Mariana Starke's Letter
By: Nicole Monrad
Description and Analysis
The sender of this letter is Mariana Starke, who was a writer of plays with one being performed at Hay market, as well as a writer of travel books. Hay market was the location on the top right-hand side of the letter, which is usually where one would but the location of where they are writing the letter.
We are not quite sure when and to whom the letter was written but with some research, I was able to find that the letter was possibly written to Sir Richard Phillips or after his retirement to John Murray. I almost want to say that it was Sir Richard Phillips because of how the letter seems to be the beginning of the production process. This is because in the letter she talks about different bookstores that want to work with and stock her book, as well as binding the books, which she talks about being able to do in Rome. Murray, with whom she worked on publishing her book, Letters from Italy later reworked to Travels in Italy.
The date could range from 1800-1832 from what I was looking at, again because we are not given a definite date.
The letter is signed quite respectfully, she starts with “Dear Sir” and finishes with “I remain ever, dear sir, yours truly obliged”, which by this formality makes me believe that the relationship between Mariana Starke and the recipient of this letter was professional if I wasn’t already tipped off by the contents of the letter. The contents of the letter were professional due to talks about owing money, binding books, and instructions to distribute books to different cities.
The letter does not seem to be folded like one would if they were mailing it, as well as there is no stamp. So I can deduct from that it was hand-delivered by someone since she was still in London. The handwriting is very neat considering some of the other ones I have looked at, making it easier to read, there is about a half-page of white space, but again, it was hand-delivered so I think it makes sense why it has space, that or she had money.
It appears she is responding to either a previous letter or a previous meeting of business she had with the recipient. There is not much to say about her personality in the letter, as it seems as though it is just about business and quite professional.
Diplomatic Transcription
Haymarket Monday
Dear Sir,
I am happy to say I have this morn=
=ing sent to the press the corrected proof
of the Index to our new work: my business,
therefore is finished; & I have arranged
everything for my departure from this
country on thursday next. I hope to
have the pleasure of calling upon you
tomorrow morning, that I may dis=
=charge my pecuniary debts, & receive
your instructions relative to the
sale of the book in foreign cities,
where it is much wanted.
Galignani at Paris, Peverata at Pisa,
Molini at Florence, Bouchard at
Rome, & Trani at Naples, are the
most respectable foreign booksellers
with whom I am acquainted.
I could take 20 copies with me,
if they could be brought hither by 3 o’clock on
wednesday; as I should then have time
to pack them in my trunks: & if the
[page break]
copies for Rome were unbound, it
would not signify; as I could get
them bound there: tomorrow, how=
=ever, I hope we may be able to
talk these matters over & mean=
=time I remain ever, dear Sir,
yours truly obliged.
MStarke
