The Mary Hamilton Papers : Letter from William Napier (later 7th Lord Napier) to Mary Hamilton

Napier, William, 7th Lord

The Mary Hamilton Papers

<p style='text-align: justify;'>Letter from William Napier [later 7th Lord Napier] to Mary Hamilton. He writes that he has received Hamilton's last letter and promises not to ask her for a long letter again if she means to 'turn every thing I write against me'. Napier writes of what a 'fine character' Hamilton had given him, and that she has only to recall the first two pages of her last letter to know that he has the better reason to feel chagrined. He writes in jest that she does not like the truth, and from now on he will write only falsehoods, and to begin with, he states that he does not have 'the least regard, Love, or friendship for you'. Hamilton has criticized Napier for his use of the term 'female Correspondants [sic]' in his last letter, and he defends himself by noting that it was purely a figure of speech 'supposing a chit, chat, letter from two Misses that had sworn the greatest Friendship for each other which the flirting of a Fan put an end too [sic] at once'. He writes that she has mistaken his meaning, and as he is always 'making blunders so the best thing I can do is to beg' his compliments be given to her mother.</p><p style='text-align: justify;'>Napier adds at the bottom of the sheet that Hamilton can expect her puppy next month (see HAM/1/19/41).</p><p style='text-align: justify;'>Dated at Canterbury.</p>