Cossey. March the 6th. 1786

My Dearest Charlotte,
Enclosed is a letter for the Mere Generale to say all that you
desire. I have told her that my Pretty Girl's Menus Plaisirs
must change into a Guinea a Month & that augmentation to
begin, if she thinks proper, from last January. This will set you
a little at your ease, for I hope the 6^ll you mentioned to me
last year was employ'd in the same manner this Shrovetide
for dinners etc. and that you amused yourself as well as
before. I have, also desired the Geography & Italian masters
may be employ'd, the dancing to be no more doubled, &
even I think that 2 lessons of dancing a week would
be sufficient at present. The dropping this lesson would make
you gain time for your other studies & would also decrease
the number of lessons to be produced upon your memoire,
which must be a pretty strong one. But I want my sweet Girl
to acquire as many talents as she has naturall Good Qualities.
Perhaps you could drop a lesson also of your music master
& so only take two singing lessons a week as you have
Harp, & Harpsichord besides, I think it would be sufficient.
I am very glad you are reading Rollin's Histoire Ancienne,
it is perfectly well written and very Instructive. Is it L' Abbe Millotte's

Abrege de l’histoire de France that is recommended to you.
How dos that poor little girl from Arras do? Your pathetic
manner of relating her story quite affected me. The whole letter
that contained that anecdote was astonishingly well written,
indeed your style is got almost to Perfection. I must however
recommend to my little girl not to {?lae} her spelling. You
sometimes make mistakes which I do not wonder at, but
if you are not careful about it this deficiency may increase
upon you. For example you generally put an e instead of
an i indeed has an I but enclose is different & so on. Now
I want to recollect my poor Gs faults I Cannot
think of them. My little dear Neddy is gone back to school
it was his own desire so to do. He thought he should learn
better it is surprising how his mind opens & what a sensible
child he is. Molly (to whom I gave your remembrance)
says he is very like you in his manner & I think he is.
He grows beautiful in his person & so very manly in his
conversation at the same time all the pleasing part of innocence.
He is delighted with your letter. Pray tell me if the Chevalier ever
mentions him or if he has ever said any thing to you about our affair.

He must imagine you know something of it by writing as he
did some time ago. He is quite misinformed about Navarre
as long as I can keep them at Juilly I think they
are but disposed of. George begins to settle & do very well
which I principally impute to my Reasoning the point with
Him, for when he came over here it was with a fixed
determination never to return again to Juilly.
Mrs Petre was presented at Court last week & on Shrove Monday
Lord Petre gave an immense dinner & Ball. It is said
that she is pretty, but very little
it is likely that this coronation may
bring on the double match of Miss Petre
& Mr Howard, but as yet there is no
foundation for the report of it. Mrs. Fitzherbert has, I believe,
been married to the Prince. But it is a very hazardous
undertaking, as there are two acts of Parlement against the
validity of such an alliance: her being a subject, & her
being a Catholick. God knows how it will turn out — it
may be to the Glory of our Belief, or it may be to the
Great dismay and destruction of it. She has taken a Box to herself
at the opera, which no Lady but the Dutchess of Cumberland ever did
100 guineas a year. The Prince is very assiduous in attending her
in all publick places, but she lives at her own House, & he
at his. Do you remember seeing her when she was the widow Weld

She came to see me one morning in Charles Street & you found
her face too fat. Her sister, Miss Smith, is married to Sir Carnaby
Haggerston. Poor Mr Bacon is still in that same chair you
saw him in last. Mrs Bacon & Miss Rand are patterns of good
humour & tenderness towards him. They enquired much after you.
Who told you that we were going to London? I should not be sorry for



it, for indeed my life here is not very gay, but I do not
think that we shall move. Papa is a little partial to his trees
& I try to amuse my solitude with thinking of the progress I
hope you will all make. I will not say how much I miss you,
perhaps it would affect you too deeply. Adieu pretty sweet girl.
Miss me I beg

[change of orientation]
France p^as p^d to London
Madmoiselle

Cossey. March the 6th. 1786

My Dearest Charlotte,
Enclosed is a letter for the Mere Generale to say all that you
desire. I have told her that my Pretty Girl's Menus Plaisirs
must change into a Guinea a Month & that augmentation to
begin, if she thinks proper, from last January. This will set you
a little at your ease, for I hope the 6^ll you mentioned to me
last year was employed in the same manner this Shrovetide
for dinners etc. and that you amused yourself as well as
before. I have, also desired the Geography & Italian masters
may be employed, the dancing to be no more doubled, &
even I think that 2 lessons of dancing a week would
be sufficient at present. The dropping this lesson would make
you gain time for your other studies & would also decrease
the number of lessons to be produced upon your memoire,
which must be a pretty strong one. But I want my sweet Girl
to acquire as many talents as she has natural Good Qualities.
Perhaps you could drop a lesson also of your music master
& so only take two singing lessons a week as you have
Harp, & Harpsichord besides, I think it would be sufficient.
I am very glad you are reading Rollin's Histoire Ancienne,
it is perfectly well written and very Instructive. Is it L' Abbe Millotte's

Abrege de l’histoire de France that is recommended to you.
How dos that poor little girl from Arras do? Your pathetic
manner of relating her story quite affected me. The whole letter
that contained that anecdote was astonishingly well written,
indeed your style is got almost to Perfection. I must however
recommend to my little girl not to {?lae} her spelling. You
sometimes make mistakes which I do not wonder at, but
if you are not careful about it this deficiency may increase
upon you. For example you generally put an e instead of
an i indeed has an I but enclose is different & so on. Now
I want to recollect my poor Gs faults I Cannot
think of them. My little dear Neddy is gone back to school
it was his own desire so to do. He thought he should learn
better it is surprising how his mind opens & what a sensible
child he is. Molly (to whom I gave your remembrance)
says he is very like you in his manner & I think he is.
He grows beautiful in his person & so very manly in his
conversation at the same time all the pleasing part of innocence.
He is delighted with your letter. Pray tell me if the Chevalier ever
mentions him or if he has ever said any thing to you about our affair.

He must imagine you know something of it by writing as he
did some time ago. He is quite misinformed about Navarre
as long as I can keep them at Juilly I think they
are but disposed of. George begins to settle & do very well
which I principally impute to my Reasoning the point with
Him, for when he came over here it was with a fixed
determination never to return again to Juilly.
Mrs Petre was presented at Court last week & on Shrove Monday
Lord Petre gave an immense dinner & Ball. It is said
that she is pretty, but very little
it is likely that this coronation may
bring on the double match of Miss Petre
& Mr Howard, but as yet there is no
foundation for the report of it. Mrs. Fitzherbert has, I believe,
been married to the Prince. But it is a very hazardous
undertaking, as there are two acts of Parlement against the
validity of such an alliance: her being a subject, & her
being a Catholic. God knows how it will turn out — it
may be to the Glory of our Belief, or it may be to the
Great dismay and destruction of it. She has taken a Box to herself
at the opera, which no Lady but the Duchess of Cumberland ever did
100 guineas a year. The Prince is very assiduous in attending her
in all public places, but she lives at her own House, & he
at his. Do you remember seeing her when she was the widow Weld

She came to see me one morning in Charles Street & you found
her face too fat. Her sister, Miss Smith, is married to Sir Carnaby
Haggerston. Poor Mr Bacon is still in that same chair you
saw him in last. Mrs Bacon & Miss Rand are patterns of good
humour & tenderness towards him. They enquired much after you.
Who told you that we were going to London? I should not be sorry for



it, for indeed my life here is not very gay, but I do not
think that we shall move. Papa is a little partial to his trees
& I try to amuse my solitude with thinking of the progress I
hope you will all make. I will not say how much I miss you,
perhaps it would affect you too deeply. Adieu pretty sweet girl.
Miss me I beg

[change of orientation]
France p^as p^d to London
Madmoiselle