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Huntington Library, RS 152. Not previously published.
These letters were edited with the assistance of Carol Bolton, Tim Fulford and Ian Packer
For permission to publish the text of MSS in their possession, the editor wishes to thank the Beinecke Rare Books and Manuscript Library, Yale University; Berg Collection of English and American Literature, The New York Public Library, Astor, Lenox and Tilden Foundations; the Bodleian Library Oxford University; the British Library; Boston Public Library; the Syndics of Cambridge University Library; the Syndics of the Fitzwilliam Museum Cambridge; Haverford College, Connecticut; the Historical Society of Pennsylvania; the Hornby Library, Liverpool Libraries and Information Services; the Houghton Library, Harvard University; the John Rylands Library, Manchester; the Kenneth Spencer Research Library, University of Kansas; Luton Museum (Bedfordshire County Council); Massachusetts Historical Society; McGill University Library; the National Library of Scotland; the Newberry Library, Chicago; the New York Public Library (Pforzheimer Collections); the Pierpont Morgan Library, New York; the Public Record Offices of Bedford, Suffolk (Bury St Edmunds) and Northumberland, the Master and Fellows of Trinity College, Cambridge; the Society of Antiquaries of Newcastle upon Tyne; the Trustees of the William Salt Library, Stafford, the Wisbech and Fenland Museum; the University of Virginia Library.
A research grant from the British Academy made much of the archival work possible, as did support from the English Department of Nottingham Trent University.
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It is so much more likely that this weather will continue, than that you should feel at leisure in a better season,
that I will say come with all speed. Your place must be taken in the Carlisle & Glasgow mail as far as Penrith. Now there are two
Carlisle mails, the one runs thro Manchester, & they are rascals enough at the coach office to take travellers in,
Carlisle <tho> it involves a change of coaches on the road, <an additional charge> & two hours delay at
midnight in a miserable common room at Manchester. You must come by the Newark & Doncaster road. This mail used to set out from the
Bull & Mouth, & I suppose still does. It will land you at Penrith between 11
& 12 <the second day> & from thence you must take chaise for Keswick – 17 miles.
The whole journey is performed in 43 hours.
Edith is come up stairs to say that you should lose no time, – & how glad we shall be to see you –
Nil mihi rescribas &c –
I have obtained a set of the Spanish papers Parl. Proc. of last sessions from Herries, Bedfords
friend. – You & I differ a little about the Spanish people. National hatred has much to do in their resistance, but not more than
national pride. – I never doubted that the Convention of Cintrainstinctive opinion, in which the more I considered the question, the more I was
confirmed. Cooperation with the Spaniards is not practicable upon a great scale, but exceedingly advisable on a small one, – that is as
we are doing in the North Coast by flying squadrons. A flying force might at this time cut off the besieging army before Tortosa, &
might have relieved Hostalrich
With the Portugueze <army> this would be the best plan. To begin wholly with British officers, but as speedily as possible promote men from the ranks, – upon the system of the French Revolution. In Portugal no man of rank is to be trusted, but my life & soul upon it, the people are true, & there is not a finer race under heaven.
You will get this on Saturday, – I shall <half> expect you to dinner on Monday.