The Mary Hamilton Papers : Journal-letter from John Dickenson to Mary Hamilton

Dickenson, John

The Mary Hamilton Papers

<p style='text-align: justify;'>Journal-letter from John Dickenson to his wife Mary née Hamilton. He discusses visiting three of Hannah More's sisters [cf. HAM/1/2/15: 'Hannah & Patty were absent'] and offers news of other friends and acquaintances in Bath. Dickenson writes of his astonishment to hear whilst at the Miss Mores' 'so many vulgar expressions in common conversation'. 'Sally has a lively imagination but she rises into the third Heaven too often – She is an agreeable woman notwithstanding'. Dickenson notes that Mrs Yearsley is 'universally despised' and that there are only three or four 'people who take any notice of her' and he believes that Hannah More 'ought to have taken notice of that woman's justification of herself as it was too well written to be treated as with contempt, however fallacious she might know the subject to be – Miss More said they had always been of my opinion, but Hannah thought otherwise'. Sarah More [known as Sally (1743-1819)] believed that 'ten lines would be sufficiently full of faults to convince the world of the injustice of the assertions, to clear up Hannah's character to the world, & expose the notorious falsehoods in Mrs Y[earseley]s publication'.</p><p style='text-align: justify;'>The sisters spoke of their affection for a Dr Stonehouse and of his being pleased by Hannah More's eulogy for his wife. Dickenson notes that he will spend a day or two with the Mores at Cowslip Green [Somerset] and will also visit Dr Stonehouse.</p><p style='text-align: justify;'>In the letter Dickenson writes to Hamilton on the subject of what he has been reading. He spent part of the morning reading a pamphlet on the Royal Interviews, which is concerned with a discussion that had supposedly taken place between the King and the Prince of Wales concerning the conduct of the Prince. He also writes of his visits to the Pump room to take the waters and of his social life whilst at Bath.</p><p style='text-align: justify;'>Original reference No. 2.</p>