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. The letter relates to Dickenson’s social life whilst away from home, including meeting Horace Walpole and Mrs Boscawen. He writes of his future brother-in-law Palombi and of seeing Mr and Mrs Piozzi, who attended a party at the Warwicks that he also went to. Whilst there Mr Piozzi joined ‘Miss H’ and another person who were performing a duet and ‘it far exceeded any thing I ever heard before’. He also writes of art and painters and of the method of keeping ‘water colours wet for 2 to 3 days, so that they have all the advantages of oils’. He visited a Mr G. Foote who told him that the Prince of Wales had angered a number of people who came to pay their respects a few days previously by keeping them waiting for two hours. There were lots of grumbles. He writes of meeting Horace Walpole who said many kind things for Hamilton and sent her some publications.</p>