Bedfordshire Archives Service Catalogue
  • Reference
    L30/17/4/85
  • Title
    Grantham, St. Ildefonso to Nanny
  • Date free text
    1 August 1774
  • Production date
    From: 1774 To: 1774
  • Scope and Content
    I have received your's from greenwich of the 11th & Fritz your's from Stanmer of the 17 of July. Your visit to Greenwich seems to have been very agreeable & to have had the charms of being an impromput. I am much obliged to Christian for her good will, & if ever you see her again you may thank her for it, assuring her that a Nosegay is often a Wellcome Present in Spain. I am very glad that you allow the little boys picture to be like, it increases our impatience to see it. I heard from Therese by her last that he is all perpection. I am very glad that Mrs Fielding did not hear too soon of ye accident which happened to her Husband's ship. We arrived here on Wednesday morning or rather Tuesday night, after a very easy journey. We ate our cold chicken & drank our Beer, at the foot of ye Hill, which appeared shorter than usual. It generally takes up about 50 minutes & 25 or 30 stops on account of its great steepness. The Descent is by no means so steep, but is winding. The Road however is good, & ye mules generally go down very fast. I am convinced No female Pelham in ye world would travel a League in Spain as the mules never quicken their pace, without a very smart Beating. They all however are so obedient to the Driver as to know their own Names, which is taught them as I am assured by putting them when young into a Pitt & beating them unmercifully, hollowing their name at the same Time. A system of Education which will I dare say not be pursued with little John. I wrote lately to Tom Pelham I hope he will not think it too serious a letter. The Difference of Climate here & at Madrid is scarcely credible, much stronger in as much as the Heat is greater at Madrid, than the difference said to be felt also [?] from [?] the water which divides Yorkshire from England.We can here as you do in England, open our windows because it is hot. Few of our Corps are as yet come down. I have the Pleasure of shewing my favourite spots to Ct Masin, this is his first year here. He has by no means seen ye best. I am not sure he will be a Convert. Tho' he ought to be partial to mountains His own fine seat in Peidmont being the midst of them. Lady Barrymore's Refusal of Lord Egremont is really surprizing. I hear Charles Fox expects to have his Debts paid by Lady Holland, & will begin ye world with nothing. I dare say she grudges him every shilling that will have been paid in discharging his Debts & perhaps will have so little grace as to think & call him an Extravagant young fellow. I am much flattered with Therese's telling me she has petted & puzzled & settled, about not hearing from one of us, when Mrs P received a letter from me, on Waddilove's arrival. She will the Post after have found out, that letter was an extraordinary written on a Thursday, on purpose to thank Mr Parker for his present & that she received her's which was written on ye Monday following by Fritz in due Course of Post. Adieu my dearest Nanny. Fritz desires his best love. I suppose you at Mrs Aislake's to whom we desire the kindest compliments. I am ever & ever yrs Grantham.
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