| Transcription | Bath Feb 2d
My Dearest Nelly,
I wrote to you on Thursday
& directed to Higham Clifton & just after I had
sent my letters to the Post received yours dated
Sudbury, which tells me you were there on your
road to Shipley : as my last letter was so full
of my own Grievances that I had no room for
any other Subject, I now sit down to tell you
what I have done relating to Miss Fielding
since the receipt of my Brothers Letter & since
I wish to enclose one which I have received from
That Honourable young Lady, & another from Harriet
Bowdler I will direct the pacquet to L[or]d Vernon
& am sure it will be forwarded to you, for I […?]
it is not worth postage as my Brother desired
me to consult with Harriet, & both she & myself
being confined to our separate Houses by illness
I had no way of doing this but by writing & sending
her his Letter & not to trouble You with all our
Consultations we agreed to meet in […?] Chapel
for Service last Sunday & talk the matter over: in her first
[page 2]
Letter to me on the subject she had desired
when I answered my brothers Letter (concluding I
suppose I should do it immediately) that I woud
enquire what h… …?] received for which she
wrote to him the beginning of last Month & directed
to Shipley, & as it was on on business she was surprized
he had not answered & I did not intend to write
to him at all whilst he was in Town but at the
request of hers I wrote a Line just to send her
message & told him I would not trouble him with
anything relating to his Ward, as I meant to send
all the particulars to you as soon as you get to
Shipley : Harriet Bowdler seem’d to think he was
quite right in refusing to give any Premium to the
Percivals; I told her the purport of Miss Fielding’s
letter which I now send to you & she promised to
call upon her the next morning & let me know
the result of their meeting, & I assured her that I
was ready to assist in any way she coud point out
for the settling this unfortunate Girl except the
paying a premium with her which she saw was as
strongly objected to by my Brother that I did not
think I could be justified to him if I consented to it.
[page 3]
Tuesday Morning brought Miss Fielding to me she
told me she had seen Miss Bowdler & with her
permission came to request me to pay the ten Guineas
to Mr Percival without which he woud not suffer
her to remain in his House any longer : on my persisting
in the refusal she seem’d much disconcerted & said there
was then no way in which she coud get her bread
except going upon the Stage & that she must do that
unless I paid the premium as she desired : I told her
that before she took such a step she had better
again consult Miss Bowdler who she knew was her real
friend, that I did not presume[?] to advise her as to
the manner in which she coud gain a Livelihood but
in my own Opinion the Waiting upon a Lady of good
Character was a much more creditable way of doing
it than either going upon the Stage or remaining
in such a shop as Mr Percivals : this raised the
Ladys indignation to the highest pitch Ma’am says
She do you think L[or]d Fieldings Daughter will
Condescend to go to service? No I have too much
pride for that & since you will not assist me in
the only way which is in your power I can truly[?] say it
shall be the last favor I will ever ask of you
or any of the Mundys who have all used me cruelly &
[page 4]
indeed every body allows that Mr Mundy was a very
improper Guardian for my Person whatever he
might be for my Fortune, but I shall go to Miss
Bowdler & let her know what you say, believe me
nor indeed any one but yourself cou’d have thought of
my going into service: I forgot to mention when she
urged me to pay the ten Guineas to Mr Percival as the
only way of saving her from the greatest distress, that
she told me he had a right to expect it from me &
that she coud assure me he was not a man to be
trifled with: I answer’d that I woud have nothing
to do with Mr Percival, for he had wrote me a very
impertinent Letter some time ago (which he has My
Dear Nelly, for he tells me I have neither acted
with Justice or Propriety to Miss Fielding or to
them) that his Opinion of my Conduct in the Affair
was much beneath my notion[?], but if he woud send
his wife to me I woud shew her my Brothers Letter
& that then if she & Miss Bowdler coud fix
upon any plan wherin I coud assist in settling
Miss Fielding with her, I shoud readily acquiesce
in whatever Miss Bowdler thought proper to
recommend for I was certain she woud not advise me
to act in direct Opposition to my Brothers orders
[page 5]
as I neither saw or heard from Miss Bowdler , I
sent on Thursday night to inquire the reason & had
the note in return which I have inclosed, so
I flatter myself I have almost done with the
unpleasant Business : I will send you all
Miss Fieldings receipts[?] when I may enclose[?] &
my Brother at Shipley, & also the note she
gave me when I paid the Premium to Miss Edgill
(to repay me when some of aga…? the back
of which I have acknowledged the recovering
Ten Guineas of it back again […] Miss E
& whatever you woud have [..] with the
remainder of your money now is my […]
me know when you have time [… missing…]
that will not happen whatever your
of Company. I am better than
last & have my Doc[to]rs leave to go
middle of next week so I hope
take me to the Cherry Orchard.
Yours My Dearest Nelly, affect[tionate]ly
E Oliver |