Charles Lewis Meryon (1783–1877) was the personal physician to the unconventional and adventurous Lady Hester Stanhope (1776–1839), who left England in 1810 to travel to the Middle East. She eventually settled in Lebanon and by the time she died no longer had contact with any Europeans. Meryon's Travels of Lady Hester Stanhope (also reissued in this series) recounted her journey during the first seven years he spent with her before returning to England to complete his medical training. Over the next twenty years, they remained in contact and he stayed with her on two more occasions before she died. In this three-volume work, first published in 1845, Meryon presents letters he received from her and recounts their conversations, giving a remarkable insight into the woman he describes as 'out of humour with all mankind'. Volume 1 covers events between 1823 and 1837, beginning with her letters imploring him to visit.
