May the 11^th 1786

My Pretty, Dear Charlotte, I hope soon to have the pleasure of
hearing from you and in the mean while must entertain myself with
writing to you. Have you heard from Lady Belmore about your
muslin? I writ to her to get you one, because she always asks as
a favour to be employ'd about something for you. The white dresses
are certainly the prettyest at your age and are wore entirely here by
the young people with sashes. I propose bringing you a very
fine silver Gown. It is a new Norwich manufactury. Everybody
is ordering them: the whole gown comes to about 7 guineas &
looks like a magnificent silver or gold muslin. They
make also plain ones which are very pretty & cost but 2
guineas. I wish I could send you one of the plain ones, but
I am told that they are become particularly strict at the custom
house about cloaths, so that I cannot send it by the Dilligence,
as one can a small parcel of anything else. The plain Norwich
cottons are very like the Manchester, of which you once had
a gown, which Molly now wears. I am here rather dismal
by myself. I sacrificed to reason & oeconomy in not going
to London and sometimes when I am very dull repent a little of my
good resolution. However I believe I was right. I had a letter
yesterday from your Papa . He stayed but 2 nights in London
then went to Mr Blunts who is married and settled in Buckinghamshire

and then went to Painswick in Gloucestershire and was to be
yesterday at Worcester with my brother Harry who will I believe
return with him. I have been in great solitude very much
tempted to send for my dear little boy but I restrained my self because
I think he does so well at the school. He is besides so uncommonly
reasonable that I am not sure he would have approved of being sent
for before the Holydays. One thing that has mortified me a great deal
at not having gone to London is that my friend Mrs Porter
whom I have not seen for many years is at present there. Which
I did not know of. She enquires very kindly after you & has not
forgot the nuns. I have some hopes she may make me a visit
here - Lady Woodehouse is still in town the night Sir William
got there she had a little ball for young ladies who are not
yet come out. Your Papa went to see them dance. I suppose
Miss Woodehouse was in her glory. I think you asked how old
Miss Sneyde was. She is I believe 21 or 22 but going to
Kimberley with Mrs Bagot who I suppose talked to Lady Wodehouse
and she fell to Mademoiselle's share & I suppose they did not suit
one another perfectly well for Mrs Sneyde told me that she thought Miss
Wodehouse uncommonly childish & you see Miss Wodehouse entertained
her with her regrets for your company. Mr Sneyde's mother is

the Bishops sister and her brother is going to be married to
Lord {?Paget's} eldest daughter. They are a Staffordshire Family
am not sure if I have told you all this before or not
Miss Arundel and Mr Clifford are not to be married till August.
They are now at Wardour. I hear nothing at all of Miss Petre.
Mr Conway whom you saw at Paris is married to Lady {?Hostia}
Waldegrave , a daughter of the Duchess of Gloucester. Pray who is
it, that Mlle Dillon is to have? For I have not heard a word about it.
Miss Bedingfield at Norwich (George's beauty) was married two
days ago to a Captain Addison an officer {?Recruiting} at Norwich
an Irish man. Pray let Lady Anastatia know that
Mrs. Barbauld is a Lady of Great
Litterary merit and of particular good
Character. She was a Miss Aikin, of York,
& published several poems and a devotional tract; that
she married Mr. Barbauld, a dissenting minister, who kept a school
at Diss in Suffolk; that they were both very much esteemed, & last
year gave up their school, to the regret of several who had
their children there; that they are friends of Miss Brand's,
& that their own personal merit entitles them to Respect & Notice.
You must, my Jewel, write this immediately to Lady Anastatia,
as she tells me that Mrs. Barbauld had come to the Convent reccommended
by Miss Brand and that she did not know what to make of her,
but desire'd I would inform her about her either by writing myself

or through you. Therefore I chose to write to my Dear Little Girl.
and by her give this intelligence to Lady Anastasia Pray is Miss
Chichester come to you? I suppose she is Daughter to a Mr. Chichester
of Devonshire, a Catholick Gentleman of very large fortune.
Lady Stourton lies in of a Son. Her eldest who is ten years
old is at old Hall Green, Mrs Norris is with Child. Mrs Wodehouse of

Course she is now at Norwich as odd as ever. The little Girl is gone
to be put to a Boarding School at London - You should institute an
Album at the Ursulines; it would be very entertaining for to look
at in some years, every pensioner to write a sentence in verse, or prose
and in any language with their name and the date and month and year at the bottom.
I will enclose the introduction to our Album written by Mr [illeg]
Adieu my Dearest dear Girl.

May the 11^th 1786

My Pretty, Dear Charlotte, I hope soon to have the pleasure of
hearing from you and in the mean while must entertain myself with
writing to you. Have you heard from Lady Belmore about your
muslin? I writ to her to get you one, because she always asks as
a favour to be employ'd about something for you. The white dresses
are certainly the prettyest at your age and are wore entirely here by
the young people with sashes. I propose bringing you a very
fine silver Gown. It is a new Norwich manufactury. Everybody
is ordering them: the whole gown comes to about 7 guineas &
looks like a magnificent silver or gold muslin. They
make also plain ones which are very pretty & cost but 2
guineas. I wish I could send you one of the plain ones, but
I am told that they are become particularly strict at the custom
house about cloaths, so that I cannot send it by the Dilligence,
as one can a small parcel of anything else. The plain Norwich
cottons are very like the Manchester, of which you once had
a gown, which Molly now wears. I am here rather dismal
by myself. I sacrificed to reason & oeconomy in not going
to London and sometimes when I am very dull repent a little of my
good resolution. However I believe I was right. I had a letter
yesterday from your Papa . He stayed but 2 nights in London
then went to Mr Blunts who is married and settled in Buckinghamshire

and then went to Painswick in Gloucestershire and was to be
yesterday at Worcester with my brother Harry who will I believe
return with him. I have been in great solitude very much
tempted to send for my dear little boy but I restrained my self because
I think he does so well at the school. He is besides so uncommonly
reasonable that I am not sure he would have approved of being sent
for before the Holydays. One thing that has mortified me a great deal
at not having gone to London is that my friend Mrs Porter
whom I have not seen for many years is at present there. Which
I did not know of. She enquires very kindly after you & has not
forgot the nuns. I have some hopes she may make me a visit
here - Lady Woodehouse is still in town the night Sir William
got there she had a little ball for young ladies who are not
yet come out. Your Papa went to see them dance. I suppose
Miss Woodehouse was in her glory. I think you asked how old
Miss Sneyde was. She is I believe 21 or 22 but going to
Kimberley with Mrs Bagot who I suppose talked to Lady Wodehouse
and she fell to Mademoiselle's share & I suppose they did not suit
one another perfectly well for Mrs Sneyde told me that she thought Miss
Wodehouse uncommonly childish & you see Miss Wodehouse entertained
her with her regrets for your company. Mr Sneyde's mother is

the Bishops sister and her brother is going to be married to
Lord {?Paget's} eldest daughter. They are a Staffordshire Family
am not sure if I have told you all this before or not
Miss Arundel and Mr Clifford are not to be married till August.
They are now at Wardour. I hear nothing at all of Miss Petre.
Mr Conway whom you saw at Paris is married to Lady {?Hostia}
Waldegrave , a daughter of the Duchess of Gloucester. Pray who is
it, that Mlle Dillon is to have? For I have not heard a word about it.
Miss Bedingfield at Norwich (George's beauty) was married two
days ago to a Captain Addison an officer {?Recruiting} at Norwich
an Irish man. Pray let Lady Anastatia know that
Mrs. Barbauld is a Lady of Great
Litterary merit and of particular good
Character. She was a Miss Aikin, of York,
& published several poems and a devotional tract; that
she married Mr. Barbauld, a dissenting minister, who kept a school
at Diss in Suffolk; that they were both very much esteemed, & last
year gave up their school, to the regret of several who had
their children there; that they are friends of Miss Brand's,
& that their own personal merit entitles them to Respect & Notice.
You must, my Jewel, write this immediately to Lady Anastatia,
as she tells me that Mrs. Barbauld had come to the Convent reccommended
by Miss Brand and that she did not know what to make of her,
but desire'd I would inform her about her either by writing myself

or through you. Therefore I chose to write to my Dear Little Girl.
and by her give this intelligence to Lady Anastasia Pray is Miss
Chichester come to you? I suppose she is Daughter to a Mr. Chichester
of Devonshire, a Catholick Gentleman of very large fortune.
Lady Stourton lies in of a Son. Her eldest who is ten years
old is at old Hall Green, Mrs Norris is with Child. Mrs Wodehouse of

Course she is now at Norwich as odd as ever. The little Girl is gone
to be put to a Boarding School at London - You should institute an
Album at the Ursulines; it would be very entertaining for to look
at in some years, every pensioner to write a sentence in verse, or prose
and in any language with their name and the date and month and year at the bottom.
I will enclose the introduction to our Album written by Mr [illeg]
Adieu my Dearest dear Girl.