The Letters of the Duke of Wellington to Miss J. 1834-1851 Part 12

WELLINGTON.

LONDON, Feb. 5, 1840.

1/2 past eleven A.M.

MY DEAR MISS J.,--I did not return from the House of Lords last night till Midnight; and did not receive Your Letter of yesterday till this Moment.

You are quite right not to desire to see me.

I refer you to what I wrote some time ago upon that Subject; on which there can be no alteration.

Ever Yours Most faithfully.

WELLINGTON.

"The Duke's next letter is dated Feb. 20th 1840 wherein he writes--'I have only this day received your letter dated Sat.u.r.day afternoon. I was indisposed last week. But thank G.o.d! I have been quite well for some days. So many letters come here for me; that I think it most probable that the Medical Gentlemen desired that none should be given me.' [Endnote 2]

"The next letter from the Duke is dated March 3rd in which he writes 'I am very much obliged to you for your letter of the 2nd Inst. now received. I thank you for mentioning my health. I was unwell about three weeks ago but, thank G.o.d! I have been quite well ever since.'"

Another quarrel is now brewing, and Miss J. must, as usual, have lodged the first complaint, since the Duke at once a.s.sumes a defensive att.i.tude.

LONDON, March 6, 1840. 11 A.M.

MY DEAR MISS J.,--I am very much concerned that my affairs should render it necessary for me frequently to go into the Country; and that as you don't receive an answer to your Note you should still think it must have been perused by my Servants or someone else.

If you cannot divest yourself of this suspicion you would act more wisely in not writing to me again; if you should care one Pin who sees your Letters!

I received last night on my return to London your Letter of the 4^th and I acknowledge the receipt thereof this morning.

Believe me Ever Your

Most faithful Servant,

WELLINGTON.

"The Duke's next letter dated March 9th wherein he writes: 'I am really much concerned that you should suppose that my last note to you was what you call Cross. But I am not so foolish as ever to be cross much less in writing.'"

The Duke seems in his next letter, dated March 11, to return to the third person again, wherein he writes after presenting his compliments: "The Duke has received her letter of the 10th, Inst. which does not appear to him to require any answer."

LONDON, March 13, 1840.

1/2 past 11 A.M.

The Duke of Wellington presents His Compliments to Miss J. Miss J. thinks proper to write to the Duke; but complains of the inconvenience attending the observations of the Curious among the Publick, upon the frequency of the Correspondence.

She sometimes objects to the Substance; at others to the form of the Duke's Letters. The Duke has endeavored invariably to render them as respectful as possible to Miss J., in form as well as in Substance.

The Duke is unfortunately for him not sufficiently informed to enable Him to write upon some of the Higher and more sacred Topicks of Miss J.'s Letters. But he considers it quite useless to write to Miss J. at all; if he should omit to state His opinion when he sees that she has taken an erroneous view of that of which he has a knowledge. He submits these opinions with great deference and Respect; and he is much concerned when any of them give Offence.

LONDON, March 14th, 1840.

The Duke of Wellington presents His Compliments to Miss J. He has just received Her Note of Friday evening the 13^th Ins^t.

The Duke is very sensible of Miss J.'s offer of Service in case the Duke should be sick or afflicted. The Duke is much obliged to Her. He is quite well. He has no reason to believe that he will have occasion to trouble Her upon any object whatever.

Indorsed in Miss J.'s hand. "Let NOT Him that girdeth on his harness _boast himself_ as he that putteth it off. 1 Kings XX. 11.

"Alas! I tremble for you."

"The Duke's next letter is dated March 30th expressive of his thanks.

"The Duke's next letter is dated April 3rd in which he writes 'The Duke a.s.sures Miss J. that neither the form, manner nor substance nor even a Word in any letter of hers has offended him.' The Duke's next letter is dated April 4th in which he thanks me for my letter of that day. The Duke's next letter is dated the 4th of April in which he writes--'The Duke is much concerned to learn that Miss J.

has been indisposed.'

"The Duke's next letter is dated April 10th in which he writes 'He understands that Miss J. wishes him to enclose to Mrs. L. the answers addressed to Herself although that is not stated as usual.'

"The Duke's next letter is dated April 18th in which he writes 'The Duke has never been better than for the last month and most particularly for the last few days. He is aware that reports are continually circulated to the contrary but they are entirely undeserving of credit.'"

The cause of this coolness between the Duke and Miss J. is not clear.

Her Diary throws no light upon the subject, and the only clew to the dissension must be found in the Duke's letters. From these it would seem that Miss J. has again criticised his manner of writing, or resented some fancied liberty. The quarrel begun so promisingly in March is still vigorous late in April, and the Duke is making energetic but futile efforts to break off the correspondence.

STRATHFIELDSAYE, April 24, 1840.

The Duke of Wellington presents His Compliments to Miss J. He has received her letter of the 21^st Ins^t for which he returns His thanks being convinced that Her Letters to the Duke are dictated by the best Motives.

The Duke cannot but acknowledge however that they are written to but little purpose; and considering their Tone and Tenor, the writing of them can be but little satisfaction to Miss J.; while it must be troublesome; the transmission of them embarra.s.sing; as well as the Reception of the answers to Herself and Her friends.

Under these Circ.u.mstances the Duke would earnestly recommend to Miss J. not to write to Him again.

LONDON, May 20, 1840.

The Duke of Wellington presents His Comp^ts to Miss J. He is much concerned to learn that His omission to acknowledge the receipt of Miss J. [_sic_] has occasioned any inconvenience to her. The Duke received all her Letters in due Course.

The Duke did not acknowledge the receipt of them. He really thought and thinks still that Miss J.'s correspondence with the Duke is very inconvenient to Her and Her friends; that it exposes her to the Effects of the Curiosity of the Idle; and to the observations of the Malicious; and that however much he may be obliged to the Kindness of Miss J. in writing to him, he ought to endeavour to prevail upon her to refrain from doing which [_sic_] may be inconvenient to Herself or to Her friends.

The Duke is thank G.o.d! and has been perfectly well, and he sincerely hopes that Miss J. is so likewise.

Indorsed by Miss J. "There is _no_ wisdom nor understanding, nor counsel against THE LORD." "MY Counsel SHALL stand, and I will perform ALL My pleasure."