Eliza Gould, Bath, to Benjamin Flower, Mr. Kirby’s, Old Bailey, Newgate Prison, London, Thursday, 10 October 1799.

   I feel it a long long while since we parted & still my dear Benjn I am at Bath alternately dividing my thoughts betwixt Dodbrook & my parents, the confines of Newgate & you my best & dearest of Friends.

   I am unavoidably disappointed of your letter to day—as I could not go to Bristol I felt myself rather unwell yesterday I am not seriously ill so do not make yourself uneasy—I believe I am a little disordered by fatigue.  Mr Haskins’ friends in Bath the Miss Jones’s have treated me with more affectionate attention than I can describe to you   the miniature offices of kindness are indescribable they can only be felt & they have suffered no opportunity to escape which could possibly be improved to the contributing to my comfort.  I am now at their house & shall remain their visitor as long as I stay in Bath.

   Mr Haskins is going to Bristol this afternoon on his way to the Island [of Man] he does not intend to return again to Bath—to morrow the Miss Jones’s take me with them in a chaise to Bristol.  Mr Haskins wishes to consult on my case a friend of his a physician who lives there & of whose medical abilities he has the highest opinion—we shall return to Bath the same evening.

   Mr Haskins (who has studied physic professionally) is rather averse to my having the fatigue of travelling into the West—I will inform you my dear Benjn what they mean to do with me as soon as I know myself & will (as I know you would recommend it) do as they direct me.  I shall have your letter to morrow have just heard from Miss Gurney—I shall love her the better for every visit she has paid you.  I hopd to have finished this sheet—but as I respect your commands will only tell you that I am & ever shall be your sincere & faithful

                                 Eliza Gould

Miss Jones’s tho unknown send their respects—Mr Haskins will write you from Liverpool—I cannot much as I wish tell you how that money matter is sett­led—the post is just going out—& I have written this letter at intervals—you shall hear from me on Sunday—I shall have an opportunity of writing by private hand Saturday next   adieu adieu—I will never more apologize for bad writing ever—if my dear Benjamin will promise to burn the scrawls that he receives from his Eliza.

Bath No 3 Lower Walks                                         

Thursday 10 Octr 1799

Text: Timothy Whelan, ed., Politics, Religion, and Romance: The Letters of Benjamin Flower and Eliza Gould, 1794-1808 (Aberystwyth: National Library of Wales, 2008),  pp. 149-50 (a more annotated text than that which appears on this site).