Letter – Diana Beaumont to John Erasmus Blackett – 22 May 1802

Dear Sir

I have only time to say the Bishop’s conduct surprised me greatly, I deferr’d writing to you as I was informed he wd  be in Town Yesterday, & I had written a Note to request he wd be with me this Morning as my Son is not 3 weeks old I could not wait upon him, & also I wrote to desire Mr R Wilson would come to me an Hour earlier & be present at our meeting, & I determined precisely to say the words you recommended, & decline all discussion on the Subject, & giving the answer from Col. Beaumont as his positive determination, for it will be some Days before Col. Beau’t returns from Cheltenham, he has rec’d so much benefit, but he requests I will open all Letters from you, & the Abbey & Bretton, Yours I forwarded instantly to him, w[hic]h by his Letter to Day astonished him greatly, just when I was going to send my Note to the Bishop, I heard he was not to arrive until the 4th June & that not positively fixed, he is at Mongewell,  so I did not send either my Note to him, or to Mr R Wilson, as it was of no use sending to him unless I could have seen the Bishop, Col. B & I should wish you to do what you think is best in this Business, & to convey to the Bishop any answer from Colonel B that you think advisable, if you think right so to do, might it not be as well to say you was desired by Col. B and me (if it is necessary my name should be added) to acquaint his Lordship with the purport contained in your Letter to Col. B – in as strong and determined Language as possible to resist the <Claim> etc, or if you wish to have a letter from Col. B – to you, intended for you to send to the Bishop, he will write it as soon as he returns, but I should imagine your conveying our determination wd  be equally well, your statement of the case is uncommonly well done, & we much consider ourselves infinitely obliged to Mr Williamson for his very kind and Friendly behaviour,  his name shall never be named – wd it not be right for Col. B at his return to write him a Letter of Thanks, there is no legal opinion I should have the same reliance on, if Col B had attempted to break his Engagement with the Bishop, his Conduct wd have been considered ungentlemanlike  & disgraceful, but I suppose the Bishop thinks he is privileged to act dishonourably, & to add falsehood to it is vile indeed, by saying you gave a solemn assurance, Mr Blackett’s word would be sooner taken , and relied on, than many Peoples Oath, I will not except the Bishop’s on this occasion, what passed last Year ab’t the Chapel in Weardale, was a positive falsehood, - excuse this scrawl written with my little Babe at his Dinner, & he lives upon me, but I was determined not to lose this Post, as tomorrow is Sunday - & be assured what you do we shall think right – I am Dr Sir Sincerely Mrs D Beaumont