GRANT (Mrs ANNE, 1755-1838, Scottish writer) LONG AUTOGRAPH LETTER SIGNED ('Anne Grant'), to Mrs Stuart at Barham, giving a full account of her life-style, needs and circumstances in her declining years, counting her blessings especially her children ('...My Son[']s Daughterly purity of morals & great attention to my every wish is...a great cause of thankfulness...'), reporting on her restored health, commenting on the misfortunes and strengths of her recipient and her family including an 'Angelic cousin' ('...He who foresees the conflicts we have to encounter in our state of probation furnishes with this Shield of patient endurance to those who are to meet with more than common trials...'), reflecting on the changes she has witnessed in the nature of Edinburgh society and culture, sharing her thoughts on the comforts of children ('...Good children of course affectionate & attachd or they would not be good are an inestimable cordial to declining life when they remain and when they are summond to early felicity they leave desirable recollections behind & seem to call us with a voice of love to follow...'), and giving news and opinions of friends, 4 pages, quarto, integral address panel, two small tears at black monogrammed seals, a few letters now on tabs under seals, Brae House, Edinburgh, 2 February 1827

'...When I came first here The Edr Review was a kind of text book from which people seemd to borrow opinions & which was quoted on all occassions[.] Its irreligious tendency seemd no objection to its general influence[.] What a change have I witnessd. heedless of Fashion & ruling minds &c I kept firmly to my own opinions & now I find the new Generation who begin to predominate over their Seniours thinking on the most important points pretty much as I do, & many of my Coevals have entirely forsaken the opinions & habits of their early days[.] In short the revolution in manners & opinions is beyond what you can imagine. Wh[en] I came here the Community in general were from cultivation & good taste v[ery] decent in their morals & perfectly well satisfied with being so & seemd to think there was nothing further necessary, Now most people seem anxiously to ask themselves the solemn question what shall I do to be saved in fact when I came here there was very little serious religion among fashionable society in Edr now it is quite the reverse, & every day the number of those who make it a serious concern seems daily increasing...'

The recipient of the letter is probably related to Lady Louisa Stuart, granddaughter of Mary Wortley Montagu, author of Letters of Lady Louisa Stuart to Miss Louisa Clinton and her grandmother's memorialist in Introductory Anecdotes.

£550