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
"Finding a copy of the letter which called forth the above enclosed
with it I am induced to give it a place herein, more especially as
I perceive one portion is almost defaced, regretting exceedingly
that I do not recollect the title of the Hymn alluded to and
forwarded.
"'Miss J. having promised His Grace the Duke of Wellington the
accompanying Hymn, takes the present opportunity for sending it,
however unsuited to the taste of any but the Regenerated Soul,
which _blessed_ state Miss J. has no good reason for believing His
Grace the Duke of Wellington has yet experienced. However, as there
is nothing too hard for The Lord of Lords, it is not impossible
that the period _may_ arrive when the accompanying Hymn will be
_experimentally_ understood, _consequently_ admired and valued,
being one of the most beautiful to be found.
"'Miss J. is not in the habit at present of seeing _any_ Newspaper,
and is consequently unacquainted with His Grace's present
proceedings. She concludes they are as worldly as ever, therefore
calculated to draw from her pen nothing but a _repetition_ of what
she has so frequently written, namely; "What is a man profited if
he shall gain THE WHOLE WORLD and LOSE his own SOUL? or what shall
a man give in _exchange for_ his _SOUL?_" An important enquiry sent
by her for a long time almost without interruption in every letter
to His Grace,--but Alas! with how little effect!! Rest assured, the
moment will arrive when a fervent desire will be experienced that
such advice, entreaties, observations, Scriptures, etc, etc, etc,
had been _practically_ attended to. Yes, there _is_ a period, and
an _awful_ one which must induce the _trembling soul_ that has been
swelled up by earthly splendor and earthly adulation, (BOTH
_equally empty_ and _unsatisfying_) to exclaim in the words of
Cardinal Wolsey, "Had I but served my GOD with HALF the zeal I
served my King, etc."
"'That such may not be His Grace the Duke of Wellington's fearful
state when the things of Time are giving place to those of
Eternity, Miss J. continues fervently to hope, however _groundless_
at present such hopes may appear.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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