Letter to <persName ref="#Elford_SirWm">Sir William Elford</persName>, October 12, 1822 Mary Russell Mitford Elizabeth Raisanen Mary Russell Mitford Society: Digital Mitford Project University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center Elisa Beshero-Bondar Transcription and coding by Sophia Gemelas Sophia Gemelas Date last checked: yyyy-mm-dd Proofing and corrections by Lisa M. Wilson First digital edition in TEI, date: . P5. Edition made with help from photos taken by Digital Mitford editors Digital Mitford photo files: 12October1822Sir William Elford4#.JPG, 12October1822Sir William Elford3#.JPG, 12October1822Sir William Elford2a#.JPG, 12October1822Sir William Elford1b#.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 ff. 373 Letter from Mary Russell Mitford to Sir William Elford, 1822 October 12

One quarto sheet of paper folded in half to form two octavo pages, which comprise pages 1-4 of the letter. The fourth page exposes the address with the end of the letter written along the side immediately next to the red seal. has been folded in sixths. The third page has a semi circle removed at the middle of the right edge where the wax seal was attached.

Sheet (pages three and four) torn on right edge of page three where wax seal was removed.

Red wax seal, complete, adhered to page four.

 Red crayon or thick red pencil. Probably a different hand from Mitford's that marks many of her letters, sometimes drawing diagonal lines across pages, and sometimes writing words overtop and perpendicularly across Mitford's writing. A red line is drawn across the top, perpendicular to the top column of text on the first leaf. On leaf three, a red line is drawn from top left to bottom right across each of the two text blocks and also in the same orientation across the block of text located directly under the red seal. There is no red crayon across the address text block. 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 numbered "48" 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.
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 numbered "48" in the top left of the first leaf. October 12th . My dear friend

I wrote the moment I recieved your letter to Mr. Elford -- informing him that the only Thomas Ford in any medical department in Reading was in a respectable druggist's house there &then thought as forever , that he was noted for his cures in different disorders amongst the lower classes of customers & even resorted to occasionally by patients of a higher description -- More than this I cannot then say, as my father was in Oxfordshire for some days --He returned last night and I have to correct my report in one particular as I beg you to inform your brother -- Mr. Ford though originally only Mr. French's assistant is now his in consequence of his talents & good conduct his partner, & may undoubtedly be considered as an apothecary -- My father who has known him for twenty years speaks very highly of his intelligence his medical knowledge & his moral & religious character -- he is too (a very great point in such cases) an exceedingly cautious practitioner -- the Mr. Bickman of whom you speak is also a most respectable & trustworthy man -- & altogether it is decidedly my father's advice that the prescription unless obviously dangerous be tried. Will you have the goodness to communicate this to your brother with my father's kindest regards & sincerest good wishes. & my most ardent ones -- you will imagine how much I was shocked when I heard for the first time from your letter the death of Mrs. Elford -- whom I had learnt to consider as a friend -- almost as a correspondent. It must have been a great shock to you & has probably encreased encreased increased the violence of your brother's disorder. God grant that Mr. Ford's remedy may be successful -- I shall like Reading the better if it be - Every body says that Johnathan Elford is the best man in the world-- besides he is your (underlined) brother. With regard of the affair of Mr. Palmer, my dear friend there is no secret at all -- He never made the speech either to Papa or any one else, as my father told the John Bull people -- It was we believe an invention of a Mr. Nicholas Bull who is making love to the daughter of an Anti Palmerite in Reading, & some way connected with that veracious newspaper--But I do not wonder at all that the story has gained credit, because the intolerable want of common sense shewn shown by Mr. Palmer in not denying it himself &the still more egregious Jolly of the Gents of the the Billiard room in coming forward like so many Don Quixotes where they had no business whatsoever is enough to make any one believe the aspersion -- I have told them all round to a hundred times over, I am quite delighted to find that you are of the same opinion -- By the bye there is a later set of the Billiard room Resolutions fifty times more absurd than the first directed against Nicholas Bull -- I read them three times over to try to comprehend them --but quite in vain -- the meaning they come nearest to is the one they do not mean --They beat the new marriage act all to nothing. Pray, my dear Sir William how many couples have you married? My Father has married -- Really it is rather hard on you magistrates to have the trouble of the pairs who do come together legitimately as well as those who do not. -- Lady Madelina Palmeris in this neighborhood at present I had the pleasure of a long visit from her a few days ago, & shall meet her at dinner next Tuesday She is a most delightful person to be -- she asked a thousand questions about you & desired all manner of kind messages.--Since I wrote to you I have been once or twice to LondonLondon on the business of my play which Mr. Charles Kemble(there is another delightful person--I am the least in the world in love with him--(Don't tell Mrs. C. K.) --he is the to napoleon in my imagination) -- which Mr. C. Kemble (you will begin to think my passion not quite disinterested) promises to bring out the first of the season. Of course nothing can cut off by tear from wax seal be fired Mr. Macready returns from his Italian Fortification which will be I supposed surely in next month -- you shall hear in time to heat up for recruits amongst any of your play-poing London friends (if a man of your fashion have met a thing as a play-goer amongst his acquaintance) -- Nothing I believe is certain in a theatre till the curtain is fairly drawn up & let down again, but as far as I can see I have from the warm zeal & admirable character of the hew manager & his very clever & kind hearted Lady every reason to expect a successful debut. -- During my last day in Town I had the very great pleasure of seeing Mr. Haydon's lovely wife-- lShe is really a charming woman friendly beautiful, I never saw so fine a piece of natural colouring as is formed by her dark eyes & hair & her brilliant complexion & with exceedingly sweet & captivating manners -- I admired her so much that I could hardly take my eyes from her to look at his picture but that is very grand indeed -- the effect of the eye in the -like face is miraculous. I hope & trust it will produce an immense effect. Forgive this stupid letter -- I would not delay even one post I have no Mr. P under hand -- Wish for me & tonight to have no doubt -- but I have a supersticious fear of making too & it is of much unspeakable importance to those whom I love best --. Wish that nothing may happen to prevent its coming out & that it may succeed -- Charles Kemble means & I have new -- a thing unheard of in a new tragedy -- Pray wish for me! You have all thy kindest & gratefullest thoughts. Though a tremendous of occupation will not allow me to express than so often as I to do. -- Godbless you my dear friend - Ever your's M.R.M.

& is an ampersand

.

I wish you joy very heartily of your new Papa -- ship -- I hope it is the very that ever was seen -- a match to Miss Dickinson & that you will all spoil in gloriously. A spoilt child is very thing when it has once outgrown its spoiling -- Once more Godbless you -- write soon & do not fail to give good news of your brother.

To Sir William Elford Bar Bickham Plymouth To Sir William Elford
Ford Thomas French Peter Elford Jonathan Bull Nicholas ... <!--Title-->