The Mary Hamilton Papers : Letter from Mary Glover to John Dickenson

Glover, Mary

The Mary Hamilton Papers

<p style='text-align: justify;'>Letter from Mary Glover to John Dickenson. She reports that she dined with Anna Maria Clarke who told her that she has already written 24 pages ‘to your Cara Sposa’ and she hopes that Hamilton will think that volume large enough. Clarke is well but Glover does not think she will visit Lady Wake. She says it is because it is not convenient but Glover thinks the real reason is because of the poor health of her sister Bell.</p><p style='text-align: justify;'>Glover wishes Dickenson could see her home at Sunning Hill which she considers a ‘sweet place’ though she cannot enjoy it as much without her father. She at times feels as if she hears him and sees him there. She misses him there more than she does in her home in London. She writes on Dickenson’s father and with news of acquaintances that he met when he visited. Miss Barnard is now married and her looks have improved. She hopes that she will be happy though she doubts that she will be as happy as Dickenson and Hamilton. Glover writes of a visit to Mr [Frederick] Hamilton who showed her a picture of Lord Archibald Hamilton which was painted by [Godfrey] Kneller which the Duke of Queensberry had given him. Sir William Cunningham has a picture of the late Duke of Hamilton which he has promised to give to Mr Hamilton. Glover also writes of her mother who is well and sends her love to Hamilton and her ‘saucy husband’.</p><p style='text-align: justify;'>Glover also writes of the soon to be published work [of her father’s writings] which is being looked after by Mr Collier and keeps her in London longer than she wishes to be. She writes of going to see the stag turned out at Ascot Heath and notes that the King was there. She also writes with news of Mrs Bloodworth who died leaving large debts and that the Queen had her buried at her own expense. She writes that when the Prince’s [of Wales] marriage was mentioned before the Queen she said ‘George has many such wives as Mrs F——t [Maria Fitzherbert] he had his failings, but had a good heart at the bottom; this is one of the reports out of many’. She notes that she left before seeing Mrs F[itzherbert].</p>