Sévigné, Marie de Rabutin-Chantal, marquise de, 1626-1696
Call Number:
49 2576
Image Count:
29
Resource Type:
unspecified
Abstract:
ALS from Madame de Sévigné to her daughter soon after she married and moved to Provence. The letter begins by assuring her daughter of a preference for her company over that of Mme. de Brissac and continues with a report on the weaknesses of her brother Charles and his affair with an actress. She responds to an invitation to visit Provence and talks about her other possible travel plans. She reports on an evening spent at the home of Madame de la Fayette, with M. de La Rochefoucauld and the amusement the "Marans woman" caused when she appeared with nothing on her head and a child-like hair cut. She conveys more news about social engagements at the Arsenal and the Luxembourg where there were "men of all ranks". She relates a conversation with Abbe Tetu that she had in the afternoon spent at Mme. Richelieu's home. She thanks her for a gift of gloves and describes material that she has purchased for a dress. She conveys more words of encouragement and affection about her daughter and compliments from mutual friends. A postscript includes a description of the King's visit to Chantilly, his hunting, the fireworks, and the shocking suicide of the well-respected maître d'hôtel, Vatel. She closes with a report on the engagement of M. de Ménars to Mlle. de La Grange Neuville
Description:
In French., Bound in red morocco with silk endpapers and with a binder's stamp on the inside front cover: "Bain London"., and Not in Manuscript Catalogue of 1763.
Subject (Geographic):
France
Subject (Name):
Sévigné, Marie de Rabutin-Chantal, marquise de, 1626-1696., Sévigné, Charles, marquis de, 1648-1713., and Grignan, Françoise Marguerite de Sévigné, comtesse de, 1646-1705.
Subject (Topic):
Women, Conduct of life, Authors, French, Mothers and daughters, and Social life and customs
Manuscript, in a single hand with numerous corrections, of a collection of 15 letters describing life in England, translated into French, possibly from German. The letters discuss English lotteries; the proliferation of newspapers; the constitution and the difficulty of reconciling ideology with practice; Parliamentary elections; literary societies; and the nobility. One letter describes and deplores the cruelty of amusements such as hunting, cock-fighting, and "combats des gladiateurs"; another letter mocks an English law against the illegal wearing of buttons. A letter dated December 14, 1790 discusses the possibility of the abolition of the slave trade; the author declares it is the most talked-of subject of conversation and expresses his astonishment that the trade still exists and The letters are followed by a lengthy essay explaining the Women's March on Versailles on October 5-6, 1789. The volume is prefaced by a note by the translator, who criticizes the motives of many travel writers; says that he was drawn to this letter-writer for his curiosity and interest in humanity; and explains that the writer published two volumes, the first of letters written in Paris and Versailles during the revolution in 1789, and the second of letters in England
Description:
In French., Binding: full calf., and For further information, consult library staff.
Subject (Geographic):
Great Britain, Great Britain., England, France, and Versailles (France)
Subject (Name):
Lafayette, Marie Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert Du Motier, marquis de, 1757-1834., Louis XVI, King of France, 1754-1793., and Necker, Jacques, 1732-1804.
Subject (Topic):
Cockfighting, Elections, Hunting, Lotteries, Slave trade, Newspapers, Nobility, Travelers' writings, French, Description and travel, History, Women, Intellectual life, Politics and government, and Social life and customs
Manuscript on paper, in a single hand, of copies of 20 letters from Alured Clarke to Charlotte, Lady Sundon, followed by copies of 4 letters to her from Lord John Hervey and one letter from an unsigned hand. Many of the letters from Clarke concern his patronage of the poet Stephen Duck, in which he discusses his anxiety about exposing Duck to the cruelty of Alexander Pope and "the Dunciad Club," his negotiations with various booksellers and publishers on Duck's behalf, and his high hopes for Duck's poetry after the death of Duck's wife. He also describes books on religion, history, and moral philosophy that he has read; witnesses a presentation of "Indians" to the Queen; and imparts various religious and political news, including Quaker activities. The letters from Hervey consist primarily of descriptions of his own routine social activities as well as those of such notables as the King, Queen, and Duke of Grafton, though he also writes with surprise that Stanislaus has been chosen King of Poland and reports that Benjamin Hoadly, Bishop of Salisbury, is on the brink of being promoted to the bishopric of Winchester, despite his disagreements with Sir Robert Walpole. An unsigned letter dated 1734, sent "by a private hand," discusses the controversial nomination of Thomas Rundle to the see of Gloucester
Description:
Charlotte Clayton, Lady Sundon (c.1679-1742), courtier, married William Clayton (baptised. 1671, died 1752) of Sundon Hall in Bedfordshire before 1714. With the help of the Duchess of Marlborough, Charlotte Clayton was appointed a woman of the bedchamber to Caroline, princess of Wales in 1714. Her considerable influence over Caroline was distressing to Robert Walpole, who accused Clayton of procuring various political favors for her friends., Alured Clarke (1696-1742), was a Church of England clergyman. Ordained by his uncle Bishop Trimnell in 1720, in 1723 he became rector of Chilbolton in Hampshire and a prebendary of Winchester. He was a chaplain-in-ordinary to both George I and George II; in 1731, he became a prebendary of Westminster. Later he became deputy clerk of the closet to George II. Clarke was also a patron; he founded a county hospital at Winchester in 1736 and was a champion of the poet Stephen Duck., John Hervey, second Baron Hervey of Ickworth (1696-1743), was a courtier and writer. On 2 April 1725 he was elected MP for Bury St Edmunds, and entered the Commons as a supporter of Sir Robert Walpole. In 1730, he became vice-chamberlain to the king's household and, consequently, a member of the privy council; and, in 1740, lord privy seal. However, in 1742 Walpole resigned, and that same year Hervey also left public office. He wrote numerous tracts, including Ancient and Modern Liberty Stated and Compared (1734); The Conduct of the Opposition and the Tendency of Modern Patriotism (1734); and Miscellaneous Thoughts (1742). Hervey's Memoirs were published, with some material suppressed, in 1848, and a more complete version was published in 1931., In English., Pasted onto back pastedown: dealer's description of manuscript., Phillipps 18548., Binding: full calf. In gilt on spine: Clarke Sundon Letters., and For further information, consult library staff.
Subject (Geographic):
Great Britain. and Great Britain
Subject (Name):
Clarke, Alured, 1696-1742., Duck, Stephen, 1705-1756., Bristol, John Hervey, Earl of, 1665-1751., Hervey, John Hervey, Baron, 1696-1743., Hoadly, Benjamin, 1676-1761., Rundle, Thomas, 1688?-1743., Stanisław I Leszczyński, King of Poland, 1677-1766., Sundon, Charlotte Clayton, Baroness, d. 1742, Walpole, Robert, Earl of Orford, 1676-1745., and Church of England
Subject (Topic):
Bishops, Clergy, Appointment, call, and election, Authors and patrons, Nobility, Social life and customs, and Politics and government
Collection, in a single hand, of 61 letters from Henry Seymour-Conway to his brother, Lord Francis Seymour-Conway, in which he discusses military, political, and social news between 1744 and 1784. The collection contains discussion of his military service in the Netherlands in the 1740s, including a detailed description of battle against the French in a letter dated June 30, 1743; he also mentions his campaign in Germany during the Seven Years' War, including his altercation with Col. Beckwith, his irritation with a commission he has been given, and news of a peace treaty between Austria and Prussia. In 1744 he discusses the practicality of buying a regiment, asks his brother for help raising the money, and offers to sell his own South Sea stock. He writes several letters from Dublin Castle reporting on Irish politics, including some movements in the House of Lords regarding "papists." In England, he complains about prime minister George Grenville's uncivil and unjust treatment of him and defends his decision in the affair of the Britannic Legion and in the John Wilkes affair which led to his dismissal from court and military office in 1764. Conway also occasionally mentions American affairs, including one letter in 1766 which reports the repeal of the Stamp Act, and another in 1774 in which he expresses pleasure on hearing that violent measures in America had been rejected for the present. Numerous letters make reference to friends and family, including his wife Lady Ailesbury and Conway's close friend Horace Walpole, who offers financial assistance after Conway's dismissal; becomes ill in 1765; and visits Conway after Conway's retirement in 1784
Description:
Henry Seymour Conway (1719-1795) was an army general and politician. He fought in the War of the Austrian Succession; served in Ireland during the Jacobite Rebellion, and in Germany during the Seven Years' War. He was successively promoted to major general in 1756 and to lieutenant general in 1759. Sitting in the House of Commons from 1741 to 1774 and from 1775 to 1784, Conway became a leading member of the opposition, opposing the King's action against John Wilkes regarding general warrants in 1763. In 1765, he became secretary of state for the southern department in Lord Rockingham's ministry, where he promoted a policy of reconciliation towards the American colonies. He supported the repeal of the Stamp Act in 1766, and opposed the taxation policies of Chancellor of the Exchequer Charles Townshend. He criticized British prosecution of the war with the American colonies and played an important part in the House of Commons' resolution against continuing the war. In 1747, he married Caroline Bruce, countess of Ailesbury (1721-1803), and had one child, Anne Seymour Damer (1749-1828). His aunt Catherine was the wife of Sir Robert Walpole, and Conway maintained a lifelong friendship and correspondence with his cousin Horace Walpole., Francis Seymour-Conway, first marquess of Hertford (1718-1794) and older brother of Henry Seymour Conway, was a courtier and politician. He became a lord of the bedchamber in 1757 and was sworn to the privy council in 1763. He served as ambassador to France 1763-5, lord lieutenant of Ireland 1765-6, lord chamberlain 1766-1782 and again in 1783. He was also lord lieutenant of Warwickshire from 1757 until his death. From 1766-1782, he was a friend and confidant to George III. Hertford supported Lord North's administration and the war in America, in which three of his sons served, and voted against Shelburne's peace preliminaries in February 1783. He was also influential in Irish politics, owning extensive estates in County Antrim, and serving a term as lord lieutenant in 1765-6., In English., The manuscript is accompanied by typed transcription., Pasted into letter of Aug 22, 1744: printed and handwritten note about Cadivor ap Gwaethvord, Lord of Cardigan Iscoed., Laid in with letter of August 11, 1748: list of contents of manuscript., Laid in with letter of May 11, 1764: newspaper clipping from Gazetteer, dated May 9, 1764, concerning Conway's dismissal., Vol. 2 with original binding, now housed separately. Binding: half red morocco over marbled boards. Written on cover: The Conway Correspondence. Pasted inside front cover: bookplate with Order of the Garter. Laid in with the covers are a pencilled floor plan and a page from a journal listing the numbers of foot soldiers and naval ships and guns in Europe, North America, Africa, East and West Indies, and the Mediterranean., and Binding for volume 2 shelved separately. For further information, consult library staff.
Subject (Geographic):
Great Britain., Great Britain, United States., Ireland, and United States
Subject (Name):
Conway, Henry Seymour, 1721-1795., Grenville, George, 1712-1770., Hertford, Francis Seymour-Conway, Marquess of, 1718-1794., Walpole, Horace, 1717-1797., Wilkes, John, 1725-1797., Great Britain. Parliament., and Ireland. Parliament.
Subject (Topic):
Military administration, Seven Years' War, 1756-1763, Stamp act, 1765, Court and courtiers, Foreign relations, Militia, Politics and government, and Social life and customs
Autograph narrative, extensively illustrated by Mrs. Kenah, of two journeys in Europe taken by the Kenah couple with friends in 1821-24 and in 1827-29. On the first tour, accompanied by Walter Burrell, MP for Sussex, and "Mrs. Crutchley of Sunning Hill Park....and a Blenheim spaniel," the Kenahs traveled through France, Switzerland, Italy, and Bavaria; they were present in Naples for the 1822 eruption of Mount Vesuvius, and spent time in Rome and Lucca as well. In the later tour, they visited the Low Countries, Germany, and Trieste. The text is clearly drawn from diaries kept by Mrs. Kenah during the tours, and contains her often humorous responses, as an "Inexperienced Traveller," to tourist sights, local customs and manners, "foreign" food, and travel difficulties, Mrs. Kenah describes herself as "a woman in quest of the Picturesque," and over 80 of her watercolors and pen and ink sketches are mounted in her travel album. Subjects include "Eruption of Vesuvius, October 22, 1822 as it appeared at midday;" several portraits of Lucchese, Swiss and German figures in local costume; a portrait of Tommaso Sgricci, the famous improvvisatore; a memorial Mass in Caudenberg; the "table d'hote" at the Baths of Ems; the Salon at the Palazzo Ricasoli in 1824; and a variety of "picturesque" landscapes, including a view of the Bay of Naples, of a canal in Venice, and of several castles and mountain scenes in Germany. Also included are several printed views of German scenes which have been hand-colored, and In addition, there are watercolors of English subjects at the end of the volume: cottage scenes, rural landscapes, "view of Box Hill," "Grimsthorpe, 1826," and "Dunkeld from Dr. Fisher's garden. Sept. 9 1826."
Description:
Spine title reads: "Journal. Vol. I.", Annotated on front endpaper: "Mary Leigh Best, 1878.", and Binding: Contemporary calf, red gilt morocco spine label, gilt decoration.
Subject (Geographic):
Italy, Switzerland, Belgium, France, Lucca (Italy), Naples (Italy), and Vesuvius (Italy)
Ethnic costume, Grand tours (Education), Landscape drawing, Travelers' writings, English, Views, Women authors, Women travelers, Description and travel, Social life and customs, and Eruption, 1822
Manuscript, in multiple hands, of 51 letters from Delany to her friend, Mary (Hamilton) Dickenson; several of them have been annotated by Dickenson. Some of the letters are in Delany's hand; others are in the hand of her niece Georgina Mary Anne Port and other secretaries. The letters contain primarily matters of routine correspondence, including invitations to tea; numerous references to Miss Hamilton's enviable proximity to the Queen and Delany's delight with the reception of a locket containing a lock of the Queen's hair; and inquiries and updates about the health of various acquaintances. Occasionally Delany sends her artwork to Miss Hamilton, and on June 22, 1785, she sends her congratulations on Miss Hamilton's marriage to John Dickenson. The collection also includes one letter to "Sally Sandford" asking her to entreat Delany's godson to visit Mrs. Dickenson
Description:
Mary Delany (1700-1788), courtier and artist, married Alexander Pendarves (1660-1725) in 1718. After his death in 1725, she lived in London, going to court functions, the opera, and the theater. She made many important friendships during this time, with whom she would carry on an extensive correspondence. In 1743, she married Patrick Delany (1685/6-1768) and moved to Dublin. When he died in May 1768, she returned to London, and in 1774 she began her so-called paper mosaics of flowers and plants; she had produced almost a thousand pages by 1784. She is also known for her correspondence with her family and her friends between 1725 and 1788, which was published by Lady Llanover in 1861-2., In English., Available on microfilm, Written on front cover: list of contents, which includes items no longer in the manuscript., Pasted into front cover: dealer's description of manuscript., and Binding: half calf over marbled boards.
Subject (Geographic):
Great Britain
Subject (Name):
Delany, Mrs. 1700-1788. (Mary),, Delany, Mrs. 1700-1788 (Mary),, and Dickenson, Mary Hamilton, 1756-1816.
Subject (Topic):
Letters, Women authors, Court and courtiers, and Social life and customs
Manuscript, in a single hand, of a collection of excerpts of letters, in four volumes, from Mary Berry to Damer, transcribed and edited by Damer. The notes refer primarily to their passionate friendship and confidence in each other; their ill health, both mental and physical; and introspective commentary upon the reasons for their melancholy moods. Few of the entries are dated, and mutual acquaintances are left unnamed or else mentioned by initials only. Berry describes their friendship as having "become such a part of myself, or rather of something much dearer than myself, that I can neither live without it, nor dissatisfied with it, nor with the idea of ever being deprived of it." In Vol. 2, she mentions she has waited all day for her correspondent to visit her, having hoped that each carriage passing by will stop at her door. Elsewhere, she complains that her friend is leaving for Tours without her and of feeling "continual pains in my head, restless nights & miserable feels of weakness & langour." Other excerpts address Berry's thoughts on William Fawkener, Damer's suitor; Damer's persecution by the press; a crisis in their friendship at the end of July 1794 resulting in Berry's desire to distance herself from Damer socially, and then her decision to weather out the public attacks on their relationship; and Berry's secret courtship by General Charles O'Hara and its disintegration
Description:
Anne Seymour (Conway) Damer (1749-1828), sculptor and author, was born on 8 November 1749, the only child of Field-Marshal Hon. Henry Seymour Conway (1719-1795), and his wife, Caroline Bruce, Lady Ailesbury (1721-1803), the daughter of John, fourth duke of Argyll. In 1767 she married John Damer, the son of Lord Milton, later the 1st Earl of Dorchester. They separated after seven years, and he died by suicide in 1776. Her artistic career developed during her widowhood, though the development of her youthful interest in sculpture is credited to her father's secretary, David Hume, and to the encouragement of Horace Walpole, who was her guardian during her parent's frequent trips abroad; in 1789, Walpole introduced Damer to Mary Berry (1763-1852), with whom she developed a passionate and lasting friendship. At his death, Walpole bequeathed her Strawberry Hill as his executor and residuary legatee. Damer exhibited 32 works at the Royal Academy and produced keystone sculptures for the bridge at Henley-on-Thames, a 10-foot statue of Apollo, now destroyed, for the frontage of Drury Lane theatre, and two bas-reliefs for the Boydell Shakespeare Gallery. Damer also wrote one published novel, Belmour (1801)., In English., Available on microfilm, Available as pdfs, The original letters, from which these excerpts are transcribed, have apparently not survived., Notebooks are numbered on the front covers and dated on the inside front covers., Vol. 1 includes a sketch of a tree., and Binding: cardboard covers.
Subject (Geographic):
Great Britain. and Great Britain
Subject (Name):
Berry, Agnes, 1764-1852., Berry, Mary, 1763-1852., Damer, Anne Seymour, 1748 or 1749-1828., Fawkener, William., and O'Hara, Charles, 1740-1802.
Subject (Topic):
Female friendship, Nobility, Social life and customs, Women, and Conduct of life
Manuscript, in a single hand, of a collection of excerpts of letters, in four volumes, from Mary Berry to Damer, transcribed and edited by Damer. The notes refer primarily to their passionate friendship and confidence in each other; their ill health, both mental and physical; and introspective commentary upon the reasons for their melancholy moods. Few of the entries are dated, and mutual acquaintances are left unnamed or else mentioned by initials only. Berry describes their friendship as having "become such a part of myself, or rather of something much dearer than myself, that I can neither live without it, nor dissatisfied with it, nor with the idea of ever being deprived of it." In Vol. 2, she mentions she has waited all day for her correspondent to visit her, having hoped that each carriage passing by will stop at her door. Elsewhere, she complains that her friend is leaving for Tours without her and of feeling "continual pains in my head, restless nights & miserable feels of weakness & langour." Other excerpts address Berry's thoughts on William Fawkener, Damer's suitor; Damer's persecution by the press; a crisis in their friendship at the end of July 1794 resulting in Berry's desire to distance herself from Damer socially, and then her decision to weather out the public attacks on their relationship; and Berry's secret courtship by General Charles O'Hara and its disintegration
Description:
Anne Seymour (Conway) Damer (1749-1828), sculptor and author, was born on 8 November 1749, the only child of Field-Marshal Hon. Henry Seymour Conway (1719-1795), and his wife, Caroline Bruce, Lady Ailesbury (1721-1803), the daughter of John, fourth duke of Argyll. In 1767 she married John Damer, the son of Lord Milton, later the 1st Earl of Dorchester. They separated after seven years, and he died by suicide in 1776. Her artistic career developed during her widowhood, though the development of her youthful interest in sculpture is credited to her father's secretary, David Hume, and to the encouragement of Horace Walpole, who was her guardian during her parent's frequent trips abroad; in 1789, Walpole introduced Damer to Mary Berry (1763-1852), with whom she developed a passionate and lasting friendship. At his death, Walpole bequeathed her Strawberry Hill as his executor and residuary legatee. Damer exhibited 32 works at the Royal Academy and produced keystone sculptures for the bridge at Henley-on-Thames, a 10-foot statue of Apollo, now destroyed, for the frontage of Drury Lane theatre, and two bas-reliefs for the Boydell Shakespeare Gallery. Damer also wrote one published novel, Belmour (1801)., In English., Available on microfilm, Available as pdfs, The original letters, from which these excerpts are transcribed, have apparently not survived., Notebooks are numbered on the front covers and dated on the inside front covers., Vol. 1 includes a sketch of a tree., and Binding: cardboard covers.
Subject (Geographic):
Great Britain. and Great Britain
Subject (Name):
Berry, Agnes, 1764-1852., Berry, Mary, 1763-1852., Damer, Anne Seymour, 1748 or 1749-1828., Fawkener, William., and O'Hara, Charles, 1740-1802.
Subject (Topic):
Female friendship, Nobility, Social life and customs, Women, and Conduct of life
Manuscript, in a single hand, of a collection of excerpts of letters, in four volumes, from Mary Berry to Damer, transcribed and edited by Damer. The notes refer primarily to their passionate friendship and confidence in each other; their ill health, both mental and physical; and introspective commentary upon the reasons for their melancholy moods. Few of the entries are dated, and mutual acquaintances are left unnamed or else mentioned by initials only. Berry describes their friendship as having "become such a part of myself, or rather of something much dearer than myself, that I can neither live without it, nor dissatisfied with it, nor with the idea of ever being deprived of it." In Vol. 2, she mentions she has waited all day for her correspondent to visit her, having hoped that each carriage passing by will stop at her door. Elsewhere, she complains that her friend is leaving for Tours without her and of feeling "continual pains in my head, restless nights & miserable feels of weakness & langour." Other excerpts address Berry's thoughts on William Fawkener, Damer's suitor; Damer's persecution by the press; a crisis in their friendship at the end of July 1794 resulting in Berry's desire to distance herself from Damer socially, and then her decision to weather out the public attacks on their relationship; and Berry's secret courtship by General Charles O'Hara and its disintegration
Description:
Anne Seymour (Conway) Damer (1749-1828), sculptor and author, was born on 8 November 1749, the only child of Field-Marshal Hon. Henry Seymour Conway (1719-1795), and his wife, Caroline Bruce, Lady Ailesbury (1721-1803), the daughter of John, fourth duke of Argyll. In 1767 she married John Damer, the son of Lord Milton, later the 1st Earl of Dorchester. They separated after seven years, and he died by suicide in 1776. Her artistic career developed during her widowhood, though the development of her youthful interest in sculpture is credited to her father's secretary, David Hume, and to the encouragement of Horace Walpole, who was her guardian during her parent's frequent trips abroad; in 1789, Walpole introduced Damer to Mary Berry (1763-1852), with whom she developed a passionate and lasting friendship. At his death, Walpole bequeathed her Strawberry Hill as his executor and residuary legatee. Damer exhibited 32 works at the Royal Academy and produced keystone sculptures for the bridge at Henley-on-Thames, a 10-foot statue of Apollo, now destroyed, for the frontage of Drury Lane theatre, and two bas-reliefs for the Boydell Shakespeare Gallery. Damer also wrote one published novel, Belmour (1801)., In English., Available on microfilm, Available as pdfs, The original letters, from which these excerpts are transcribed, have apparently not survived., Notebooks are numbered on the front covers and dated on the inside front covers., Vol. 1 includes a sketch of a tree., and Binding: cardboard covers.
Subject (Geographic):
Great Britain. and Great Britain
Subject (Name):
Berry, Agnes, 1764-1852., Berry, Mary, 1763-1852., Damer, Anne Seymour, 1748 or 1749-1828., Fawkener, William., and O'Hara, Charles, 1740-1802.
Subject (Topic):
Female friendship, Nobility, Social life and customs, Women, and Conduct of life