The Letters of the Duke of Wellington to Miss J. 1834-1851 Part 18

"In the Duke's next letter, dated Aug. 13th, he writes--'I have to express my acknowledgments for several letters which I have received from you since you left London and I am very happy to learn that you like your situation there. I am still very much occupied by my duties in London but hope the Parliament will soon be prorogued and that I may be enabled to quit London and move to other parts of the Country where my presence is required;' and in the Duke's next, dated Aug. 17th, he writes; 'My duties will require my removal at a distance from London for at least two months or more.'

"In the Duke's next letter, dated Aug. 25th, he writes; 'I am under the necessity of going out of Town early tomorrow.'"

Sept. 1st, 1846.

I am concerned to find that my silence is considered _unkind_ and that this unkindness is aggravated by my having travelled up from Portsmouth on Sunday! It is true! I did so. I was sorry for it.

But my services to the Public rendered necessary my being in London early Monday morning which I could not have performed if I had not travelled on Sunday. However you shall not again have reason to complain of disappointment. I announce to you that I will write no more. If you could have attended to anything so trifling as what you might read in the Newspapers about Me! You might have seen that in the last week I was occupied at a distance from London during five days out of the seven and that in that s.p.a.ce of time I have travelled and rode little short of 800 miles.

Indorsed by Miss J. "Who is he that saith and it cometh to pa.s.s when THE _Lord_ commandeth it not?"

And now came the storm, springing from a misunderstanding pitifully out of proportion to the _furore_ it excited! Miss J. and her friend Mrs.

L. had engaged a cottage, and were about to move into it. Miss J. wrote to her guardian, desiring him to advance her funds for the furniture of her new abode. A day or so later, in writing to the Duke, Miss J. told him of the transaction, in her usual involved style, and asked his opinion of the matter. The rest of the note was, as usual, filled with incoherent reproaches for his lack of promptness in writing. The unfortunate Duke probably perused the letter hastily, and comprehended nothing but that Miss J. found fault with him about something, and that she wished a loan from somebody. His patience had been worn threadbare by much carping and criticism, and he answered her letter in that given below. The whole affair is so absurd, as sketched in Miss J.'s Diary, that the account is given in her own words, only omitting a few of the superfluous and irrelevant quotations from Scripture.

LONDON, Sept. 23, 1846.

In order to prevent Irritation; and to avoid the receipt of repeated Letters expressing the same; I determined that I would inform Miss J. that I would write no more.

I had before repeatedly a.s.sured her, that I could not answer Her Letters regularly; but nothing would do, She continued to be angry and to complain with bitterness.

I have therefore been under the necessity of announcing that she is not to expect to hear from me! She has now mentioned to me that she had written to me to desire that I would a.s.sist Her with a Loan of Money. I have not received the Letter containing that Desire.

But I answer at once; that I will give her any reasonable a.s.sistance she can require from me; when she will let me know in clear distinct Terms what is the Sum she requires.

But I announce again; that I never will write upon any other Subject.

WELLINGTON.

"_Friday, September 26^th, 1846._ O my G.o.d, Wherefore hast Thou thought proper to let Satan try and distress me in this unantic.i.p.ated manner?

"I did not ask Thee to bestow the Duke upon me! I did not think of ever writing to him until Thou madest me do so! and therefore I marvel at his being allowed to torture me first in one way and then in another for the last twelve years of my life, and above all by what he has now so insultingly done in pretending to think that I have written to him for a _Loan_, which Thou knowest, for Thy honor and glory I would not do under existing circ.u.mstances, for a thousand worlds! And I bless Thee for influencing me to Copy the letter addressed to my Guardian, word for word in my Diary, commencing my letter to the Duke as follows:

"'Having just written to my Guardian requesting him to oblige me with a Loan to purchase the furniture required for my Cottage I resume my pen, My dearest Duke to acquaint you thereof feeling still influenced to let you know how things are going forward respecting it. Which Loan he will be at liberty to deduct out of my Dividends being by no means large as I propose furnishing it so simply, being all that is necessary living in such retirement as we shall always do,' etc.

"At which, the more I look, the more unlikely it would appear that the Duke would understand it in any light that would for a moment lead him to suppose I could so far forget myself or the honour I have for His great name Which is above every name as to bow down thus, G.o.d having declared, 'It is _abomination_ for the righteous to bow down before the wicked.' Consequently my indignation at his insulting letter led at once to my treating it as it deserves, telling him that _nothing upon earth could_ have astonished me more than such insult, conveying an idea that I had purposed condescending receiving any Loan from his hands, which I would rather starve than do! and so I would! Yes, I would if I had no other means of subsistence die with starvation sooner than ask any favor of that kind from him! knowing as I do that Christ's Great Holy Name would be so dishonored thereby. Consequently, since it would be for _His Holy Name sake_, as well as knowing what was due to my high calling in Him, starvation would be comparatively sweet!

rejoicing in being considered worthy, whilst so unworthy, so utterly unworthy of suffering for His Great Holy Name sake. I have called upon the Duke to apologize to me as the unwarrantable insult offered to me demands. Having given this over with himself into _G.o.d's_ Hands to undertake the whole cause for me in whatever way is most for His own honor and glory, He will doubtlessly make him do as HE pleases,--and if not, HE will deliver me, I hope from him for ever. After _such_ a letter as this, displaying more of his character than I have ever yet seen, I have too much contempt for him to desire any further communication with him, despising him accordingly.--

"Having given a little vent to my feelings by writing the above, I will now attempt to describe the circ.u.mstances concerning this insulting letter.

"The first thing on awaking I was influenced to get up however unwell, in case a letter by the earliest Post should arrive from the Duke, little imagining what was in store for me, when G.o.d thought proper to attract my attention to so remarkable a Scripture, namely. 'The preparation of the heart in man and the answer of the tongue is from the Lord.' HE permitted me sensibly to feel His 'strength made perfect in weakness,' otherwise I should have sunk under the blow! But as his letter was put into my hands, such an upholding power was exercised over me that however astonished at its contents and indignant thereat, The Lord was with me....

"I lost no time in answering the Duke as he deserved, my heart glowing with all the holy indignation such an insulting offer so _coa.r.s.ely_ conveyed was calculated to call forth. I then hurried off to Mrs. L. with that and the one just before received, which she viewed in like manner, considering it disgraceful treatment in his daring to write to me thus. She only waits his reply to mine (which I read to her and on my return home enclosed and forwarded, hastening off myself to a Post Office for that purpose) and the Lord's influence in order to take up _her_ powerful pen and address him as his offered insult deserves.

"On my return from the Post Office I opened my loved Bible at the words; 'The wicked fleeth when no man pursueth, but _the righteous are bold as a lion_,' encouraging me to think increasingly that my bold indignant fearless reply to the Duke was justified."

Then follow other "Scriptures," all applied to her credit and the Duke's disadvantage, and a prayer in which she beseeches the Almighty to "take this man into Thy Hands and compel him to do me the justice I deserve."

A tempest in a teapot! That the Commander-in-chief of the British armies, the greatest soldier of his age, should have been subjected to the attacks of a peevish woman's tongue, is ridiculous; but there is a pitiable side to the affair as well. One cannot help feeling compa.s.sion for the poor old man,--seventy-seven years of age now,--even while one laughs at the absurdity of the situation. Miss J., as usual, could not let matters rest, but prepared for another attack. Her Diary describes her sensations of suspense as she awaited a reply from the Duke, and "the Scriptures" with which she fortified her position. On Sunday she writes:--

"I have written another indignant letter to the Duke, in which I purpose enclosing his hair and picture, which last being made of sealing wax is of course of no value. These being the only things ever received or required by me, I am solicitous to relieve myself from the burthen they necessarily become under present circ.u.mstances.

Consequently, after considering or reflecting that it may perhaps be more for the honor and glory of G.o.d to return them in silence, I have enclosed them in two blank covers, waiting now only to ascertain their weight in order that they may be stamped accordingly and reach him in safety."

It may be stated that even after receiving the Duke's letter of apology Miss J. remained firm in her intention to return these gifts of the Duke's. Mrs. L., however, who was constantly taking the part of a _deus ex machina_ in Miss J.'s affairs, succeeded in persuading her to keep both the hair and the picture.

The fiercely demanded apology arrived on Monday. Miss J. writes:--

"I have to thank my good and gracious G.o.d for his indulgent kindness in sending me not only a letter from my Guardian with Enclosures, but also one from the Duke, apologizing fully."

Sept. 27, 1846.

I am very much concerned to find by a letter which I received this Morning from Miss J., that I was so unfortunate as to have read incorrectly or to have misunderstood Her letter!

It appears that it was from Her Guardian and not from me that she intended to borrow money! I confess that it frequently happens to me to be unable to make out Miss J.'s handwriting! and I sometimes do not exactly comprehend what it appears to me that she intended to write! This is to be attributed to the Celerity with which she writes!

I beg leave to apologize for my mistake and above all for thinking it possible that she might want to borrow money from me!

I beg her forgiveness for this Error!

Miss J.'s Most faithful

Humble Servant

WELLINGTON.

P.S. I will never offend again in any manner.

Miss J. delayed acknowledging the Duke's reply for several days, but finally sent off the following epistle, which she no doubt regarded as a model of Christian forgiveness.

Oct. 3rd, 1846.

MY LORD DUKE,--I am grieved to say that it has taken a much longer period to subdue my indignation than as a Christian I could wish: consequently as I am incapable of dissimulation I have been reluctant to resume my pen since the day on which I received your merited apology, when I hastily answered it. But that reply was not permitted to be forwarded, therefore I sealed it up with the articles intended to accompany it until I could further learn what G.o.d would have me do, nor is it until this moment that He has given me even a capability of addressing you again!

Yet as life is uncertain with all! it would, I doubt not, eventually have grieved me if anything had happened in the interim to rob me of the power of granting your request respecting my forgiveness. This I now do and sincerely hope G.o.d will forgive also! and far more perfectly and freely than I alas!

as a Creature am enabled to do! _HE_ condescendingly a.s.sures them Who offend HIM yet seek forgiveness ... that their sins and iniquities are remembered "no more."...

That you, My Lord Duke, may experimentally feel this, not only as regards this offence to one hitherto so devotedly bestowed upon you by Himself,--but any and every other transgression that can ever become an impediment to your eternal happiness is the earnest wish of

His devoted Child and Servant

A. J.

Should it be the will of G.o.d to allow this to call forth a reply, it becomes my duty to add that I am still in the same lodging, my Cottage not yet being ready for our reception, nor will it be until Thursday the 8^th Ins^t. if so soon,--having required more time than antic.i.p.ated for our entrance which I hope will be blessed.

P.S. The idea, My Lord Duke, that there may come a moment when any spiritual consolation on my part may be sought for by you, induces me to place it in your power in that case to obtain such by adding that the address with which you are so familiar will always find me or my Guardian as follows.... Having said this, I hope that I have now done all that G.o.d requires from me, leaving it with Him accordingly.