Personal letter from Sir William Gell to `Rural nymph' [Miss Mary Nicholas] `O divine Cartismandua' Gell describes journey to Birmingham from Ashbourne which took only four hours; `I could not escape the patent window and the stained glass manufactories'. Travelled on to Worcester that night and then to Hereford to hear music in the Cathedral. Bored there by a Col Heathcote of Littleover. Gell now at Abergavenny where people are `all in the first style of fashion - gypsy hats and go without suppers', but intends to visit Bath which is 52 miles distant. Has ordered a pair of blue pantaloons and has bought `a book of the Swiss lakes' at Hereford. He is dining at Robert Williams of Crickhowell, but is `compleatly miserable'. His mother says at Hopton `letters are not held as sacred things'; describes her as meek, patient and resigned, `easy prey to any designing person' [inserts sketch of dancing skeleton]. [Postmark: Abergavenny] 1801