The Letters of the Duke of Wellington to Miss J., 1834-1851: Edited, with Extracts from the Diary of the LatterWellington, Arthur Wellesley, Duke of
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The Letters of the Duke of Wellington to Miss J., 1834-1851: Edited, with Extracts from the Diary of the Latter
Wellington, Arthur Wellesley, Duke of
Wellington, Arthur Wellesley, Duke of, 1769-1852 -- Correspondence
"In my reply to the Duke I assured him that I had no Banker in
London to my knowledge, never having had to do more than
occasionally receive my _Dividends_, when my Guardian transacted
business, which generally speaking he forwarded by letter. But in
order to give the Duke a clear idea how things stood, I promised to
enclose two letters for his perusal, one from my Guardian _before_
his death and the other from his wife _after_ it! Alas! by doing
this I brought upon myself more trouble and sorrow than can ever be
forgotten, through the untoward, unlooked for circumstances that
attended them. These I would willingly omit if faithfulness to God
and the world did not call upon me to proceed regularly as
occurrences took place, however torn and wounded my mind may be!...
I feel even now as I write that I wonder at myself for ever
addressing the Duke again. However, I was then laid upon a bed of
sickness and apparently approaching death, therefore it is probable
that the eternal welfare of one to whom I had dedicated myself for
so many years increased in importance in my estimation, if this
were possible. Nor can I ever account for such devoted feelings to
any individual beyond concluding that God had so decreed it.
"Of course I lost no time in sending the letters promised and
required, but they miscarried."
Hearing nothing from the Duke, Miss J. wrote again:--
"July 23, 1850.
"As I cannot think it possible, My Dear Duke, that you _could_
treat me with so much cruelty in my present state as to have
received two such letters as my last without noticing them, I write
to enquire whether you have heard from me twice since I heard from
you. I entreated you not to keep my mind in suspense, as I was not
in a State to bear it.
"I have a Physician twice a week, and yesterday, on finding my
pulse in such a State he seemed very dissatisfied, saying if my
mind were not kept free from all anxiety it will kill me.
Therefore, My Dear Duke, you surely cannot hear this without using
every means in your power to relieve it.
"You ask me in your Letter of the 12^th Inst. in what way I should
like you to acquiesce with my wishes? or through what Bank? I
answered that I should be guided entirely by your advice, yet not a
word did I receive in your next on the subject, nor from that time
to this have you referred to it. This to me is quite
incomprehensible, as you in the same letter imply it is your
intention that I shall have all that is necessary. I cannot help
adding I consider this the least _God_ would have me expect from
_Your_ hands, My dearest Duke, under present trying circumstances,
feeling towards you as HE knows I have done so many years such
disinterestedness dedication and affection."
The Duke's next letters show his irritation.
LONDON, July 25, 1850.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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