The Mary Hamilton Papers : Letter from Lady Catherine Hamilton (née Barlow) to Mary Hamilton

Hamilton (née Barlow), Catherine, Lady

The Mary Hamilton Papers

<p style='text-align: justify;'>Letter from Lady Catherine Hamilton to Mary Hamilton. The letter describes Lady Catherine's journey back to Naples and her refusal to receive Lady Maynard and to present her to the Queen of Naples. She writes of the difficulties she encountered on her journey, which involved 'disagreeable accidents', and that she still feels 'as if the horses were running away with me' and that she is fearful that she has now lost her courage for ever. The journey through Holland was 'delightful', they then went to Antwerp and spent a month at Spa, and from there they travelled to Dusseldorf, Bonn, then up the Rhine to various other locations but were troubled at Man[n]hiem by terrible weather. They feared that they were going to be 'carried away [...] by the violence of the torrent'. When they reached Radicofani they found the Chateau that they were to stay at had been partially demolished by a suspected earthquake, but they had no other option but to stay there. The house 'trembled the whole night' so much as to burst our door w[hi]ch was bolted'. The next day they met with their accident, an account of which she notes that she has enclosed. After this they were forced to stay in Rome.</p><p style='text-align: justify;'>Lady Catherine does not yet feel fit enough to be in public and has not been, except when she has to go to the Queen. She has now again to go as she has eight ladies to present. A Lady Maynard also wanted to be presented but she thought it 'improper' to do so, as it was only six years ago that Lady Maynard was here with quite a different 'character' [she was the Duke of Dorset's mistress]. Lord Maynard says that he will complain to the King of her not receiving his wife. He says that she will be presented to and received by Queen Charlotte immediately when they return to England. Lady Catherine Hamilton notes that she doubts that the Queen will receive her.</p><p style='text-align: justify;'>Dated at Naples.</p><p style='text-align: justify;'>Original reference No. 7.</p>