Lady Mary Wortley Montague, Her Life and Letters (1689-1762)Melville, Lewis
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Lady Mary Wortley Montague, Her Life and Letters (1689-1762)
Melville, Lewis
Montagu, Mary Wortley, Lady 1689-1762; Montagu, Mary Wortley, Lady 1689-1762 -- Correspondence
"I received this morning yours of April 12 and 29th, and at the same
time one from my son at Paris, dated the 4th instant. I have wrote to
him this day, that on his answer I will immediately set out to Valence,
and shall be glad to see him there. I suppose you are now convinced I
have never been mistaken in his character; which remains unchanged, and
what is yet worse, I think is unchangeable. I never saw such a
complication of folly and falsity as in his letter to Mr. Gibson.
Nothing is cheaper than living in an inn in a country town in France;
they being obliged to ask no more than twenty-five sous for dinner, and
thirty for supper and lodging, of those that eat at the public table;
which all the young men of quality I have met have always done. It is
true I am forced to pay double, because I think the decency of my sex
confines me to eat in my chamber. I will not trouble you with detecting
a number of other falsehoods that are in his letters. My opinion on the
whole (since you give me leave to tell it) is, that if I was to speak
in your place, I would tell him, 'That since he is obstinate in going
into the army, I will not oppose it; but as I do not approve, I will
advance no equipage till I know his behaviour to be such as shall
deserve my future favour. Hitherto he has always been directed, either
by his own humour, or the advice of those he thought better friends to
him than myself. If he renounces the army, I will continue to him his
former allowance; notwithstanding his repeated disobedience, under the
most solemn professions of duty. When I see him act like a sincere
honest man, I shall believe well of him; the opinion of others, who
either do not know him or are imposed on by his pretences, weighs
nothing with me."
On May 30 Lady Mary went from Avignon to Valence, where about a week
later her son visited her. She at once sent a full account to Montagu.
"Avignon, June 10 [1742.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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