555 **STANHOPE** (LADY HESTER LUCY, 1776-1839). The eccentric niece of William Pitt. Lived as an Oriental in Syria from 1812 till her death.
**AUTOGRAPH LETTER SIGNED TO (SIR JOSEPH BANKS).**
8 pp., 4to. Mount Lebanon, 29th June, 1815.

A lengthy letter to Sir Joseph Banks giving him information regarding his researches in Syria, and begging the scientist to send her further work to do, as “without conceit I can command everything in Syria.”

She sends Sir Joseph some acorns of the Syrian oak; petrified fish found in the rocks of Lebanon; a bottle of Rebas, a cooling medicine used by the great Pachas upon the Mecca pilgrimage, to obtain which she spent £40 in presents, a great deal of flattery and a promise of several sorts of English cheese. Lady Hester gives an interesting description of her Greek servant, Georgio, and compares the characters of the Greeks with those of the Turks and Arabs.

expenditure in provisioning the fleet under Prince Rupert. 28th
September, 1660.
£6 6s

The letter relates to Robert Southwell's fee farm, which he wishes
the King to confer on him and his heirs for ever.

The other two documents relate to Southwell's expenditure in pro-
visioning the fleet under Prince Rupert, which had been sent in 1649 to
assist the Marquis of Ormonde in the re-conquest of Ireland, and pleading
for compensation.

In 1649 Southwell provisioned the fleet under Prince Rupert, which was then blockaded at Kinsale by Blake and Deane, and was consequently condemned under the Commonwealth to forfeit part of his estates. He was removed from his post of collector of Kinsale, but subsequently found so much favour with the Government that he was employed on several commissions, and after the Restoration had other estates granted to him.