Transcription of Elizabeth Carter’s Letter

Despite all the proposals my transcription has prompted, I have incorporated most of them by consensus. That is the reason why three words are still displayed in brackets since such expressions require further analysis. Therefore, I would be glad of subsequent suggestions.

 

 

My dear Sister                                   ye     14th of feb

                                                                              1766

I intended you a longer letter tonigh

but behold M ss Carter at my elbow, looking as if

she had a great deal to say, which is certainly

singularly malicious, as she is of all Womankind

the most silent. I will certainly take care about

M ss Larghornas son. When I had written this in

came  Lord Lyttelton (so/as) I was obliged to lay down

my pen, for she Mss Carter  with it disposed to

talk to me, just when the company increased

to three persons, I knew tho she can (……) or

dwells she wd not venture to engage in a trio

(….)  poor Lord Lyttelton must have

furnished more than his share of the

conversation whereas when we parted she

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3 Responses to Transcription of Elizabeth Carter’s Letter

  1. maaike1952 says:

    Dear beayjulio22,
    My transcription is like yours except a few differences which are In the first sentence ‘tonigh’ instead of your (wrigh), and further in
    Line 4: Womankin(d)
    Line 7: Lord Lythelton
    Line 8: for ‘she’ Mss Garter looked disposed to
    Line 10: tho she can sing a
    Line 11: duette she used not venture to engage in a trio
    Line 12: as poor Lord Lythelton

  2. witkam says:

    Dear beayjulio22,
    Although our transcriptions are very similar, there are a few differences.
    Line 1 and 4 I agree with Maaike1952: tonigh and womankind.
    Line 7 should, I think be Lord Lyttelton (see http://oasis.lib.harvard.edu/oasis/deliver/~hou01749).This refers to a certain George Lyttelton,
    Then after Lord Lyttelton I read the word ‘so’.
    Then again I agree with Maaike1952 about line 8 and then in line 9: ‘just when the company …’
    In line 11 again the same as Maaike1952 and I agree with you that line 11: ‘she wd not ‘

    regards

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