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

Herries (née Foote), Catherine

The Mary Hamilton Papers

<p style='text-align: justify;'>Letter from Lady Catherine Herries to Mary Hamilton. The letter relates to the reconciliation of George III and his eldest son over the Prince's relationship with Mrs Fitzherbert, and to politics, friends, motherhood and illness.</p><p style='text-align: justify;'>Herries writes of her pleasure on the recovery of Louisa Dickenson after her inoculation against smallpox (?)] and what a 'pleasure [it must be for Hamilton] to look [...] [at her child's] smiles to see the dawn of reason & of affection & to say to oneself their little angel is a part of myself, of what is dear to me as myself'. Herries continues on her concerns over the health of Mary [her younger sister] who she is looking after and on her own health.</p><p style='text-align: justify;'>Alluding to the King and Prince George, Herries writes with news for Hamilton that she believes 'the reconciliation between the great Father and his son is thought to be sincere -the first shuts his eyes I suppose as to the attention to Mrs F[itzherbert] which certainly exists'. Herries does not know if she was always at Carleton House during the King's illness but she was 'certainly there at times - in short a most mysterious business'. Herries continues on this subject noting that she knows well-informed people who 'have not the slightest idea that there ever was any thing like a m[arriag]e'. She enquires if Hamilton had heard of a 'strange pamphlet' written by Parson Horne on the subject which he called 'Mrs F: Princess of Wales in direct terms'. The pamphlet claims that Mrs Fitzherbert is not a Roman Catholic and 'that such a connection is the happiest thing for this Nation'. Herries has heard that he is to be prosecuted for the work, which she believes he deserves.</p><p style='text-align: justify;'>The letter continues on the subject of friends. Herries reports that Mrs Vesey's memory is worse and Mrs Chapone is in the country. She writes on other friends and notes that she has seen little of Hannah More and Mrs Garrick this winter. She notes that More is currently in Bristol and that she was prevented from attending what would have been an agreeable party with these two friends by the return home of Sir Robert from Paris.</p><p style='text-align: justify;'>She writes on poetry and on politics. 'What should I say on Politics'. Sir Robert does not believe that the situation with Holland will draw England into a war or at least not for a while. He believes that it is 'more a war of purses between her & France'. She continues that she has heard that the Empress of Russia has chosen to have 'a war with the Turks'.</p><p style='text-align: justify;'>Herries ends her letter by moving on to more domestic matters, noting that she is prevented from travelling abroad with Sir Robert because of the ill health of her sister Mary, and Nina [Herries] is in Tunbridge Wells and is well.</p>