The Letters of the Duke of Wellington to Miss J. 1834-1851 Part 13

LONDON, June 30, 1840.

The Duke of Wellington presents His Comp^ts to Miss J. He has received several Letters from Her. The last dated the 29^th Ins^t.

He has not thought it necessary to answer these Letters. He writes now only because Miss J. expressed an anxiety to know before she leaves town whether Her letters had been received.

The Duke would recommend to save Herself from such anxiety in future by omitting to write to Him.

LONDON, July 29, 1840.

MY DEAR MISS J.,--I have received your Note of the 28^th and I thank G.o.d! that I am and have been quite well for this last week.

There was some casual Derangement of my Stomach a week ago; and the Editors of Newspapers immediately discovered that I was in great Danger.

They forget that their Reporters reported that I appeared in the House of Lords quite well.

I am very much flattered by the anxiety which you express for my recovery. I a.s.sure you that I am as well as I have been for Years.

Believe me Ever Your most faithful Servant,

WELLINGTON.

LONDON, August 3, 1840.

The Duke of Wellington presents His compliments to Miss J., and again returns His thanks for Her Kind Enquiries about His Health.

The Duke is quite well. He earnestly recommends to Miss J. to be satisfied with the Accounts which she gets in the Newspapers.

It is impossible for the Duke to be certain of receiving a letter from Miss J. to a Moment; and that he will be able to send an answer forthwith. He has frequently stated this to Her; and in order to avoid disappointment he now tells her that he will write no more.

WHO is he that saith _and it cometh to pa.s.s_, when THE LORD _commandeth it_ NOT?

Lam. iii. 37.

Indorsed by Miss J.

Miss J. writes in her Diary at this period:

"Whether the Duke would write again or not, I told him in my reply, must depend upon G.o.d rather than himself, adding that I never wished to hear from him till G.o.d pleased, and defied him accordingly,--trusting in 'The Lord of Lords.'"

CHAPTER VIII.

A PEACEFUL PERIOD.

Of the long silence that followed, extending from the third of August, 1840, to the tenth of June, 1844, Miss J. thus speaks:--

"That Christ is The Lord of Lords unto Whom all power is given in Heaven and on earth, nothing can more clearly imply than the circ.u.mstances connected with this Portion of my Diary. The Duke's last letter had decidedly declared he would write no more, and his character is too well known by the World for such to conclude he would not act up to his word and determination. But since 'IT IS WRITTEN' 'The King's Heart is in the Hands of the Lord as the rivers of water, He turneth it which way soever he pleaseth,' _so_ likewise ALL hearts. Consequently when _The Lord's_ time came for proving to him the folly of forming such a rash resolution, he writes accordingly, and that too at a moment when I least expected it, so long a period having elapsed in silence. Nor do I, as he therein specifies, recollect requesting him to answer that any more than other letters from time to time forwarded as the Lord condescendingly influenced me, however solicitous I was for their safety. I continued to hope that their contents would eventually be permitted to lead him to feel the emptiness and nothingness of all earthly grandeur, in comparison with the enjoyment of a Crown of Glory."

What induced the Duke to reopen the correspondence is hard to determine; but the interchange of letters was soon as regular as ever.

June 10, 1844.

MY DEAR MISS J.,--I have received all your letters, including one written yesterday, the 9^th Ins^t; and I am very sensible of your kindness in giving me so continually such good Counsel.

I did not write to acknowledge the receipt of your Letters; because you did not express a wish that I should do so clearly till you wrote this last.

Believe me Ever Yours most faithfully

WELLINGTON.

LONDON, June 14, 1844.

At night.

MY DEAR MISS J.,--I have received your letter of this day's date; and I am very much obliged to you for your kindness in the expression of an Interest about my Health. I am thank G.o.d! as well as I was twenty years ago, and no longer feel any Inconvenience from the Injury at that time done to my left Ear: excepting that I don't hear by the use of it, as I do by that of the other.

I hope that you are quite well.

Believe me Ever Yours most faithfully

WELLINGTON.

LONDON, June 18, 1844.

MY DEAR MISS J.,--I have to express to you my Grat.i.tude for two very kind letters since I wrote to you last; the one of the 15^th, the other of the 17^th Ins^t.

Nothing can be more satisfactory to me than to read the statements which you write of the Interest you take in my Welfare; and I beg you to believe me

Ever Yours most faithfully

WELLINGTON.

"As this book only admits of my referring to the Duke's letters in order to distinguish them and thereby secure their future safety I only occasionally introduce one wholly; therefore state that the next dated June 20th is an acknowledgment of others received by him."

LONDON, June 21, 1844.

MY DEAR MISS J.,--I am much obliged to you for your Letter of yesterday evening. It is true that I made no observations upon the Domestick Details which your former Letter contained: nor upon your opinion on the Inmates of the Houses in which you had been visiting.