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
History
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
Having on further consideration, I fear found out that to which
you have alluded with such cool, insulting, presuming
deliberation in your note, as being uttered during your second
visit, I have at its remembrance risen in the night with all
those indignant feelings insult demands, to assure you that had I
understood the motives which actuated you to make such an
abhorrent, disgraceful enquiry, one I could not degrade my pen or
self by giving place on paper, however Your Grace may and have
degraded yourself by utterance of the same, I should at the
moment such escaped your lips have spurned you from me as a
serpent whose sting was capable of producing not only
instantaneous but Eternal death! Such a horror should I have had
of one who until now has possessed a share of my affection even
surprising to myself--an affection as pure and sincere as it was
disinterested, but Alas! under present circumstances with the
vail withdrawn from my eyes what a change of feeling exists! such
as would incline me if I did not believe that it was the will of
God we should have met to mourn deeply at ever having desired it.
In again however reluctantly alluding to the hateful enquiry
above noticed--one at the bare utterance of which it is a mercy
that God "in whose hands your breath is" knowing your despicable
motives (since all hearts are open in His sight and from whom no
secrets are hid however ignorant I may have been and was of the
same) did not in His wrath strike you dead at my feet. I beg to
remind you of my answer which ought, yea, must in itself have
convinced you at the time of my misunderstanding your meaning--it
being in the following words--"_If it be the will of God_;" for
surely you could never for a moment suppose it to be His will
whose purity is such that he charges even His angels with folly
that I, his devoted child and servant, should bring such deep
dishonor on His holy name as to--but my pen with every feeling
of my offended nature recoils from even _writing_, much less
submitting to such abhorrent degradation which none but most
polluted lips could ever dare to vent.
The answer was given thus hesitatingly although at the time I was
laboring under impressions of its being called forth by the
highest and most honorable intentions on your part. And why thus
hesitatingly? you would ask. Because I was not and am not quite
satisfied that under any circumstances the regenerate soul can be
justified in the sight of God in uniting itself to the
unregenerate, it being written "Be not unequally yoked with
unbelievers," also, "How can two walk together unless they be
agreed?"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account