BC_1768_EMONTAGU_SS_5

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<Q A 1768? FN SS EMONTAGU>
<X ELIZABETH MONTAGU>
 [}ELIZABETH MONTAGU TO SARAH SCOTT. SEPT 4 1768? SANDLEFORD. MO 5898}]
<P1>
Sept y=e= 4
   I am sorry that my Dear Sister has had a return of the pain in your bowels which is very wearing, but realy I was revived with the account you gave me in y=r= letter which I received on sunday of the good company you had seen in y=r= Prison. I was very uneasy least you sh=d= be tempted to apply too much in y=r= solitude, or if you were too infirm for application suffer from (\l'ennui\) . I sh=d= have been very uneasy at not receiving y=r= first letter on wen'sday, if Israel had not sent me word you were pretty well, & that you talkd of writing, so I suspected y=r= Chelsea letter man of playing me a trick. I had a letter from Miss A: Morritt of York on sunday, telling me, she had collected [\up wards of/] 700=L= for Miss Sterne, that she had promised y=e= subscribers it sh=d= be converted into an annuity for the Girl for
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she added, M=rs= Sterne was so little loved or esteemd there w=d= not have been a single guinea given if that condition had not been made. I had heard Miss Morrit extreamly well spoken of, & by her manner of acting by the Sternes, & from her letters, I imagine she has an uncommon share of goodness & of sense. She begs of me to advise Miss Sterne not to affect witt, a desire of being distinguishd that way she says has ruind the whole family. I shall now tell Miss Sterne I will allow her 20 =L= p=r= ann: & I hope that will give my advice more weight. She writes with y=e= highest sense of the blessing of this collection, & is now gratefull to God & her benefactors, but how far the pride of her Mothers precepts & the levities of her Father may have renderd her uncapable of deep impression of that kind I cannot tell. L=d= Rockingham subscribed 50 guineas, as in fact did S=r= G: Savile tho he gave 15 of them without his name, because
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he w=d= not seem to give more than L=d= Scarborough how delicate & how generous! As M=rs= Drummond has 8 lovely Children I cannot suspect her bringing one into y=e= family by a warming pan but I am surprized to see in y=e= papers that she is brought to bed of a Daughter, she pass_d y=e= last day she was in London in Hillstreet in the month of May, & I did not perceive she was with Child. It is rather a comfort to me in these times of flood that you are two pair of stairs high, but it has occurrd to me, that tho safe from water you may be in more danger of fire. I hope the people of the House are very carefull about ye stoves. Our Newtown River overflow'd its banks but not to y=e= degree it does sometimes, ye newspapers are full of strange disasters by the floods. I dined on friday at M=r= Derbys with ye Knight of Courtesy, he is gone back to Bath. I think little Matt stands some
<P4>
chance of passing his Winter here. I shall contrive to keep him while we stay here, & at London I will send for him every other day. perhaps Madam will be afraid to buffet him about when he will have so many opportunities of telling it, besides certain events may possibly perswade y=e= Parents to leave him a good deal to me. I am sure the Childs gentle spirit must suffer at y=e= racket made among y=e= Servants, for he is gentleness itself. He has got a little touch of y=e= fashionable complaint but is not disorderd by it so a little rhubarb will set ye matter right again. I c=d= not send you any partridges for y=e= snow last year destroyd them in a cruel manner, & we have yet got but a brace which were killd on saturday. A Voracious fox destroy'd us nine Turkeys on saturday last. My dressing room is very pleasant & tho winter will rob it of its beauty its being dry & unshaded will be comfortable in Winter. M=r= Montagus vigour of mind seems
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to indicate a longer continuance than his emaciated body & continual cough w=d= make me expect, he is very placid & I think I have not many years known him so good humoured. M=rs= Boscawen tells me she saw our Bro=r= Charles ride by her gate as he was returning from Guilford, she call_d him, made him eat some peaches, w=d= fain have perswaded him to have stay_d all night, but he w=d= not so much as go into her House. He was Council for [\Maclane\] . the young Dss of Beaufort has an Intermittent fever but not of an alarming kind. The papers say ye Dowager Lady Hervey is dangerously ill, for which I am very sorry. She is one of the most agreable & amiable Women I ever knew that belonged to ye fine World. She has shewn great constancy & fidelity in her Friendships, as many of y=e= Friends of her youth as are now alive still live in great union with her. She has most obliging & kind attentions
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to her Friends, great zeal for their welfare, loves to praise those she thinks have merit, & is above scandal, tittle tattle, malice &c. Her House, her table, her manners are all elegant, & her turn of conversation very agreable. She loves to have people of sense & witt at her table, & manages y=e= conversation in such a manner as to give them opportunities to shine without seeming to shew them off. There is not any house in London where I find such a pleasing turn of conversation. I realy love Lady Hervey, & sh=d= be ungratefull if I did not, for she behaves with a sort of tenderness to me which shews she loves me, & tho from being the only [\two? DELETED\] Women who have circles of (\beaux esprits\) , there might be supposed to be some envy, she takes pleasure in commending me beyond my deserts to every body. If she has a partie that she thinks may be particularly agreable for any reason whatever she never omits inviting me. She has preserved
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the (\agrémens\) of youth to old age, & is ever in her person pleasing. Her gouty complaints hinder her going out except in fine weather in a morning, in the evening one found her reading, or with polite & agreable people, & she had the art of leading the concert. I am so disgusted with the silly way our Ladies have of getting into whispers like boarding school Misses, that I reap but small delight in the parties I am askd to at most Houses, tho many of my acquaintance are so good as to compose ye circle for me with great indulgence to my love of (\Beaux esprits\) . I thank God I have been so well ever since I came from London that I have enjoy_d the pleasure of reading with great appetite, & if I did not dread the winters tale, I c=d= pass my time very well, but the fear of seeing M=r= Montagu in a suffering state, & being myself enfeebled by such illness as a damp & cold house may
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occasion, cannot but haunt my imagination. It w=d= be better for M=r= Montagu if he was where he c=d= have company, for he seems delighted with seeing y=e= Lansdills, or young Morgan or any thing that can articulate. My misfortune is that I cannot take delight in such folks & tho as you say I sh=d= love to have some person to whom to say (\que la solitude est belle\) , it must be one who knew why, & wherefore & how (\elle est belle\) . M=r= Woodhouse is really good company, & has a great extent of intelligence, but I am obliged to leave him to my oats, pease, & barley, however in the short days he will have leisure to read to me when my eyes are weary. Shakespear is a great resource, but attention to that subject prevents my applying to read History, which is my great delight, all other study is like eating sweetmeats & cake & biscuits, it satiates before it fills. I am glad you have begun acquaintance with M=rs= Joddrel. Is there then such a miserable
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sinner as a Mistress to L=d= Clare? (\Il peccato & il penitenza\) are there inseperably joind. I am curious to know the private history of the Princess Barbarigo. Does she come here after a S=r= Charles Grandison? I sh=d= approve of M=r= Fords scheme of Sea bathing if y=e= season of ye year were favorable. I am greatly vex=d= at ye disorder in y=r= bowels do not write more than a line of a post just to say how you do. Johnny Morgan calld here yesterday, his [\TEAR\] [\Sister\] is now at Lady S=r= John's, sure her Ladyship must be a queer peice to want such a companion. M=r= Montagu seems gradually to [\encrease\] as the weather grows cold which is a bad prognostick. I shall send some more prog when I think you have finishd y=e= other but you eat so little one shall have little credit in serving y=r= larder. God grant success to y=r= regimen. I wish it was less tiresome but if you can get any abatement of headach it will reward you for y=r= trouble.
   I am my Dear Sister
   most affect=ly= y=rs=
   EM
<P10>
[\ADDRESS\] To / M=rs= Scott at D=r= Domenicetis / at Chelsea
[\SEAL\]