The Letters of the Duke of Wellington to Miss J. 1834-1851 Part 11

MY DEAR MISS J.,--I have received at the Same time your Letters of the 30^th Sept^r and 1 October.

I a.s.sure you that I am very sensible of your kindness; and of your motives for writing to me; and that nothing could induce me to write a Word or to commit an Act which would displease much less excite you.

When I received the expression of your wish to have my Picture I felt that the compliance with your wish might be inconvenient to you. But I postponed to give you an answer Wishing to avoid to do any thing to displease you; and thinking it possible nay probable that your own reflections would have induced you to avoid to renew the Subject.

As however you did mention it again I gave you the answer which has satisfied you.

I have not mentioned the Period of my return to London; as it is very uncertain.

Believe me My Dear Miss J.

Ever Yours most faithfully

WELLINGTON.

"The Duke's next letter is dated Oct. 7th. 'I have four letters of yours to acknowledge the receipt of, for which I return many thanks. In one you mention your indisposition but as you have not again adverted thereto I trust that you are better.'

"The 13th of Oct. the Duke writes 'I read your letters in the order in which you wish they should be read,' before closing which letter he acknowledges or writes another therein acknowledging mine of the 12th dating this additional letter Oct. 14th.

WALMER CASTLE, Oct. 20, 1838.

MY DEAR MISS J.,--I have again to acknowledge the receipt of several Letters from you commencing on Sunday the 14^th. I have been absent; and did not receive them till this morning. And as the Post for London does not go out till tomorrow, I will keep this till then in order that I may add the acknowledgment of the receipt of any other letter that you may have written me in the end of the Week.

In answer to the Wish that you have expressed to know when I shall be in London I mention that I shall not be there for some time.

You are in the Habit of writing to me freely upon all Subjects; and you say that you derive satisfaction from so doing. I a.s.sure you that I am sensible of the Interest which you feel for my Welfare; and of your Motive in writing to me.

But I confess that I cannot understand as you do, the High Authorities which you quote. I wish that I was sufficiently informed to be capable of reasoning with you whether verbally or in writing.

I do not pretend therefore to do more than acknowledge the receipt of your Letters; and thank you for your kindness.

Believe me Ever Yours most faithfully

WELLINGTON.

I am delighted to find that you are so well.

_October 21._ There is no letter from you this day.

"In the Duke's next letter of Oct. 21st, 1838, he returns me many thanks for a letter 'commenced on the 21st and ended on the 22nd.'

"The Duke's next letter is dated Nov. 3rd, referring to impressions on my mind which Time has declared to be erroneous with regard to the end G.o.d had in view, but as His glory was then as now my chief consideration I trust to behold this precious portion of Holy Writ verified therein. 'As high as the heavens are above the earth so are My Ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts,' and that G.o.d will consequently be much more glorified and magnified under existing circ.u.mstances than HE possibly could under any other for His great, glorious, Holy Name Sake!

"The next letter from His Grace is dated Nov. 10th 1838 thanking me for my last and the only remaining one of this year dated Nov.

19th wherein he returns many thanks for the letters I had sent him.

"Letters received during this year from the Duke of Wellington TWENTY TWO."

"1839.--The first letter received during this year 1839 is I see enclosed in a cover addressed to Her Majesty the Queen of England, Buckingham Palace, to whom I must have written, forwarding it to the Duke to deliver, but which as with that to Queen Adelaide was returned to me in his dated May 14th, 1839.

"Another letter in Aug. I see in like manner contains an Enclosure addressed to Her Majesty, but which was also returned under the same impression that he was not ent.i.tled to deliver such. In the Duke's next dated Nov. 17th 1839 he writes--

MY DEAR MISS J.,--I am much obliged to you for your letter of the 15th in which you have enquired about my health as you had heard or read a report that I was indisposed. I am and have been quite well, thank G.o.d.

Ever yours most faithfully,

WELLINGTON.

"The Duke's next letter is dated Dec. 14th 1839 in which he writes--'I return a letter which I opened thinking it was addressed to me but I now find it was intended for another, as I find the Name in a Note to myself.'

"The Duke's next letter is dated Dec. 18th in which he writes--'I beg you not to make yourself uneasy about the missing letter.' This was a letter which miscarried and lost.

"The Duke's next letter is dated Dec. 24th, 1839, judging by which I presume some mistake had been made in a former epistle as he writes therein--'I receive so many letters and have so many directions to attend to; that you must not be surprised if I sometimes make a mistake.'

"The Duke's next letter is directed Dec. 28th in which he writes--'I have received your Note of the 26th. It certainly does not appear that both Notes have been opened.'

"This arose from my enclosing the Duke some covers forwarded to me which Mrs. L. thought had been unsealed.

"Another letter from the Duke on the same subject after making enquiries of his servants is dated Dec. 31st 1839.

"Letters received from the Duke of Wellington during this year EIGHT."

"1840.--The first letter from the Duke of this year is dated Jan.

the 16th, thanking me for mine of the 15th and on the 18th the Duke again writes--'I am much obliged to you for your letter of yesterday of which I acknowledge the receipt immediately with many thanks.' The Duke's next letter is dated the 20th of Jan. in which he writes--'You may rely upon it that I shall not misunderstand your communications and I am much obliged to you for the confidence reposed in me.'

"The Duke's next letter is dated Jan. 30th, 1840, by the contents of which I presume that I had expressed a wish concerning my letters being confined to his perusal as he writes: 'You may rely upon what I tell you. n.o.body sees your letters. They reach me as regularly as is possible considering the greatness of the transactions of the Post Office.'

"Again in the Duke's next dated Jan. the 31st he writes 'You may rely on it your letters reach me in safety.'

LONDON, February 3, 1840.

In the Morning.

MY DEAR MISS J.,--I received on Sat.u.r.day night the 1^st Inst.

Your Letter of the 31--Jan--; of which I acknowledge the receipt this Morning according to your Desire.

I always write as you Desire. But you must not be surprized if a letter sealed with a seal bearing the Impression of a Coronet; received for you every day at the same place should occasion some curiosity.

Nothing can be more innocent than those Letters or more praiseworthy than those, to which they are an answer. But the existence of such a correspondence is calculated to excite curiosity; and Inquiry.

Believe me Ever Yours

Most faithfully,