Letters from Mr Southwell to Dorothy Boyle (née Savile) Countess of Burlington

In these two letters to Lady Dorothy Savile, Mr Southwell writes of: his company with Mary [Lady Dorothy's sister?] and their lamenting that Northern ladies spend the winter away from London; imagining Lady Dorothy to be creating some useful needlwork; wishing her a happy new year; a court ball for new year; the attendance at the ball of two Indian princes who took off their shirts to show the markings of their bodies including star shapes around their nipples; the death of Mrs Stanhope and the recovery of her sons; the match of Col. Chatris' daughter to a Dalrymple [Janet Charteris and James Wemyss]; losing her sweetheart Lord Roulton to a daughter of Lord [Conings]; Lord Stanhope's return; Charles Stanhope sending his brother a bill after the birth of his twins; the reprimand of a clergyman by Dr Hough, Bishop of Lichfield, on account of his saying the Princess has ferret eyes, red hair and dugs the size of a cow; the meeting of the houses of parliament and a scheme to pay the public debt [possibly a reference to the South Sea company underwriting govermnet debt]; an opera that won't be ready until next March; a fine party at Lord Berkeley's at Cranford near Hounslow Heath with Lord Chetwin, Mr Cook and Capt. Pyot; his approval of Handel's new opera; a good drawing room including the Prince and the 'Stamford beauties and fortunes'; he mentions sweethearts at the evening including Lady Kitty and Lord Harvey, Lord William Beauclair the Duke of St Alban's son; Lady Rachel and Capt. Phillip Fullerton; Lord Finch; Lord Harborough; a possible sweetheart for Lady Dorothy in Lord Portmore's son; and his uncertainty about Lady Dorothy's preference in men.

Southwell