BIB_ID
332053
Accession number
MA 495.43
Creator
Walpole, Horace, 1717-1797.
Display Date
1793 Oct. 29.
Credit line
Acquired by Pierpont Morgan, before 1904.
Description
1 item (3 p.) ; 19.9 cm
Notes
Part of a collection of letters from Horace Walpole to Mary and Agnes Berry. Items in the collection have been described individually; see related collection-level record for more information. See also MA 494 (Letters from Walpole to the Misses Berry, 1789-1791); MA 496 (Letters from Walpole to the Misses Berry, 1794-1796, and letters from the Misses Berry to Walpole); and MA 497 (letters to various persons and miscellaneous writings).
Provenance
Given by Mary Berry to Sir Frankland Lewis; by descent to his daughter-in-law Lady Theresa Lewis; by descent to her son Sir Thomas Villiers Lister; by descent to his wife Lady Lister; acquired by Pierpont Morgan before 1904.
Summary
Responding that he has no further news about Marie Antoinette and can get none; speaking in very effusive terms about her life and trials, concluding that, following her sentence of death, she was "too calm, too sensible, too collected, and unshaken, she was above fear, indignation, and solicitation, and accountable only to herself, she showed that such a host of miscreants was not worthy of knowing a syllable of what passed in perhaps the greatest mind that ever existed." Remarking that these "effusions of my heart" are not impulsive, but rather the cool reflections of three days; noting however, that he opens his heart only to the Berrys and emphatically instructing her not to show this letter to anyone. Continuing the letter on Tuesday midnight: Mentioning that Mrs. Damer came to dine and mentioning several other mutual acquaintances; noting that he has no new news.
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