Mary Egerton, London, to Mrs. Mary Andrews, Isleworth, [Wednesday], 17 September 1788.

Wed.  Sept. 17.  88

   You will think my dr Mrs Andrews that I mean to retaliate for your silence, but I assure you no such intention has been the cause of it – I have not indeed been indisposed or withheld from the pleasure of writing to you, by any very extraordinary occurrence; but my time has been so much occupied with business, that I really have not been able to indulge myself with the enjoyment of friendship, & the time devoted to it now is an hour stolen before Breakfast, for you must know my dr Mdm, I find it expedient to rise somewhat earlier than I accustomed myself to do at Twelve months ago.

   In the first, or rather in the second place, I have work to do for my Brother, – & for the next – but I am beginning at the wrong end of my story, & if you can have patience to attend to it will put my narration in better [order] -- tho I assure you I am intolerably stupid this morning and writers are always confused until the ending.  I especially < > the Vapours & < > before my Eyes.

   I have always my very dr Friend excuse my liberty I < > you by the name which but expresses my best esteem.  You sympathize so tenderly with my Pains, tho’ ever ignorant of their origin, that I know you participate equally in my pleasures  For those we love, the most trifling incidents become interesting, & for this reason I relate to your indulgent Ear Circumstances that, to < > I know, it might seem ridiculous, even childish, to take notice of. –

   Once for all then, I have the pleasure to tell you I arrived to the honor of drawing under the inspection of Mrs C–!  you know how truly anxious I am to make a progress in this art & in consequence of which I have always wished for so favorable an opportunity to [initiate] but never would find courage to ask it. –

   A few days ago I asked Miss N. to request permission for me to draw in a corner of Mrs C’s house – the request was granted but I found I should never have audacity enough to avail myself of it – I went then however the next morng Mrs C sent me at once out to work in her Study – my hand < > and could scarcely hold the pencils but at length found steadiness enough to finish a drawing from a fine antique model – The next day I went trembling to think how I had exposed myself when to my agreeable disappointment, Mrs C related how extremely herself & husband had been surprized at my performance – insisted on my persevering & expressed herself afterward in such a manner to one person of my acquaintance, as I really have not quite Vanity & impudence enough to relate how after this recital I think you must allow I have a very tolerable Share – So you see my dr Mdm tho’ I much despair of its ever being accredited to me, your flattering prediction, or rather anticipation in my favor is something nearer than where we were to go visit!

   I drank Tea yest: with your amiable friend [Mrs] Brooks  N. &c on a first Visit was never before received with so much cordiality & so little form; a circumstance which gave me much pleasure as it accorded perfectly with my own elegant appearance of < > the disposition of my mind. – We conversed on < > interesting subjects – can it be supposed [that] my dr Friends at Isleworth were forgot? no, they formed a delightful part of our conversation – I never saw a family in which so much peace, sweetness, & simplicity seemed to elevate & had it not been that my Eyes sometimes proceeded promiscuously from the Parlor to the Street to store it to my remembrance [of] the neighborhood of Grosvenor Sqr. I might have fancied myself in a cottage on the mountains of Switzerland, where you say nature remains in its pure & uncorrupted State, that is if any thing in nature could be otherwise than depraved & corrupted.  Mr W. & family add their petitions to mine – I believe I shall try soon to weary you out with them – we will all write a long one apiece & if it is impossible to proceed by entreaty endeavour to worry you into a compliance.

   Adieu my Dr Mrs A.  if you are determined not to come my way, let me hear from you soon – remember me affectionately to my sweet Sisters. Compts to Mr A.  & accept yr self of all my Heart can give

                                             M  E

Text: Timothy Whelan, gen. ed., Nonconformist Women Writers, 1720-1840, 8 vols. (London: Pickering & Chatto, 2011), vol. 6, pp. 2-4 (annotated version); Reeves Collection, Box 14.8.(b.), Bodleian. Address:  Mrs Andrews | at Mr Ed: Shores | Isleworth | Middlesex. Postmark: illegible.

As the abve letter reveals, Mary Egerton knew many of the families living in Grosvesnor Square at that time, including a ‘Mrs C’, the wife of either John Cook, wine merchant, in Green Street, Grovesnor Square, or John Cook (probably the former’s relation), a coal merchant, 8 Park Street, Grovesnor Square. See UBD, vol. 1, part 2, p. 110; 'Grosvenor Square: Introduction', in Survey of London: Volume 40: The Grosvenor Estate in Mayfair, Part 2 (The Buildings), gen. ed. F. H. W. Sheppard  (London: Athlone Press, for the Greater London Council, 1980), pp. 112-117.  "Mrs. Brooks" may be the wife of Edward Brooks, hatter and hosier, of 68 Mount Street, Grovesnor Square, London, neighbours to the Egertons and Mrs Cook.