Lady Mary Wortley Montague, Her Life and Letters (1689-1762)Melville, Lewis
History
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
had told him it became Mr. W.'s son to live handsomely. I
made answer, that whether Mr. G. had said so or no, the good sense of
the thing was noway altered by it; that the true figure of a man was
the opinion the world had of his sense and probity, and not the idle
expenses, which were only respected by foolish or ignorant people; that
his case was particular, he had but too publicly shown his inclination
to vanities, and the most becoming part he could now act would be owning
the ill use he had made of his father's indulgence, and professing to
endeavour to be no further expense to him, instead of scandalous
complaints, and being always at his last shirt and last guinea, which
any man of spirit would be ashamed to own. I prevailed so far with him
that he seemed very willing to follow this advice; and I gave him a
paragraph to write to G., which I suppose you will easily distinguish
from the rest of his letter. He asked me if you had settled your estate.
I made answer, that I did not doubt (like all other wise men) you always
had a will by you; but that you had certainly not put anything out of
your power to change. On that, he began to insinuate, that if I could
prevail on you to settle the estate on him, I might expect anything from
his gratitude. I made him a very clear and positive answer in these
words: 'I hope your father will outlive me, and if I should be so
unfortunate to have it otherwise, I do not believe he will leave me in
your power, But was I sure of the contrary, no interest nor no necessity
shall ever make me act against my honour or conscience; and I plainly
tell you, that I will never persuade your father to do anything for you
till I think you deserve it.' He answered by great promises of future
good behaviour, and economy. He is highly delighted with the prospect of
going into the army; and mightily pleased with the good reception he had
from Lord Stair, though I find it amounts to no more than telling him he
was sorry he had already named his aides-de-camp, and otherwise should
have been glad of him in that post. He says Lord Carteret has confirmed
to him his promise of a commission.
"The rest of his conversation was extremely gay. The various things he
has seen has given him a superficial universal knowledge. He really
knows most of the modern languages, and if I could believe him, can read
Arabic, and has read the Bible in Hebrew. He said it was impossible for
him to avoid going back to Paris; but he promised me to lie but one
night there, and go to a town six posts from thence on the Flanders
road, where he would wait your orders, and go by the name of Mons. du
Durand, a Dutch officer; under which name I saw him. These are the most
material passages, and my eyes are so much tired I can write no more at
this time. I gave him 240 livres for his journey."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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