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

Wake, William, 9th Baronet

The Mary Hamilton Papers

<p style='text-align: justify;'>Letter from William Wake [Lady Wake's son] to Mary Hamilton. He writes to Hamilton as he cannot trust himself to speak to her directly. He would have done anything to have spent the previous evening in his room but he did not do so as he was afraid that his mother may have believed he was truly ill. Wake 'flatter[s] himself that [...] [Hamilton] does not mean all that she said. If she does she will render me truly miserable'. Wake writes of his feelings for Hamilton and of his hope for his future happiness. That he 'cherished a hope which last night [was] totally and cruelly blasted'. He knows that he can expect Hamilton's pity if nothing else. Wake does not wish to flatter Hamilton but he believes that 'there is not such another young woman in the World, nor any one in whose friendship I should be so completely happy'. When he 'offended' Hamilton 'in that fatal hour [...] [he had] suffered [...] [his] passion to get the better of [him]'. He knows that this was wrong and he asks Hamilton to take this into consideration. Wake ends his letter by noting that he is a poor writer and hope that her 'generosity of [...] mind' will take his deficiencies into account.</p><p style='text-align: justify;'>Original reference No. 1.</p>