Letter to Sir William Elford, 1820 September 9

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            <author ref="si.xml#MRM">Mary Russell Mitford</author>
            <editor ref="si.xml#lmw">Lisa M. Wilson</editor>
            <sponsor><orgName>Mary Russell Mitford Society: Digital Mitford Project</orgName></sponsor>
              <sponsor>University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg</sponsor> 
            <principal>Elisa Beshero-Bondar</principal>
        
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                  <persName ref="si.xml#lmw">Lisa M. Wilson</persName>
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               <persName ref="si.xml#ebb">Elisa Beshero-Bondar</persName><!--ebb: 1 July 2014: Proofread this against the manuscript images and updated the TEI header. Need to CHECK at Reading CL if we missed photographing the last leaf! L'Estrange concludes this letter with a signature, but we know how reliable he is...See note below.-->
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            <edition>First digital edition in TEI, date: <date when="2014-07-01">1 July 2014</date>. P5.</edition>
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           <handNote corresp="si.xml#pencil" medium="pencil"> 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 "16" in the top left of the first leaf, underneath the opening line, "To Sir W. Elford."
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               <salute>To <persName ref="si.xml#Elford_SirWm">Sir W. Elford</persName></salute> 
               <add hand="si.xml#pencil">16</add> 
               <dateline>
                  <name type="place">Three Mile Cross</name>
                  <date when="1820-09-09">September 9<hi rend="superscript">th</hi> 1820</date>.
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            <p>You will think <rs type="person" ref="si.xml#MRM">your poor little Friend</rs> very naughty indeed, my dear <persName ref="si.xml#Elford_SirWm">Sir William</persName> if she do not sometimes write you two letters, so having made no vow by <placeName ref="si.xml#Styx">Styx</placeName> this time, she will scribble.<note resp="si.xml#ebb si.xml#lmw">In ancient Greek history and mythology, gods or mortals who make oaths by <placeName ref="si.xml#Styx">the River Styx</placeName> are understood to be strongly bound not to break them. The penalty for breaking an oath was to drink the poisonous water of this mythical river, which would stupefy the oath-breaker for an entire year.</note> Having nothing to say <metamark place="below" function="insertion" rend="caret"/><add place="above">my dear <persName ref="si.xml#Elford_SirWm">Sir William</persName></add> is such an old story between us that there <del rend="squiggles">are</del><add place="above">is</add> no need of apologies on that score. I really think we go on quite as well without a subject as with one--the cobweb spins out to a good size--rather flimsy to be sure, &amp; not very durable--but there it is looking very happy &amp; comfortable these bright autumn mornings-- &amp; the poor little round spider snugs herself up in her hole and seems proud of her handywork <add>&amp; as soon as one is finished away begins another</add>.--So she shall spin on. Moreover, it behooves me to pay my court very spiderously, or I shall have my nose quite put <metamark place="below" function="insertion" rend="caret"/><del rend="strikethrough">of</del><add place="above">out of</add> joint by that formidable rival <persName ref="si.xml#Palmer_Mad">Lady Madelina</persName>. I did wait on her as I told you I should, &amp; think with you that she is a most delightful woman. I did not expect to find her still so very handsome--but the best parts of beauty, grace intelligence &amp; and <choice><sic>goodhumour</sic><reg>good humour</reg></choice> are those which last the longest, &amp; and that pretty Scotch voice is enchanting. We talked a great deal of you--&amp; of <placeName ref="si.xml#Devonshire_county">Devonshire</placeName>--which she admires with her whole heart--&amp; she says things of you--It is very well that <persName ref="si.xml#Palmer_CF">Mr. Palmer</persName> was out of hearing--there is no love lost beween you <unclear><supplied resp="si.xml#lmw">I assure</supplied></unclear> you. In short I was quite charmed with every thing about her but her <persName ref="si.xml#Queen_Caroline">Queen</persName> madness which burst forth suddenly on the appearance of <title ref="si.xml#Times_news">the Times</title> &amp; sent me off in a hurry. Had she this frenzy-fever in <placeName ref="si.xml#Devonshire">Devonshire</placeName> or has she caught it from <rs type="person" ref="si.xml#Palmer_CF">her husband</rs>? <orgName ref="si.xml#Palmerite">He &amp; his brother members &amp; his precious constituents</orgName> are alike insane upon this subject. Indeed to do <placeName ref="si.xml#Reading_city">Reading</placeName> justice it never is behindhand in any<pb n="2"/> folly stirring. They had a meeting to address the <persName ref="si.xml#Queen_Caroline">Queen</persName>--&amp; voted said address--&amp; sent up their worthy members to present it--&amp; up they went in all their paraphernalia--&amp; the gracious <persName ref="si.xml#Queen_Caroline">Queen</persName> never spoke to them! Is not this famous? Never said a word, shoved the answer unread into their hands, held her tongue &amp; marched off. <said who="si.xml#Monck_Mrs">"Served them just right--did not she <persName ref="si.xml#MRM">Mary</persName>?" </said> <choice><sic>Said</sic><reg>said</reg></choice> <persName ref="si.xml#Monck_Mrs">Mrs. Monck</persName> to me when she told me the story--<said who="si.xml#Monck_Mrs">"a couple of simpletons. I only wish the whole meeting had been there to have partaken of the compliment."</said>&#xa0;<persName ref="si.xml#Monck_Mrs">Mrs. Monck</persName> you see is sane. Did I ever talk to you of <orgName ref="si.xml#Monck_family">the Moncks</orgName>? <persName ref="si.xml#Monck_JB">He</persName> is a very extraordinary man--a great Grecian--&amp; more like an old philosopher than anything you ever saw--I defy anything or anybody to put him out of humour--he has not of course though a clever man, <del rend="squiggles">any thing</del> <add place="above">much</add> of <persName ref="si.xml#Fox_ChasJ">Charles Fox</persName>'s powers or eloquence, but he is more like him in point of character than any man that ever lived--full of kindheartedness &amp; of a tolerant humanity--more generally beloved by man woman &amp; child than any person I ever heard of--Dividing his whole time between literature &amp; usefulness &amp; family affection. <persName ref="si.xml#Monck_Mrs">His wife</persName> is a pretty lively chatty woman kind &amp; good humored--entirely without her <choice><sic>husband's</sic><reg>husband's</reg></choice> largeness &amp; liberality of mind--not even understanding the breadth &amp; depth of his character--but in whom good habits &amp; kindly prejudices produce nearly the same effect. She loves his <metamark place="below" function="insertion" rend="caret"/><add place="above">old</add> friends because they are old friends, &amp; is good to the poor because she has been used to <del rend="strikethrough" unit="word" quantity="1">it.</del><add place="above">be charitable.</add>--She has returned from a three years &amp; a half tour through <placeName ref="si.xml#France">France</placeName> <placeName ref="si.xml#Italy">Italy</placeName> <placeName ref="si.xml#Switzerland">Switzerland</placeName> &amp; <placeName ref="si.xml#Germany">Germany</placeName> without having brought back a single new feeling or left behind one old one. She is so entirely unchanged in mind &amp; person as to produce an effect more extraordinary &amp; surprising than could have <del rend ="squiggle" unit="word" quantity="2"><unclear><supplied resp="si.xml#lmw si.xml#ebb">been the</supplied></unclear></del> resulted from the greatest alteration. She took up her <placeName ref="si.xml#Coley_Berks">Coley</placeName> habits, as if she had only laid them aside <pb n="3"/> the night before with her clothes, &amp; the presence of a sweet little girl of three years old born in <placeName ref="si.xml#France">France</placeName> &amp; and not speaking a word of English seems necessary to convince one that the Mother has ever set her foot on the Continent. This identity of character has a great charm with me--I never liked <persName ref="si.xml#Monck_Mrs">Mrs. Monck</persName> half so well in my life as since she returned so perfectly the same as she went. Besides we agree like two drops of water. She hates her <choice><sic>husbands</sic><reg>husband's</reg></choice> parliamenting. So do I. She sickens at the name of <persName ref="si.xml#Queen_Caroline">Queen Caroline</persName>. So do I. She thinks <placeName ref="si.xml#Mortimer_Comm">Mortimer Common</placeName> the prettiest place in the world. So do I. She detests <placeName ref="si.xml#Reading_city">Reading</placeName> and its doings. So do I.--<placeName ref="si.xml#Reading_city">Reading</placeName> is at present <persName ref="si.xml#Queen_Caroline">Queen</persName> mad. It reads &amp; talks &amp; dreams &amp; lies of nothing else--&amp; engrafts a clumsy and awkward licentiousness on its original vulgarity &amp; dullness. After all the crying evil of this frightful enquiry is its tendency to confound right &amp; wrong. Those who dislike the <persName ref="si.xml#GeoIV">King</persName>'s immorality think themselves bound by the duty of party to palliate the much grosser and more horrible conduct of the <persName ref="si.xml#Queen_Caroline">Queen</persName>, &amp; we hear of <q>"little indiscretions"</q> &amp; <q>"too great condescensions"</q> &amp; such paltering with vice from the very lips of the stern mentors who thunder at the crimes of Kings &amp; the wickedness of Ministers. This must be wrong--there can only be one Virtue &amp; one Wickedness. Besides the <persName ref="si.xml#Queen_Caroline">Queen</persName>'s <del rend="squiggles">conduct</del><add place="above">defence</add> throws a stain &amp; a slur upon womanhood--She seeks to cover her enormous crime with a cloak of innocence &amp; purity &amp; profanes the sacred &amp; holy name of matronly virtue by asserting her claim to it. Chastity is become a <choice><sic>byeword</sic><reg resp="si.xml#lmw">byword</reg></choice> &amp; a jest--She is to womanly purity, what a false prophet is to religion. She can not alter the eternal truth--but she can give mockers &amp; scoffers a pretence to doubt <choice><sic>it's</sic><reg>its</reg></choice> existence. Many years must pass away before the effect of this ceases &amp; modesty shall become <pb n="4"/> again a holy thing. I am astonished when I hear a woman vindicate the <persName ref="si.xml#Queen_Caroline">Queen</persName>. Do tell me what you think on this subject? <metamark rend="waves"/><note resp="si.xml#lmw">These wavy lines appear to represent a change in paragraph and subject (and in this case also a change from one day's writing to a later one). It seems possible that <persName ref="si.xml#MRM">Mitford </persName>uses this metamark to indicate such a change without wasting the space incurred by a paragraph break.</note></p>
            <p><date when="1820-09-13">Sept. 13.</date>--Since writing the above I have spent a day at <placeName ref="si.xml#Coley_Berks">Coley</placeName> &amp; extracted from <persName ref="si.xml#Monck_JB">Mr. Monck</persName> rather more of the Royal Visit than his wife could do, partly by cross-examination--&amp; partly from an effect of character. <said who="si.xml#Monck_JB">"You are bad enough, <persName ref="si.xml#MRM">Mary</persName>,"</said> <del rend="squiggles">said</del> quoth he <said who="si.xml#Monck_JB">"but not quite so bitter as my wife."</said> She really did speak to them--She said <said who="si.xml#Queen_Caroline">"You do me honour--it is an excellent address"</said>--(I dare say she thought so for of all the fulsome nonsense that has been penned on her none this surpassed!)--her presence was announced by a prodigious giggling chattering &amp; romping outside the door--like a parcel of boys let loose from school--which suddenly ceased &amp; she entered as gravely as <persName ref="si.xml#Liston_SarahT">Mrs. Liston</persName> in <bibl corresp="si.xml#TomThumb_OHaraAdpt"><persName ref="si.xml#Queen_Dollalolla">Queen Dollalolla</persName></bibl>.<note resp="si.xml#ebb si.xml#lmw"><persName ref="si.xml#Liston_SarahT">Mitford is conflating a celebrated role in a burletta with the production itself: Sarah Tyrer Liston, as Sarah Tyrer</persName> before her marriage in <date when="1807">1807</date>, was widely celebrated for her performance of <persName ref="si.xml#Queen_Dollalolla">Queen Dollalolla</persName> in <bibl corresp="si.xml#TomThumb_OHaraAdpt">a comic opera adaptation of <title ref="si.xml#TomThumb_Fielding">Tom Thumb</title></bibl>. She continued her acting career as <persName ref="si.xml#Liston_SarahT">Mrs. Liston</persName> until <date when="1822">1822</date>.</note> Her dress we had a great deal of fun about from the delicious ignorance of the describer. It was in the midst of the Court mourning &amp; he put himself to charges for a black suit, the coat he had to go to <orgName ref="si.xml#Pius7_Court">the Pope's Court</orgName><note resp="si.xml#ebb">If <persName ref="si.xml#Monck_JB">Monck</persName> paid a visit to the Pope's Court, presumably this was <orgName ref="si.xml#Pius7_Court">the court of <persName ref="si.xml#Pius7_Pope">Pope Pius VII</persName> of <date from="1800" to="1823">1800-1823</date></orgName>. <persName ref="si.xml#Napoleon">Napoleon</persName> forced <orgName ref="si.xml#Pius7_Court"><persName ref="si.xml#Pius7_Pope">the Pope</persName> and his Cardinals</orgName> into exile to <placeName ref="si.xml#Savona">the province of Savona</placeName> <date from="1809" to="1813">between 1809 and 1813</date>, but was restored to <placeName ref="si.xml#Rome">Rome</placeName> by signing a treaty. It seems likely that <persName ref="si.xml#Monck_JB">Monck</persName> would have visited <orgName ref="si.xml#Pius7_Court">the Pope's Court</orgName> during his time in <placeName ref="si.xml#Europe">Europe</placeName> in the previous decade.</note> being unluckily of a pure colour--but <rs type="person" ref="si.xml#Queen_Caroline">the Lady herself</rs> was it appears in colours--<said who="si.xml#Monck_JB">"fawn Colour <persName ref="si.xml#MRM">Mary</persName>--the colour of that Cow!"</said>--<said who="si.xml#MRM" direct="false">How was it made:</said> <gap unit="word" quantity="1" reason="deletion"/><del rend="squiggles" unit="word" quantity="1"> .</del> <said who="si.xml#Monck_JB">"So"</said>--buttoning up his Coat--<said who="si.xml#MRM" direct="false">Of a Man's Coat--pray was the best of her apparel</said>--<said who="si.xml#Monck_JB">"Don't be foolish--a woman's coat"--a grey coat--the thing you all wear in winter"</said> <said who="si.xml#MRM" direct="false">--a Pelisse?--</said> <said who="si.xml#Monck_JB">"Yes--a fawn coloured pelisse--garnished with gold!"</said>--<metamark rend="waves"/></p>
            <p>Have you read <title ref="si.xml#Abbot_WS">the Abbot</title>?  I have just finished it--disappointed--because as every alternate book of his is commonly excellent &amp; the last was bad I had made up my mind that this should be good--&amp; good it would be from <choice><sic>any body</sic><reg resp="si.xml#lmw">anybody</reg></choice> else, but he has accustomed us to such writing that mere mediocrity will not satisfy us.  After all it is remarkably pleasant reading--quite as free from the peculiar faults as the striking beauties of the <persName ref="si.xml#Scott_Wal">Author</persName>--no ghost--no prophecies--only one old woman &amp; not much of her--&amp; no torture scene--a very agreeable book, they 
               <note resp="si.xml#ebb si.xml#lmw">The end of the page, apparently missing the rest of the letter. The Digital Mitford editors will check for the missing page at <orgName ref="si.xml#ReadingCL">Reading Central Library</orgName>. L'Estrange concludes the letter with further discussion of <title ref="si.xml#Abbot_WS">The Abbot</title> in unfavorable comparison with <bibl corresp="si.xml#TwelfthNight_Shkspr">Shakespeare's play, Twelfth Night</bibl> and represents <persName ref="si.xml#MRM">Mitford</persName>'s signature.</note>         
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      <!--ebb: 29 May 2014: New prosop. from this letter entered into site index.-->
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Letter to Sir William Elford, 1820 September 9 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 Elaine Frantz Parsons Lisa M. Wilson Proofing and corrections by Elisa Beshero-Bondar First digital edition in TEI, date: 1 July 2014. P5. Edition made with help from photos taken by Digital Mitford editors Digital Mitford photo files: 9Sept1820SirWilliamElford1si.xml#.jpg, 9Sept1820SirWilliamElford2si.xml#.jpg, 9Sept1820SirWilliamElford3si.xml#.jpg, 9Sept1820SirWilliamElford4si.xml#.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 ff.441 Horizon No.: 1361550 Letter from Mary Russell Mitford to Sir William Elford, 1820 September 9. One sheet of folio paper, four surfaces photographed. This letter appears to be a fragment, cut off in mid-sentence at the bottom of the fourth leaf. Evidently missing another leaf of paper, presumably surrounding this, and missing address leaf.
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. On this letter, a red line is drawn from the top center diagonally slightly left to the bottom of the first page, and then is drawn in the usual way from top left to bottom right of each of the other leaves. 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 "16" in the top left of the first leaf, underneath the opening line, "To Sir W. Elford."

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.

To Sir W. Elford 16 Three Mile Cross September 9th 1820.

You will think your poor little Friend very naughty indeed, my dear Sir William if she do not sometimes write you two letters, so having made no vow by Styx this time, she will scribble.1 In ancient Greek history and mythology, gods or mortals who make oaths by the River Styx are understood to be strongly bound not to break them. The penalty for breaking an oath was to drink the poisonous water of this mythical river, which would stupefy the oath-breaker for an entire year. Having nothing to say my dear Sir William is such an old story between us that there are is no need of apologies on that score. I really think we go on quite as well without a subject as with one--the cobweb spins out to a good size--rather flimsy to be sure, & not very durable--but there it is looking very happy & comfortable these bright autumn mornings-- & the poor little round spider snugs herself up in her hole and seems proud of her handywork & as soon as one is finished away begins another.--So she shall spin on. Moreover, it behooves me to pay my court very spiderously, or I shall have my nose quite put of out of joint by that formidable rival Lady Madelina. I did wait on her as I told you I should, & think with you that she is a most delightful woman. I did not expect to find her still so very handsome--but the best parts of beauty, grace intelligence & and goodhumour good humour are those which last the longest, & and that pretty Scotch voice is enchanting. We talked a great deal of you--& of Devonshire--which she admires with her whole heart--& she says things of you--It is very well that Mr. Palmer was out of hearing--there is no love lost beween you I assure you. In short I was quite charmed with every thing about her but her Queen madness which burst forth suddenly on the appearance of the Times & sent me off in a hurry. Had she this frenzy-fever in Devonshire or has she caught it from her husband? He & his brother members & his precious constituents are alike insane upon this subject. Indeed to do Reading justice it never is behindhand in any folly stirring. They had a meeting to address the Queen--& voted said address--& sent up their worthy members to present it--& up they went in all their paraphernalia--& the gracious Queen never spoke to them! Is not this famous? Never said a word, shoved the answer unread into their hands, held her tongue & marched off. "Served them just right--did not she Mary?" Said said Mrs. Monck to me when she told me the story--"a couple of simpletons. I only wish the whole meeting had been there to have partaken of the compliment." Mrs. Monck you see is sane. Did I ever talk to you of the Moncks? He is a very extraordinary man--a great Grecian--& more like an old philosopher than anything you ever saw--I defy anything or anybody to put him out of humour--he has not of course though a clever man, any thing much of Charles Fox's powers or eloquence, but he is more like him in point of character than any man that ever lived--full of kindheartedness & of a tolerant humanity--more generally beloved by man woman & child than any person I ever heard of--Dividing his whole time between literature & usefulness & family affection. His wife is a pretty lively chatty woman kind & good humored--entirely without her husband's husband's largeness & liberality of mind--not even understanding the breadth & depth of his character--but in whom good habits & kindly prejudices produce nearly the same effect. She loves his old friends because they are old friends, & is good to the poor because she has been used to it. be charitable.--She has returned from a three years & a half tour through France Italy Switzerland & Germany without having brought back a single new feeling or left behind one old one. She is so entirely unchanged in mind & person as to produce an effect more extraordinary & surprising than could have been the resulted from the greatest alteration. She took up her Coley habits, as if she had only laid them aside the night before with her clothes, & the presence of a sweet little girl of three years old born in France & and not speaking a word of English seems necessary to convince one that the Mother has ever set her foot on the Continent. This identity of character has a great charm with me--I never liked Mrs. Monck half so well in my life as since she returned so perfectly the same as she went. Besides we agree like two drops of water. She hates her husbands husband's parliamenting. So do I. She sickens at the name of Queen Caroline. So do I. She thinks Mortimer Common the prettiest place in the world. So do I. She detests Reading and its doings. So do I.--Reading is at present Queen mad. It reads & talks & dreams & lies of nothing else--& engrafts a clumsy and awkward licentiousness on its original vulgarity & dullness. After all the crying evil of this frightful enquiry is its tendency to confound right & wrong. Those who dislike the King's immorality think themselves bound by the duty of party to palliate the much grosser and more horrible conduct of the Queen, & we hear of "little indiscretions" & "too great condescensions" & such paltering with vice from the very lips of the stern mentors who thunder at the crimes of Kings & the wickedness of Ministers. This must be wrong--there can only be one Virtue & one Wickedness. Besides the Queen's conduct defence throws a stain & a slur upon womanhood--She seeks to cover her enormous crime with a cloak of innocence & purity & profanes the sacred & holy name of matronly virtue by asserting her claim to it. Chastity is become a byeword byword & a jest--She is to womanly purity, what a false prophet is to religion. She can not alter the eternal truth--but she can give mockers & scoffers a pretence to doubt it's its existence. Many years must pass away before the effect of this ceases & modesty shall become again a holy thing. I am astonished when I hear a woman vindicate the Queen. Do tell me what you think on this subject? 2 These wavy lines appear to represent a change in paragraph and subject (and in this case also a change from one day's writing to a later one). It seems possible that Mitford uses this metamark to indicate such a change without wasting the space incurred by a paragraph break.

Sept. 13.--Since writing the above I have spent a day at Coley & extracted from Mr. Monck rather more of the Royal Visit than his wife could do, partly by cross-examination--& partly from an effect of character. "You are bad enough, Mary," said quoth he "but not quite so bitter as my wife." She really did speak to them--She said "You do me honour--it is an excellent address"--(I dare say she thought so for of all the fulsome nonsense that has been penned on her none this surpassed!)--her presence was announced by a prodigious giggling chattering & romping outside the door--like a parcel of boys let loose from school--which suddenly ceased & she entered as gravely as Mrs. Liston in Queen Dollalolla .3 Mitford is conflating a celebrated role in a burletta with the production itself: Sarah Tyrer Liston, as Sarah Tyrer before her marriage in 1807, was widely celebrated for her performance of Queen Dollalolla in a comic opera adaptation of Tom Thumb . She continued her acting career as Mrs. Liston until 1822. Her dress we had a great deal of fun about from the delicious ignorance of the describer. It was in the midst of the Court mourning & he put himself to charges for a black suit, the coat he had to go to the Pope's Court4 If Monck paid a visit to the Pope's Court, presumably this was the court of Pope Pius VII of 1800-1823 . Napoleon forced the Pope and his Cardinals into exile to the province of Savona between 1809 and 1813, but was restored to Rome by signing a treaty. It seems likely that Monck would have visited the Pope's Court during his time in Europe in the previous decade. being unluckily of a pure colour--but the Lady herself was it appears in colours--"fawn Colour Mary--the colour of that Cow!"--How was it made: . "So"--buttoning up his Coat--Of a Man's Coat--pray was the best of her apparel--"Don't be foolish--a woman's coat"--a grey coat--the thing you all wear in winter" --a Pelisse?-- "Yes--a fawn coloured pelisse--garnished with gold!"--

Have you read the Abbot? I have just finished it--disappointed--because as every alternate book of his is commonly excellent & the last was bad I had made up my mind that this should be good--& good it would be from any body anybody else, but he has accustomed us to such writing that mere mediocrity will not satisfy us. After all it is remarkably pleasant reading--quite as free from the peculiar faults as the striking beauties of the Author--no ghost--no prophecies--only one old woman & not much of her--& no torture scene--a very agreeable book, they 5 The end of the page, apparently missing the rest of the letter. The Digital Mitford editors will check for the missing page at Reading Central Library. L'Estrange concludes the letter with further discussion of The Abbot in unfavorable comparison with Shakespeare's play, Twelfth Night and represents Mitford's signature.

Sir William Elford

Sir William Elford

ElfordWilliamSirbaronet

1749-08

1837-11-30

According to L'Estrange, Elford was a friend of Mitford's father, and Mitford met him for the first time in the spring of 1810 when he was nearing the age of 64. "He was a fellow of the Royal and Linnaean Societies, and recorder of Plymouth, which borough he also represented in Parliament for many years. Mr. Pitt had created him a baronet in 1800." [L'Estrange vol. 1 of 3, pp. 104-105]

Parsons Elaine Frantz Consulting Editor

Duquesne University

Wilson Lisa M. Founding Editor

State University of New York at Potsdam

Lisa Wilson is Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of English and Communication at SUNY Potsdam, where she has taught since 2005. Her areas of interest include transatlantic Romantic and Victorian era literature, particularly women’s writing and popular forms such as the Gothic novel and the ballad revival. She is also interested in book history and bibliographical studies, particularly in the study of authorship in the long nineteenth century (1780-1900). She has published in European Romantic Review, Romanticism on the Net (now RaVon), Romantic Circles, Romantic Textualities, and elsewhere. She is currently working on a monograph on Romantic-period authorship and literary celebrity. Her work on Digital Mitford thus far includes editing and coding Mitford’s lengthy “Introduction” to her collected Dramatic Works (1854), a critical memoir that recounts the author’s influences and experiences at Covent Garden and Drury Lane in the 1820s and 30s. It also includes researching Mitford’s publication history for the site’s working bibliography, particularly tracking the migration of Mitford’s stories from their first publication to their later reappearances in collections and periodicals. She and her team of undergraduate student researchers are also working on transcribing, coding, and researching Mitford’s letters from the early 1820s as found in the John Rylands Library at the University of Manchester.

Beshero-Bondar Elisa Principal Editor

Associate Professor of English University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg

Reading Central Library The principal archive of Mary Russell Mitford's personal papers and related documents, holding approximately 1,000 manuscripts and a nearly comprehensive collection of her publications.

Mitford Mary Russell

female

1787-12-16

1855-01-10

literarygardening

Poet, playwright, writer of prose fiction sketches, Mary Russell Mitford is, of course, the subject of our archive. Much of her writing was devoted to supporting herself and her parents. She received a civil list pension in 1837. Mitford's long life and prolific career ended after injuries from a carriage accident, and she is buried in Swallowfield churchyard.

River Styx

River in Greek mythology that separates the realms of the living from the dead, and encircling Hades (the realm of the dead or underworld). For more, see the reference in Encyclopedia Mythica:

Palmer Gordon Madelina the Lady

PalmerGordonMadelinathe Lady

Lady M.P.

Lady Mad.

Lady Madalina Palmer

Lady M. Palmer

tiresome woman

my Lady

female

sometime after 17721772?

1847

Her second marriage was to the Reading Whig politician Charles Fyshe Palmer. His marriage to her gained him access to aristocratic houses, including the Holland House. For more on the Palmers see note 2 in The Browning's Correspondence rendering of Mitford's letter of 12 March 1842 to Elizabeth Barrett Browning : .

Devonshire

Palmer Charles Fyshe

PalmerCharlesFyshe

Mr. Palmer

Long Fyshe

male

sometime after 1770

1843-01-24

On March 16, 1820, an election in Reading was held. There were three candidates: John Berkeley Monck (418 votes), Charles Fyshe Palmer(399 votes), and John Weyland(395 votes.) A Whig politician, he began running for Parliament elections as the member for Reading after 1816, and appears to have served off and on in that role until 1841. He led the Berkshire meetings to protest British government's handling of the Peterloo Massacre in 1819. Mitford's letters indicate a pronounced dislike of him as she vastly preferred his opponent J. B. Monck, and she reportedly satirized the Palmer in 1818 as "vastly like a mop-stick, or, rather, a tall hop-pole, or an extremely long fishing-rod, or anything that is all length and no substance." Palmer mentioned in connection with a potential legal issue with the Billiard Club in Mitford's letter to Talfourd of 31 August 1822. Palmer's opponents sometimes undermined his Whiggish position by referencing the noble privileges he accrued by marrying the Lady Madalina Gordon in 1805. [Source: see . See also note 2 in The Browning's Correspondence rendering of Mitford's letter of 12 March 1842 to Elizabeth Barrett Browning : .

Caroline Queen Consort of the United Kingdom

Queen Consort of the United Kingdom

Caroline of Brunswick

Caroline Amelia Elizabeth of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel

Princess of Wales

female

1768-05-17

1821-08-07

The cousin and estranged wife of the Prince Regent (later George IV). Caroline was adopted as the leader of the parliamentary reform movement around the time that the Regent attempted to divorce her on grounds of adultery in 1818, and his struggles with Parliament to divorce her and prevent her from becoming Queen are known as the Queen Caroline Affair.

Devon

County in the southwest of England bordering with the English Channel and the Bristol Channel.

Palmerite

Supporter of Charles Fyshe Palmer in the Reading elections of March 16, 1820.

city of Reading, England

Mrs. Monck

female

wife of J.B. Monck, M.P.

the Moncks, family of John Berkeley Monck

John Berkeley Monck

male

MP for Reading area 1820-1830, who frequently franked Mary Russell Mitford's letters.

MRM's letter to Sir William Elford of 20 March 1820 describes the election of Monck, describing him in context with a shoemaker who brought him from France: "Mr. Monck an opposition man of large fortune brought from France in a fit of patriotism by our celebrated shoemaker & Patriot Mr. W ." We are hoping to discover who this shoemaker is.

Charles James Fox The Honourable

male

1749-01-24

1806-09-13

politician

Whig politician, member of the House of Commons, and Prime Minister. Fox was an outspoken opponent of King George III and William Pitt the Younger, supporter of the American and French Revolutions as well as the abolitionist cause. His politics became widely known as "Foxite radicalism" and synonymous with populist causes.

France

Italy

Switzerland

Germany

Coley

Coley, Berkshire, a district near the center of the town of Reading

Mortimer Common

George IV King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland

King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland

George Augustus Frederick

Prince Regent

male

1762-08-12

1830-06-26

monarch

The Regency period was named for George when he ruled in his father's stead from 1811 to 1820.

Liston Tyrer Sarah

ListonTyrerSarah

Sarah Liston

Mrs. John Liston

Miss Tyrer

Sarah Tyrer

female

1781

1854

English comic actress known for her singing voice and roles in burlesque operas, and celebrated for her performance as Miss Tyrer of Queen Dollalolla in Kane O'Hara's burlesque adaptation of Henry Fielding's Tom Thumb , in Haymarket Theatre, July 1805. She began her theatrical career at Drury Lane and Haymarket theaters in May and June of 1801, was engaged by Covent Garden Theatre in September 1805, and married the comic actor John Liston on 22 March 1807. Both John and Sarah Liston publicly retired from the theatre with valedictory performances at Covent Garden on 31 May 1822. [Sources: entries on John Liston in ODNB, DNB 1885-1900. See in particular ]

Queen Dollalolla

female

Comic role in Henry Fielding's play Tom Thumb, adapted in Mitford's day by Kane O'Hara as a comic opera, with Sarah Tyrer famously playing this role.

Court of Pope Pius VII

Pope Pius VII and his Cardinals, from 1800 to 1823. The court was driven to exile in Savona between 1809 and 1813, but restored to Rome after a treaty with Napoleon.

Pope Pius VII

PopeChiaramontiBarnabaNiccolòMariaLuigi

1742-08-14

1823-08-20

religion

Pius the VII reigned the Pope, or patriarch of the Catholic Church, from 1800 to 1823. He and his Cardinals were exiled by Napoleon to Savona from 1809 to 1813, and restored to Rome by signing a treaty in 1813. Mitford mentions an unspecified past visit of J. B. Monck to the Pope's Court in her letter to Sir William Elford of 9 September 1820 .

Bonaparte Napoleon

Savona, Papal States

Pope Pius VII and his Cardinals were driven to exile here by Napoleon, between 1809 and 1813.

Rome

Papal States

Europe

Scott, Walter Walter Scott

male

1771-08-15

1832-09-21

literarygovernment

Scottish antiquarian, poet, and novelist. Also worked as clerk of the Court of Session in Edinburgh. He assembled a collection of Scottish ballads, many of which had never before been printed, in Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border, first published in 1802, but continually expanded in revised editions through 1812 . Author of the long romance poems, The Lay of the Last Minstrel (1805), Marmion (1808), and The Lady of the Lake (1810). From 1814-1831, Scott published 23 novels, and over the course of his literary career, he wrote review articles for the Edinburgh Review, The Quarterly Review, Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, and the Foreign Quarterly Review.

Toolbox

Themes:

Letter to Sir William Elford, 1820 September 9 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 Elaine Frantz Parsons Lisa M. Wilson Proofing and corrections by Elisa Beshero-Bondar First digital edition in TEI, date: 1 July 2014. P5. Edition made with help from photos taken by Digital Mitford editors Digital Mitford photo files: 9Sept1820SirWilliamElford1si.xml#.jpg, 9Sept1820SirWilliamElford2si.xml#.jpg, 9Sept1820SirWilliamElford3si.xml#.jpg, 9Sept1820SirWilliamElford4si.xml#.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 ff.441 Horizon No.: 1361550 Letter from Mary Russell Mitford to Sir William Elford, 1820 September 9. One sheet of folio paper, four surfaces photographed. This letter appears to be a fragment, cut off in mid-sentence at the bottom of the fourth leaf. Evidently missing another leaf of paper, presumably surrounding this, and missing address leaf.
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. On this letter, a red line is drawn from the top center diagonally slightly left to the bottom of the first page, and then is drawn in the usual way from top left to bottom right of each of the other leaves. 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 "16" in the top left of the first leaf, underneath the opening line, "To Sir W. Elford."

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.

To Sir W. Elford 16 Three Mile Cross September 9th 1820.

You will think your poor little Friend very naughty indeed, my dear Sir William if she do not sometimes write you two letters, so having made no vow by Styx this time, she will scribble.In ancient Greek history and mythology, gods or mortals who make oaths by the River Styx are understood to be strongly bound not to break them. The penalty for breaking an oath was to drink the poisonous water of this mythical river, which would stupefy the oath-breaker for an entire year. Having nothing to say my dear Sir William is such an old story between us that there are is no need of apologies on that score. I really think we go on quite as well without a subject as with one--the cobweb spins out to a good size--rather flimsy to be sure, & not very durable--but there it is looking very happy & comfortable these bright autumn mornings-- & the poor little round spider snugs herself up in her hole and seems proud of her handywork & as soon as one is finished away begins another.--So she shall spin on. Moreover, it behooves me to pay my court very spiderously, or I shall have my nose quite put of out of joint by that formidable rival Lady Madelina. I did wait on her as I told you I should, & think with you that she is a most delightful woman. I did not expect to find her still so very handsome--but the best parts of beauty, grace intelligence & and goodhumour good humour are those which last the longest, & and that pretty Scotch voice is enchanting. We talked a great deal of you--& of Devonshire--which she admires with her whole heart--& she says things of you--It is very well that Mr. Palmer was out of hearing--there is no love lost beween you I assure you. In short I was quite charmed with every thing about her but her Queen madness which burst forth suddenly on the appearance of the Times & sent me off in a hurry. Had she this frenzy-fever in Devonshire or has she caught it from her husband? He & his brother members & his precious constituents are alike insane upon this subject. Indeed to do Reading justice it never is behindhand in any folly stirring. They had a meeting to address the Queen--& voted said address--& sent up their worthy members to present it--& up they went in all their paraphernalia--& the gracious Queen never spoke to them! Is not this famous? Never said a word, shoved the answer unread into their hands, held her tongue & marched off. "Served them just right--did not she Mary?" Said said Mrs. Monck to me when she told me the story--"a couple of simpletons. I only wish the whole meeting had been there to have partaken of the compliment." Mrs. Monck you see is sane. Did I ever talk to you of the Moncks? He is a very extraordinary man--a great Grecian--& more like an old philosopher than anything you ever saw--I defy anything or anybody to put him out of humour--he has not of course though a clever man, any thing much of Charles Fox's powers or eloquence, but he is more like him in point of character than any man that ever lived--full of kindheartedness & of a tolerant humanity--more generally beloved by man woman & child than any person I ever heard of--Dividing his whole time between literature & usefulness & family affection. His wife is a pretty lively chatty woman kind & good humored--entirely without her husband's husband's largeness & liberality of mind--not even understanding the breadth & depth of his character--but in whom good habits & kindly prejudices produce nearly the same effect. She loves his old friends because they are old friends, & is good to the poor because she has been used to it. be charitable.--She has returned from a three years & a half tour through France Italy Switzerland & Germany without having brought back a single new feeling or left behind one old one. She is so entirely unchanged in mind & person as to produce an effect more extraordinary & surprising than could have been the resulted from the greatest alteration. She took up her Coley habits, as if she had only laid them aside the night before with her clothes, & the presence of a sweet little girl of three years old born in France & and not speaking a word of English seems necessary to convince one that the Mother has ever set her foot on the Continent. This identity of character has a great charm with me--I never liked Mrs. Monck half so well in my life as since she returned so perfectly the same as she went. Besides we agree like two drops of water. She hates her husbands husband's parliamenting. So do I. She sickens at the name of Queen Caroline. So do I. She thinks Mortimer Common the prettiest place in the world. So do I. She detests Reading and its doings. So do I.--Reading is at present Queen mad. It reads & talks & dreams & lies of nothing else--& engrafts a clumsy and awkward licentiousness on its original vulgarity & dullness. After all the crying evil of this frightful enquiry is its tendency to confound right & wrong. Those who dislike the King's immorality think themselves bound by the duty of party to palliate the much grosser and more horrible conduct of the Queen, & we hear of "little indiscretions" & "too great condescensions" & such paltering with vice from the very lips of the stern mentors who thunder at the crimes of Kings & the wickedness of Ministers. This must be wrong--there can only be one Virtue & one Wickedness. Besides the Queen's conduct defence throws a stain & a slur upon womanhood--She seeks to cover her enormous crime with a cloak of innocence & purity & profanes the sacred & holy name of matronly virtue by asserting her claim to it. Chastity is become a byeword byword & a jest--She is to womanly purity, what a false prophet is to religion. She can not alter the eternal truth--but she can give mockers & scoffers a pretence to doubt it's its existence. Many years must pass away before the effect of this ceases & modesty shall become again a holy thing. I am astonished when I hear a woman vindicate the Queen. Do tell me what you think on this subject? These wavy lines appear to represent a change in paragraph and subject (and in this case also a change from one day's writing to a later one). It seems possible that Mitford uses this metamark to indicate such a change without wasting the space incurred by a paragraph break.

Sept. 13.--Since writing the above I have spent a day at Coley & extracted from Mr. Monck rather more of the Royal Visit than his wife could do, partly by cross-examination--& partly from an effect of character. "You are bad enough, Mary," said quoth he "but not quite so bitter as my wife." She really did speak to them--She said "You do me honour--it is an excellent address"--(I dare say she thought so for of all the fulsome nonsense that has been penned on her none this surpassed!)--her presence was announced by a prodigious giggling chattering & romping outside the door--like a parcel of boys let loose from school--which suddenly ceased & she entered as gravely as Mrs. Liston in Queen Dollalolla . Mitford is conflating a celebrated role in a burletta with the production itself: Sarah Tyrer Liston, as Sarah Tyrer before her marriage in 1807, was widely celebrated for her performance of Queen Dollalolla in a comic opera adaptation of Tom Thumb . She continued her acting career as Mrs. Liston until 1822. Her dress we had a great deal of fun about from the delicious ignorance of the describer. It was in the midst of the Court mourning & he put himself to charges for a black suit, the coat he had to go to the Pope's Court If Monck paid a visit to the Pope's Court, presumably this was the court of Pope Pius VII of 1800-1823 . Napoleon forced the Pope and his Cardinals into exile to the province of Savona between 1809 and 1813, but was restored to Rome by signing a treaty. It seems likely that Monck would have visited the Pope's Court during his time in Europe in the previous decade. being unluckily of a pure colour--but the Lady herself was it appears in colours--"fawn Colour Mary--the colour of that Cow!"--How was it made: . "So"--buttoning up his Coat--Of a Man's Coat--pray was the best of her apparel--"Don't be foolish--a woman's coat"--a grey coat--the thing you all wear in winter" --a Pelisse?-- "Yes--a fawn coloured pelisse--garnished with gold!"--

Have you read the Abbot? I have just finished it--disappointed--because as every alternate book of his is commonly excellent & the last was bad I had made up my mind that this should be good--& good it would be from any body anybody else, but he has accustomed us to such writing that mere mediocrity will not satisfy us. After all it is remarkably pleasant reading--quite as free from the peculiar faults as the striking beauties of the Author--no ghost--no prophecies--only one old woman & not much of her--& no torture scene--a very agreeable book, they The end of the page, apparently missing the rest of the letter. The Digital Mitford editors will check for the missing page at Reading Central Library. L'Estrange concludes the letter with further discussion of The Abbot in unfavorable comparison with Shakespeare's play, Twelfth Night and represents Mitford's signature.