Jan 22 1812 Letter of Susan Vaughan to Byron

While writing Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage, Lord  Byron was continuing his affair with Susan Vaughan, his Welsh maid from Newstead Abbey. In January of 1812, Lord Byron had returned to London to take his seat in Parliament. Susan Vaughan wrote to him regularly. The letter of January 22, 1812 touches on an incident where Byron's page, Robert Rushton, had refused to deliver a letter from Byron to Vaughan. It turned out that Rushton was also having an affair with Vaughan, which Byron was to discover shortly. 

The letter of Susan Vaughan below is taken from BYRON’S CORRESPONDENCE AND JOURNALS 03:  FROM LONDON AND OTHER PLACES IN ENGLAND, JULY 1811-DECEMBER 1812 Edited by Peter Cochran.  This site contains most of the correspndence of Byron but in a rough, raw and unedited form.

Susan Vaughan to Byron,

from Newstead Abbey, January 22nd 1812:

My dearest friend,

Your affectionate Letter I receivd with pleasure & Happy to find you had mine safe. I hope youHave also receivd your Handkerdhiefs that I SentOn Monday you dont mention them in your letterWhich makes me almost afraid about them beingLost Pray name it in your next – My dearest –Friend your letter to Robert Caused some ConfusionOn his side. – he told me Something about it –But denys he ever refus,d to take the Letter) it
Is Natural Certainly for him to try to clear himselfTo you but if I am to bee believd upon my word he –Said he had no Business at the Hut therefore he –Should not take any bodys Letters what was I kept For, and indeed a good deal more he said that I –Shall not mention, he strongly deny,s he refuse,dAnd that he will write and tell you – But Bessy andthe others herd it if you my dearest friend thinkIm not speaking or rather writing the truth, willyou be kind enough to enquire further –––So that in this Case I will not Say any more –Filling my letter about those Celebrated CharactersAbout Newstead Abbey, only just to informMy Affectionate friend what his little witch –Having done the honor to his birth day whichIs as follows.) – on Tuesday I was rambling all overThe garden and woods around the house, gatheringGround Ivy and all other green branch or prettySprig to dress the stone parlour with where wement to keep your birth day and not forgettingMine) if you my Dearest friend knew how ProudI was and Still more happy when I thought of both –being on <the/>one day. – but to tell you my ever dearestHow very gay I made the room with Hanging theLong Ivy Carelessly all round the Parlour in drapingsIt hung very pretty – and very <Tasty> {Tasty} done all about hereSaid it was <done>). the walls where scarsely seenfor green branches Hanging loosely over them andThe Pillar which stands in the middle, was dressd exactly like jack in the green with every greenleaf and sprig I Could find I assure you it really Lookd very nice and gay and also to CompleatIt well I wrote an invitation to Mrs Fletcher andOne to Lucy one to Robert one to Mary and one to Spero and Bessy Requesting the favor of their Companys to tea and SupperDont laugh when Taffy tells what she thought wouldSuit their palates I forgot they all wrote me aNote in Answer to mine which I shall keep toShow you when you return to me). discription of theDresses – all the pure Virgins was in white two inParticular Shining out to see which cut the dashIn gold Chains Now Laugh again, when I tell youhow spitefully I look,d at Lucy,s, and she at mineI like me own best not a straw for hers Mrs FAnd children was dressed to the tip of the moode) MrMurry in a Cock,d hat lookd like the beadle of aParish – but now in reallity they all Honord theday very much indeed in respects to dress the firstgo was taffy ready to receive the Company) the nextgo was tea And Coffee if you please after that wasCleared away, Mr Murry sang a very pretty song of theSort, then Mrs F done the same pretty well Bessy beingNext was under the necessity of singing something, so itwas to Lucy being the next neighbour I believe she justthought of it then – Saying Lucy Lucy raise your voice andThis night lets all Rejoice, all be happy all bee gayByron,s and Susan,s natal day – Very good – Lucy Sang yourSong Robert would Say nought about it not even myHealth). but did squeeze out your my dearest friend – which pleased meBest, after that they begd taffy wouldDance for them nor indeed could I refuse when I thoughtof you and that was all the while. My part end,d andthree Virgins had a Reel, then it was Supper timethe Cloath was laid in great stile believe meI had a spare rib of pork at the top an apple pie at the bottoma pork pie in the middle potatoes at one corner sellery at theother mince pies and Custards at the other two Corners afterthat cheese and the Cloath was removed a small table setRound with glasses and punch we had forsooth Mr MurryDrank your health wishing you many happy returns of theDay – three Cheers follow,d in the next glass {little} T the sameThey afterwards asked me to give a toast I immediatelyThought of you paused a moment, and rose up withMy fine toast it was the following) Long may meLord live happy may he be blest with Content & From Misfortune free. – The others Sanction,d It SaidThe Same I did not tell you of a nice plumcake we had more singing and dancing ended this grandure, the Company dispers’d, and I find mostPleasure in writing to you my dearest friend praywrite as Soon as you can and tell me what your opinionis of all my Noncensical tales. I am afraid you will beAngry at them. god bless you my dear Lord Byron the Clock is now striking five Thursday morning no Sleep to night shall long for an answer to thisLetter I will read Certainly as much as I can whileI have the opportunity and am very thankfull to –My dear friend for allowing me to do Spero waitsfor this letter to take to the Hut therefore you mustexcuse all mistakes and blunders but dont you knowWitch Havings or taffys, are allowed not to be so aptnor so very adroit as all the other Countrys never mindI love you my dearest I understand that perfectly oncemore god bless you and I am ever yours – affectionately.

S. H. VAUGHAN