Letter to <persName ref="#Talfourd_Thos">T.N. Talfourd</persName>, [November 6,] 1821 Mary Russell Mitford Lisa M. Wilson Mary Russell Mitford Society: Digital Mitford Project University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg Elisa Beshero-Bondar Transcription and coding by Lisa M. Wilson Natalie LoRusso Proofing and corrections by Lisa M. Wilson First digital edition in TEI, date: 22 May 2014. P5. Edition made with help from photos taken by Digital Mitford editors Digital Mitford photo files: DSCN6108.jpg, DSCN6109.jpg, DSCN6110.jpg, DSCN6111.jpg Digital Mitford: The Mary Russell Mitford Archive Greensburg, PA, USA 2013

Reproduced by courtesy of the The John Rylands University Library.

Distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License Digital Mitford Letters: The Mary Russell Mitford Archive The John Rylands University Library Mitford-Talfourd Correspondence: Letters from Mary Russell Mitford to Thomas Noon Talfourd: vol. 665 JRL English MS 665 no. 6 Coles no. 17 Letter from Mary Russell Mitford to T.N. Talfourd, 1821 November 6. The first two sections of the letter are at Harvard; only the last sheet is at Rylands. This section starts on Coles letter #6, p. 108, and is dated "Tuesday" on an previous page. According to the perpetual calendar, Nov. 6 was Tuesday.

Quarto sheet of paper (likely torn from folio sheet folded in half to form four quarto pages) with correspondence on 1 and address leaf on page 2, then folded in thirds twice more and sealed for posting.

Address leaf bearing two postmarks: one black and illegible; one red circular with crown reading FREE 7 1821 .

A portion of page 1 has been torn away under the seal.

Seal missing.

 Someone cataloging the letters, apparently other than Mitford, numbered each on page 1. This letter numbered 6.

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.

he is a friendly man--& he may be a very friendly one & yet hesitate to embroil himself in a harassing business of this sort--there are not many persons like our one kindest friend--Mr. Taylor's good humoured zeal I do not doubt for an instant--but I have no great notion of his power.--he is just the sort of man to have worn out his interests fifty Plays ago. My Father again says that I under-rate underrate both their interests & perhaps I may. Would it be worth while worthwhile that Papa should come to Town & try what can be done by an union of forces?--Perhaps if Mr. Macready should be returned without the two plays which the newspapers talked of --& would have the goodness to present mine & Mr. Taylor & Mr. Robins & Mr. Quayle's friend to support it at the same time?-- there might at least be a greater chance of a hearing if not of success. Shall he come? I suppose Mr. Robins will return to Town about tomorrow week--& by that time we may have heard something from Mr. Milman. At the same time if you have any favorable opportunity--or if you see any sort of objection to this plan--pray pursue your own--I have a thousand times more confidence in you than in all the Mr. Taylors & Mr. Robins's in Christendom & had rather of the two that my dear sanguine father were out of the affair. Oh dear me. What a sad trouble I am to you!--Can you forgive me?

Mr. Newberry will call or send on or before Friday for the two Nos of the Encyclopedia--I will take the greatest care of them.--I am ashamed of this tremendous letter--my Father & Mother join in kindest remembrances.

Ever my dear Sir Most sincerely your's, M.R. Mitford

Let me know if Papa shall come.
Reading November six 1821 To T. N. Talfourd Esqre. 1 Pump Court Temple London