Letter to <persName ref="#Webb_Mary_younger">Mary Webb</persName>, January 20, 1819 Mary Russell Mitford Lisa M. Wilson Mary Russell Mitford Society: Digital Mitford Project University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center Elisa Beshero-Bondar Transcription and coding by Lisa M. Wilson Julie Fish Brytney Laird Date last checked: 2019-05-12 Proofing and corrections by Lisa M. Wilson First digital edition in TEI, date: September 8, 2017 Edition made with help from photos taken by Digital Mitford editors Digital Mitford photo files: DSCF8901-Copy.jpg, DSCF8916.jpg, DSCF8917.jpg, DSCF8918.jpg Digital Mitford: The Mary Russell Mitford Archive Greensburg, PA, USA 2013

Reproduced by courtesy of the Reading Central Library.

Distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License Digital Mitford Letters: The Mary Russell Mitford Archive Reading Central Library The letters of Mary Russell Mitford, vol. 4, 1819-1823 qB/TU/MIT Vol. 4 Horizon No.: 1361550 Letter from Mary Russell Mitford to Mary Webb, January 20, 1819. We arrived at this date by checking a perpetual calendar. January 20, 1819 was a Wednesday.

One sheet of paper, 18.5 x 12 cm., two surfaces photographed. Folded in half, then again in thirds.

No postmarks.

Sheet ragged on left and bottom edge.

No seal.

 Someone, apparently other than Mitford, perhaps cataloging letters and describing them, who left grey pencil marks and numbered her letters now in the Reading Central Library's collection. This letter is marked [20 Jan. 1819] in the top left of the first leaf.

Mitford’s spelling and punctuation are retained, except where a word is split at the end of a line and the beginning of the next in the manuscript. Where Mitford’s spelling and hyphenation of words deviates from the standard, in order to facilitate searching we are using the TEI elements “choice," “sic," and “reg" to encode both Mitford’s spelling and the regular international standard of Oxford English spelling, following the first listed spelling in the Oxford English Dictionary. The long s and ligatured forms are not encoded.
[20 Jan. 1819] Wednesday.

Your dear letter, my own sweet Mary should have been answered in person had the weather, & indeed my health permitted. I went on Saturday into Reading, & whether with talking laughing or the cold was so very ill in the night that Papa was quite frightened. I am quite well now--but he is going to Town on Sunday & so engaged till then that I have no chance of the pleasure of seeing you.--Most of our books & above all my favorites are packed up & at Coley--& I am afraid the greater part of those here come under the interdicted quantity & quality, being most of them long histories--or longer travels. One of my favorites is unpacked (but I will not answer for your liking it) an old edition of an old translation of Mariana's old history of Spain--It is one Volume Folio--Did you ever read <persName ref="#Richardson_Sam">Richardson</persName>'s letters? I mean his private correspondence in 6 Vols. Perhaps you would be amused with them--Shall I bring them? Then we have a fine edition of <persName ref="#Chatterton">Chatterton</persName> in 3 Vols--Should you like that? <persName ref="#Blair_H">Blair</persName>s Lectures? <persName ref="#Coxe_Wm">Coxe</persName>s Travels?--After all my dear you had better come & chuse choose . En attendant I send you Shee's Elements of Art which besides being very beautiful as poetry will give you some good ideas on painting & sculpture & a book about the South Sea Islands which pleases me for its simplicity.--Since so many of our books have been packed my reading has been chiefly from borrowed books--books lent me by Dr. Valpy--Mrs. Dickinson--Mr. Liebenrood--Mr. Brooke--Mr. Newberry--& others--besides the libraries of Reading--The Institution, the Billiard room & I heard of your dance from Dr. Bailey who spoke of it as very pleasant he said there was a very beautiful girl--Miss Teasdale.--Papa had a charming letter from Mrs. Hayward yesterday about his Godfather-ship--I heard yesterday from Mr. Haydon, whom I hope we shall see soon--Only think of his having a pet greyhound.--I will read you some of his letter when I see you--& today I got one from Mrs. Rowden which you shall see too. She is beginning to be pretty sick of France. One of my schoolfellows is going to marry a son of the Duke de Fitz James, & is turning Catholic in preparation for these august nuptuals. A year ago she was a methodist--Ainsi va le monde.--You need never fear any doublecharge about letters put into the Reading Post Office --it is only a penny if there were 10 sheets.--Adieu--my dear love--Kind regards to all from all--

Ever yours M.R.M.

You must send me an account of the ball & tell me how you liked Mr. Joseph--Tell my own dear Eliza I want to see her too very much indeed. Miranda is the greatest beauty under Heaven.
To Mary Webb
deMariana Juan Father Juan Mariana Talavera de la Reina, Spain Madrid, Spain historian writer Juan de Marian wrote, among other titles, the “Historia General de España." Mitford speaks of having an “old edition of an old translation” of it. It is probable that she is referring to an edition of “The general history of Spain: from the first peopling of it by Tubal, till the death of King Philip III” that was first published in London in 1699, as one of the first English translations of Marian’s work. Hugh Blair Blair Hugh Edinburgh, Scotland Edinburgh, Scotland philosopher writer clergy educator Influential figure in the Scottish Enlightenment and Chair of Rhetoric and Belles Lettres at the University of Edinburgh. Mitford was familiar with his groundbreaking work on written composition, Lectures on Rhetoric and Belles Lettres. Anna Laetitia Aikin Barbauld Barbauld Aikin Anna Laetitia Kibworth Harcourt, Leicestershire, England Stoke Newington, Middlesex, England Poet, essayist, editor, and author of innovative works for children. Teacher, with her husband, at Palgrave Academy in Sussex. Reformist writer who supported civil rights for Dissenters, the abolition of slavery, and educational reforms. Sir Martin Archer Shee Shee Martin Archer Dublin, Ireland Brighton, Sussex artist writer Martin Archer Shee was an artist and author of Elements of Art which Mitford recommends to her friend because it is “beautiful as poetry” and has “good ideas on painting and sculpture.” In 1830, he became president of the Royal Academy. Thomas Chatterton Chatterton Thomas Bristol, England London, England Poet literary Chatterton was a young, romantic, English poet who died by suicide at the age of seventeen in London. Mitford refers to having a collection of his work in three volumes. Mr. Brooke Brooke Forename unknown. Married to Mrs. Brooke; they may have a daughter. Mitford borrowed books from Mr. Brooke due to hers being packed away. More research needed. Mrs. Hayward Hayward Mrs. Wife of William Hayward of Watlington. George Mitford was their daughter's godfather. Dr. Bailey Bailey Dr. Mitford borrowed books from Dr. Bailey in 1819. More research needed. Miss Teasdale Teasdale Miss Mitford's friend Dr. Bailey speaks of her as a beauty. More research needed. Joseph Mr. Forename unknown. More research needed. Liebenrood John Engleberts John Engelberts Liebenrood Germany Purley, Berkshire, England law enforcement civil Born John Engelberts Ziegenbein, he became a naturalized British citizen in 1781. He changed his name upon inheriting his uncle's fortune. Inherited and enlarged Prospect House, (later Mansion House), Prospect Park, near Reading. Served as High Sheriff of Berkshire. Husband of Lucy Hancock.
Elements of Art: A Poem, in Six Cantos; with Notes and a Preface; including Strictures on the State of the Arts, Criticism, Patronage, and Public Taste Lectures on Rhetoric and Belles Lettres The General History of Spain: From the First Peopling of it by Tubal,Ttill the Death of King Philip III Historia General de España, published in 1601, was translated by J. Stevens into English and published in London in 1699. The Correspondence of Samuel Richardson Letters of the author collected by Anna Lætitia Barbauld, along with observations on his life and writings.
Literary Institution and Reading Room, Reading, Berkshire, England Reading Berkshire England Billiard Rooms, Reading, Berkshire, England Reading Berkshire England Reading Post Office, Reading, Berkshire, England Reading Berkshire England