The Mary Hamilton Papers : Letter from Sir William Hamilton to Mary Hamilton

Hamilton, William, Sir

The Mary Hamilton Papers

<p style='text-align: justify;'>Letter from Sir William Hamilton to Mary Hamilton. He is in England once more and notes that nothing his niece writes can offend him. He continues that he has always liked what she 'had written on a certain delicate subject, & you and I think very much alike on that subject' [presumably this relates to his relationship with his mistress Emma Lyon].</p><p style='text-align: justify;'>Sir William writes that now he is back in England, his old friends take up so much of his time that 'Emma passes her time but ill here, but she has the good sense to know that it cannot be otherwise' [as Sir William's mistress, Emma will not be accepted into English 'society'] and that they will soon be back in Naples and in the 'good Society which her excellent conduct has insured her' there. He writes that Emma wishes to meet Hamilton more than anyone on 'Earth'.</p><p style='text-align: justify;'>Dated at Somerset Street [London].</p>