time, in which Vegetation
can take Place; clearly proves; that the
World, Is of Much greater Antiquity -- This Single
Instance, I have Heard Alleged, in contradiction to the
Authority of Scripture; I Really am not learned in
these Philosophical Enquiries -- but I am very sure;
that all who study the Bible, with a proper Disposition
of Mind, will be enabled, to see & feel, Its Power; & be
convinced It was written by Divine Inspiration; But I
daily see; It Is not the Knowledge or Wisdom of this
World, that will give us, saving Knowledge; -- I have
written to inform my friends of your goodness to them;
they will feel Much Obliged, & be Content, in whatever
; situation may be Allotted for them; -- I am very
sorry to Hear, Mr. Dickenson, had so bad a Fall; &
that you suffered so Essentially by It; I Hope you are
now Both quite well; -- & that you will another Time
be More Successful; -- I have only Heard once from
Lady Stormont since Her Return from Scotland; She
tells Me a great deal, of the Improvement of
Her Children; -- My Son; goes next Week; to Warwick
Castle; & will stay some Days -- He has promised to
Attend, My Brother Charles, the 1st. of November. He gives
a Dinner that Day, as He Is chosen Mayor of
Warwick; no very agreeable Office; -- I have been
pressed to be of the Party, but have excused
Myself -- but I still think of paying them a
Visit, before I leave this Neighbourhood, when that
will be, Is not yet fixed, & Whether We go
from Hence; to Bath or London; -- Sir Harry Is
tolerably Well; but sometimes has slight Symptoms
of Gout; but of no Continuance; -- have
you fixed any Time for going to Warwick Castle,
or any Plan for the Winter; -- they are All well;
Lady Warwick again Breeding -- the last Letter
I had from My Brother, He says, His two Sons of
6. & 5. Years of Age; were playing at Chess, &
seemed quite Eager in their Game; -- Lord Brooke
Is well at Winchester, Lady Caroline Peachy, has
great Pleasure, in the Idea of seeing Him, the Middle
of next Month, in their way to Bath, where They
are going on Sir Jamess Account. He Is tolerably well;
now; but has frequent & severe Attacks of the Disorder
in His Stomach; so that He Is, advised, to try the
Bath Waters; I mention you; when I write, Lady Caroline
Peachy desires Compliments Thanks, & best Wishes to you; --
Mr. & Mrs. Peachy & their Son; are at Westdean;
the Child Is weakly -- I have this Moment had a Letter
from Lady Stormont; She Is well, & Her Sons, Master Murray
Is with Her for a few Days, She says He Is grown stouter
& goes on vastly Well; -- I suppose you will very soon, Hear
from Her; as She Mentions, intending soon to Write to you;
Lady Wallingford Is Better; & has lately had Society, in
Attending Lady St. Asaph; Who has a Son; none of Her
Family Were in Town; -- I am afraid you will soon find It
Cold, in your part of the County; It begins to look Wintry,
Here; as the Leaves fall & change daily; perhaps, that
you are not affected by severe Cold, I am; Which Is the
Reason, I am thinking, of a Removal from
------ ; towards the end of next Month;
the House not being Calculated for Cold
Weather; though we have Many Warm Rooms; -- I continue
to Drive often; as no Exercise agrees so Well with Me;
but am afraid I shall often; be prevented by Weather;
do you Ride, Drive, or Walk Most; the latter May be
too fatiguing for you; -- Lady Stormont has seen My Brothers;
they were vastly pleased with their Tour; & are Both
Well; -- Robert preparing His Cavalry, for his Waiting; which
begins the 1st. of January -- & will continue 3 Months;
so that It Is necessary His Horses, should be in good
Order, & Exercise, in Which He Is very exact, &
Attentive -- I Beg My Compliments to Mr. Dickenson; I Hope
you Behave Well, & are not quite spoilt; & am
ever Yours Most Affectionately Frances Harpur
Single Sheet
To
Mrs. Dickenson
at Taxal, near Chapel le Frith
Derbyshire
(consult diplomatic text or XML for annotations, deletions, clarifications, persons,
quotations, spellings, uncorrected forms, split words, abbreviations, formatting)
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 Lady Frances Harpur (née Greville) to Mary Hamilton
Shelfmark: HAM/1/16/36
Correspondence Details
Sender: Frances Elizabeth Harpur (née Greville)
Place sent: Calke, Derbyshire
Addressee: Mary Hamilton
Place received: Taxal, near Chapel-en-le-Frith
Date sent: 24 October 1786
Letter Description
Summary: Letter from Lady Frances Harpur to Mary Hamilton. The letter contains a
discussion of religion and philosophy, including the divine authority of the
Bible, as well as more general news of family and friends.
Dated at Caulk [Abbey, Derbyshire].
Length: 1 sheet, 986 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: Therese Rita Kostet, MA student, Uppsala University (submitted 12 July 2022)
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: 9 June 2023