The Letters of the Duke of Wellington to Miss J. 1834-1851 Part 10

"'Now such is the character and _loyalty_ of His Grace that had the respected Consort of his beloved though deceased King [William IV.]

only _hinted_ a desire that he should postpone his departure until the morrow I believe it would have been sufficient to insure his immediate obedience. Consequently I could not help lamenting the omission for two reasons, feeling so desirous to behold Your Majesty a shining vessel in The Lord's Hands to show forth His praise by honouring His Commands, also, that the Duke should be restrained from doing that which on a dying bed would pain him to remember. That he like too many other men of the world acts contrary to His Maker's laws in numerous instances is, Alas! but too evident; yet I cannot for a single moment imagine him one of Your Majesty's Advisers with regard to resisting the Laws of His Country, feeling a.s.sured he is too much your real friend to approve of the same and too loyal to acquiesce in an evil the consequence of which his penetrating eye would in an instant perceive could only tend to your dishonor.

"'Fearing an evil may arise by my thus distinguishing or singling out the Duke of Wellington as an adviser, duty forbids my conclusion so immediately as intended, in order that I may beseech your Majesty to lean to no Adviser or advice in comparison with Christ and His Gospel, which if sedulously studied will in itself enable you rather to instruct the Duke of Wellington than to be instructed by him; for however great and wise he may justly be considered in a worldly point of view, he must be brought to acknowledge all his wisdom foolishness and all his greatness, littleness before he can appear worthy in His sight "in Whose presence is Life." Therefore he must be humbled before he can be exalted far beyond all that he now is even in this world, believing as I do, that his present greatness will bear no comparison with that which he will experience when robed in the "Wedding garment of Salvation" and rendered meet thereby for "an inheritance among the saints in light," considering him in The Lord's Hands a mighty vessel intended to show forth His praise in this present generation as powerfully as a Daniel, David, or Paul, living more to the glory of his Redeeming G.o.d during the few short years of his eventful life than others who have professed themselves Christians even from their infancy, consequently ranking among those of whom it is written "The last shall be first." When this great glorious change takes place in so faithful and tried a subject,--I should then encourage your Majesty to rely on his judgment not only in one case but all.'"

This astonishing production--whose impertinence borders upon sublimity--being thus returned to Miss J., she proceeded to show the Duke that she could communicate with at least one prominent personage unaided by him. She sent him the following letter from Sir Robert Peel, in answer to one she had written to that statesman:--

WHITE HALL, April 25th.

MADAM,--I avail myself of the earliest opportunity after my return to London, of acknowledging the Receipt of your last Letter and of a.s.suring you that the former Communications with which you favored me were received by me in the spirit in which they were dictated.

I have the honor to be, Madam,

Your Obedient Servant,

ROBERT PEEL.

WALMER CASTLE, August 25, 1838.

MY DEAR MISS J.,--I return the inclosed Letter which I received yesterday; and at the same time the Spectacle Wipers which you was so kind as to send me. I had already some which you had sent me; and I am much flattered and obliged for your thinking of my convenience.

Believe me Ever Yours most faithfully

WELLINGTON.

I had read the Work which you have sent me.[1] The same author has recently published another which I have got; but have not yet read.

[1] Keith on the Prophecies (A. J.).

WALMER CASTLE, August 27, 1838.

MY DEAR MISS J.,--I have received your letter of the 22^nd.

You do me Justice in believing that I could not allow any circ.u.mstances to prevent my writing to you when I should think that my doing so could be useful or agreeable to you.

Feeling it to be desirable that I should write to you I should have been unpardonable if I had allowed a recollection of bygone Dissensions to induce me to address you on topicks which might displease, or in a form which would be disagreeable to you.

There is nothing under Heaven worth quarrelling about. Of all disputes and quarrels those in writing are the least pardonable.

In the Heat of Conversation or of Discussion we may say that which is not justifiable. But our communications in writing are the Result of Reflection. That very act ought to cool us and prevent the use of angry and irritating expressions.

You are quite right in having determined not to address the Queen Dowager about the payment of Rates for Marlborough House. I was certain that I should convince you upon the Subject.

It is very possibly true, that some Notice ought to be taken of the above of the Queen upon this subject. But the expediency of taking such Notice must not be considered as a Matter of Course; because the answer on the part of the Queen would be triumphant.

In all these Cases particularly those in which High Personages are concerned Prudence requires that those who advise should look a little farther than the one Case under consideration.

Believe me, Ever Yours

Most faithfully

WELLINGTON.

"By the Duke's next letter I presume I had dated one to him wrongly as he writes: 'I have received and perused with attention your letter dated the 29th, I conclude by mistake, for which I return my best thanks.'

"The next letter from the Duke is dated Aug. 31st, below which he again addresses me on Sept. 1st thus. 'Since writing the above my dear Miss J., I have received your letter of the 31st of Aug. There is no post from home today and you will not receive this acknowledgment of its receipt and thanks for it until Monday.'

"The next letter from the Duke is dated Sept. 11th in which he writes; 'I am not capable, I am sorry to acknowledge, of entering on a discussion on the topics in your letter'--and in his next of Sept. the 12th he writes; 'I can read your letters perfectly. I wish that I understood the subjects to which they relate sufficiently to be able to answer them.'"

WALMER CASTLE, Sept. 15, 1838.

MY DEAR MISS J.,--I have just now received two Letters from you, both finished on the 12^th for which I return my thanks. One of them contained the Pen wipers for which I am much obliged to you.

The Story in the Newspapers about my having been consulted by the Queen about D^r Hook's Sermon is entirely false. There is no foundation whatever for it.

As far as I can Judge from the accounts that I have seen the Queen did not notice D^r Hook's Sermon in any of the Modes supposed and stated. [Endnote 1]

I am very much obliged to you for your Enquiries about my lameness. I thank G.o.d! I have entirely recovered from it.

Believe me Ever Yours most faithfully

WELLINGTON.

"I need not say it rejoices _me_ to behold _thanks_ given to _Him_ from whom all blessings flow.

"A. J.

"The Duke's next letter is dated Sept. 16th in which he writes; 'There is no post from the country on Sat.u.r.day as there is no Delivery in London on Sunday, so you will receive both letters therefore tomorrow, possibly at the same time.' The next from the Duke is dated Sept. 20th in which he writes 'I hope that you will soon recover from your indisposition,' and in that of the 23rd he writes; 'I a.s.sure you that I was aware that you had reason to believe that the story respecting the Queen was true.' The Duke means 'was not true' for he had referred to this subject in some letter just pa.s.sed through my hands.

"On Sept. the 25th 1838 the Duke writes to thank me for my letters adding 'But you do not mention your health and I hope that you have entirely recovered from your indisposition.'

"In the Duke's next letter of Sept. 26th he writes 'I am much obliged by your continued kindness.'

"By the Duke's next letter I see he refers to my offering him a Bible of larger Print as follows,

WALMER CASTLE, Sept 29th.

I am much obliged to you for the offer of a Bible in large Print.

That which I now have answers perfectly, and I will not deprive you of another.

WALMER CASTLE, October 2, 1838.