Letter from Maria Fitzherbert, London, to Mary Georgiana Dawson-Damer, 1826 January 18 : autograph manuscript signed with initials.

Commenting on the accounts Minney gave of herself in her last letter and saying "...not a Syllable of what you say respecting your Situation shall pass my lips I certainly with the strictest secrecy mentioned yr Situation to Jones who is very much Interested about you & he desired me to say he has no doubts he recommends you keep your body open by occasionally taking a little Magnesia with Lemon juice in a State of Effervescing & that nothing else is necessary, let me know from what time you suspect this Business took place - I confess I have suspected you had waited till I heard from you, It is now quite necessary you should return to England instead of remaining abroad I have been enquiring all over London to get a house for you for I cannot bear the Idea of your not having a Home somewhere & since I have had your last letter I am more anxious than ever I have several in view but I have not as yet quite determined - you shall hear again next post & then I will tell you all particulars - all your old Lovers are now providing for themselves in a great hurry;" relating all the gossip of engagements and marriages; discussing Louisa's jealousy of Mary Anne; saying "pray do write to Louisa - she is in such an uncomfortable state with every body & I am sure if you dont write she will think I have prevented you Charlotte says she is very much reform'd with respect to - I cannot bear to say the word but you will understand it - she worry's his family & every body about her by her extreme degree of Jealousy & Suspicion, & really makes us all quite uncomfortable her extreme Jealousy of me is owing to my Visit at Hooton where I was treated with great affection & kindness & her Hatred to Mary Anne she makes no secret of as she has taken it into her head people take more notice of her than of her Girls, she says Lady Stanley & I hate her & her children and that she has only one Friend left in the world which is Lord Arthur & she supposes very soon he will be set against her, Charlotte & I have talk'd this over & over nothing will convince her & poor Char is quite worn out, I have determined to take no notice & shew her & the girls every affection & kindness in my power for really I have a very sincere affection for her & w'd do every thing on Earth I could do both for her & her children...she vows she will never set her foot in Lady S's home again tho' after I left Hooton she remained there three months with every kindness & attention shewn both to her and her girls - you would not know her her Character is so changed I really pity her very sincerely for I believe she works herself up to a pitch of misery & wretchedness, is so irritable that nobody can speak to her - & nobody has less reason than herself for so doing as we are all sincerely interested about her & her children[.] I have never before bored you upon this subject - recollect this is perfectly confidential;" relating gossip of Miss Stanhope's marriage to Lord Southampton saying "...he has never been from under his mothers protection who is constantly preaching in the fields & sent this Boy to a Clergyman's in Leicestershire and knowing nobody & seeing no one she is the first person he has made acquaintance with all her family are delighted he has an immense property fifteen thousand [torn away] to spend...I find he has never [torn away] Education & is quite a raw uneducated Cub;" saying she and Mary will write again next week.