[}ELIZABETH MONTAGU TO BENJAMIN STILLINGFLEET. 1758? AUG 22. NORTHUMBERLAND. MO 5110}] Carr:ville y=e= 22=d= of Aug Dear Sir I have often had occasion to apologize for troubling you too frequently with my letters, & ceremony would [\WORD DELETED\] intimate I should now make an excuse for not having written sooner to thank you for your kind & agreable letter, perhaps you who are ready to think the best of [\y=r=/] friends imagine I have corrected an impertinent disposition & [\am/] grown more temperate in the use of pen & ink, but indeed I am just the same sort of Woman I was, but of late am become very rich, which I assure you is one of the greatest afflictions that can befall a rational creature. I will delineate my misfortunes, & if you was not nursed by tygers & suckled by Wolves you will weep for me. I am angry that (\l'embarras des richesses\) has been exhibited in a farce, I think it one of the finest subjects in the World for a tragedy, and if the Muses would visit Northumberland I would compose a mournfull Drama intitled the Woes of Wealth. I desired D=r= Monsey to acquaint you with the death of M=r= Rogers, which happend soon after I had your letter. Many letters were to be written in order to procure him most pompous funeral obsequies according to the fashion of Northumberland. as he was allied to the people of the first rank in the County & they were all to be at the funeral this was a very ceremonious Affair, & that & the ordering mourning for his domesticks & dependants, kept me emply_d for some time, my own family was also to be put into mourning, a house was to be got in Northumberland to receive us, many things to be settled in [\y=e= DELETED\] London & at Sandleford before so long a journey, & all this happening when I was a feeble infirm sort of an animal kept me fully employd My Sister was so good as to come to Hillstreet to spend a little time with me before I set out, which was a comfort amidst my troubles, but still took up my time, however I promised my self that as soon as I got into the North I should have time to write to all my friends. The 7=th= of august at noon we got to Durham & there began hurrys & ceremonies that have continued to this day & I know not when I shall see a quiet hour. At Durham we were met by a great number of M=r= Rogers relations & the Receivers & agents of his estate who attended us in great form till we got to Newcastle, where we were to stay two or three days with a relation of M=r= Montagus till our house was aired. We had not been an hour at Newcastle before we had the complim=ts= of the principal persons of the Corporation & in the Town, the next morning visits began, & when there will be an end of them I cannot tell. We had 15 people to dine here on Sunday, a family yesterday, people about business to day, & three families are to dine here to morrow, in the morning I am up to the elbows in dusty parchments & accounts, at dinner as busy as an hostess of an Inn attending her guests, at night as sick as an invalid in an hospital and these are the woes of wealth. Sure they are woes indeed And I am not (\une malade imaginaire\) . I begin to envy your Philosophes & think it is better to have only money enough to procure one Christian burial. Now I have utter_d some of my miseries I must tell you I have some amusement in seeing a Country so different from any I have ever been in. Riches here lye very deep, but avarice would dive to the center for them, by engines of different sorts, some of which draw off y=e= water, Coals are brought up from an immense depth, other inventions obviate the difficulty of carriage, & by means of what are calld the waggon ways, great burthens of Coals are moved with little force & easily carried to the sea side. Coals that now lye 80 fathom below the surface of the earth by next summer may be carried in a gentlemans pocket to Arthurs & what has employ_d many strong hands to dig it [\filld/] many a waggon, & freighted a Ship, shall lye in a silken purse & pass from one owner to another by y=e= speedy decision of a toss up. M=r= Rogers family mansion having been uninhabited for many years was not fit for our reception, his house in Newcastle was not agreably situated for the Summer, so we hired a House on the banks of the Tyne for the occasion, it is a very pretty house extreamly well furnished & most agreably situated, Ships & other vessels from Newcastle are sailing by every hour, the River here is broad & of a good colour, & we have a large reach of it. & We have a very good turnpike road to the Sea side, where I should pass a great deal of my time if it was not all engross_d by company. But we are in y=e= midst of the largest neighbourhood I ever saw, & some of these [\Gentlemen/] by means of Coal mines have immense fortunes. There is more civility & hospitality here than in the Counties near London. Provisions are very dear, except fish. Hay [\BLOT\] [{was{] 5=L= a Ton here a little while ago but they have of late imported a good deal which has sunk the price. The Land hereabouts is much of it very rich, but the Coal trade being very gainfull little attention is given to agriculture & I do not wonder they have little good hay for they let it lye a fortnight or longer in the fields at y=e= mercy of y=e= Weather. There seems a greater portion of luxury & extravagance at Newcastle than at London. I hope you will not punish me according to my deserts by not letting me hear from you of a long time. Where are M=r= &/ M=rs= Torriano? I hope they are well. Pray make my comp=ts= to them when you see them & [\hint\] to M=r= Torriano that I wish his Parents had caused him to be taught to write. I desire my best & most gratefull comp=ts= to M=r= & M=rs= Price. I need not desire [\you/] to tell Lady Sophia Egerton & the Bishop of Bangor I am always much their Humble Servant. I congratulate you on the taking of Louisbourg the news [\of it/] has just reachd us it makes me very happy on account of y=e= Publick consequence & also as it touches my friend M=rs= Boscawen. I have not a direction to Foxley, so am obliged to send this to Monsey, where it will find him I know not for he was to go into Norfolk y=e= week I left London. I expect to hear of him to day, or shall grow jealous of M=rs= Price, for he did not use to be such a careless correspondent. I ask pardon for sending you a half sheet of paper but did not find ye other part had been written on till I had wrote upon ye 2=d= side & I had not time to begin another letter. M=r= Montagu desires his Comp=ts=. Please to direct to me at y=e= post office at Newcastle upon Tyne. I am Dear Sir Your most affectionate and Obliged H=ble= Sev=t=. EMontagu [\NOTE BY MONSEY WRITTEN BELOW SIGNATURE\] [\ADDRESS\] To / Benjamin Stillingfleet Esq=r= / at Rob=t= Prices Esq=r= / Herefordshire