The Letters of the Duke of Wellington to Miss J. 1834-1851 Part 17

"Which I suppose sprang from my expressing disappointment at not seeing the Duke, little imagining that the Lord of lords had decreed he should never call again, knowing far better what is good for us than we do for ourselves. O that His Holy Name may be magnified throughout for His blessed Holy Name's Sake!

"In the Duke's next letter he writes at its conclusion, having dated it June 16^th 1845 'I am quite well, thank G.o.d!

notwithstanding the constant fatigue which I endure.'

"The next letter in due course from the Duke is dated June 27th, 1845, wherein he writes--'I am very sensible of your kindness in writing. I am anxious that you should recollect that if I omit to acknowledge the receipt of, and to thank you for the receipt of your letters regularly it is because I really have not leisure time. I a.s.sure you that since last Sunday I have dined only once, and that was on Wednesday. I thank G.o.d that I preserve my health and strength; and am really as strong as I was twenty-two years ago, but have not leisure time for social occupations of any description.'

"In the next letter from the Duke, dated July 14th, he writes; 'I have received from you letters of the 9th and 13th Inst. since I wrote last, for which I return my best thanks. I hope that the rainy weather will not prevent you from receiving the benefit which you expected to derive from your residence near the Sea.' Again the Duke writes in his next letter, dated July 17th; 'The weather still continues unpleasant but I hope that your residence by the Sea will be beneficial.'

"In the Duke's next letter, dated July 23rd, he writes--'I have received several letters from you lately, for which I return my grateful thanks. I only regret that I have not leisure to answer them punctually. I have not been able to dine for the last two days but I am quite well, thank G.o.d!'

"The next letter from the Duke is dated July the 26th, wherein he writes--'I return thanks for all your letters; I am very sensible of your kindness in writing to me and I am very happy to find that you think of returning to London.'

"The next letter from the Duke, dated Aug. 12th, refers to letters being rightly stamped, adding--'Your remedy is very simple--take care not to send a letter that is overweight. If you write one that is upon so much paper as that one Stamp will not be sufficient, put half the paper in one cover and half in the second or put two or three stamps on the same cover. I have likewise received back some letters written to you, notwithstanding that I invariably myself direct and stamp the letters addressed to you. I am really ashamed of giving you so much trouble.'

"In the Duke's next letter, dated Aug. 13th, he writes--'It is true that my public duties render it necessary for me to move to a distant part of the Country--I cannot complain. But it is the fact, that at a period of life at which other Men are seeking Repose, every moment of my time should be as it is, occupied by National duties which require my constant attendance and all my attention, and render me unfit for social duties and incapable of performing them.'

"In the next letter of the Duke's, dated Aug. 14th, he writes 'I write only one line to acknowledge the receipt of and thank you for your letter of the 13th which reached me last night. I am really very much concerned that my public duties and the attention which I am under the necessity of paying to their performance render me unfit for social life. I really have not leisure time for visits, scarcely to write. I am under the necessity of going out of Town this afternoon.'

"In his next letter, dated Aug. 19th, the Duke writes--'I perceive again that I must be very cautious to cross my t's and put dots to my i's and not omit an expression which I may ever have used or to make use of one which may be unusual lest I should again give offence.'

"Judging by the Duke's next letter, dated Aug. 23rd, I had begun to fear I should never see the Duke again, for he writes--'It has often occurred to me that you do not read my letters and that at all Events you pay but little attention to their Contents--If you had perused these letters and had believed what I wrote, you could not have asked this question. However I answer it--I do intend to go to see you whenever I can find time; that is, when my occupations in the Service of the Public will give me leisure for the performance of any Social duty or the pursuit of any relaxation, amus.e.m.e.nt or pleasure.'

"The Duke's next letter, dated Aug. 29th, conveys an impression that I had felt hurt at something written, as he writes 'I did not think it possible that I should ever write one word that could hurt your feelings and I sincerely beg your pardon.' The next letter from the Duke is dated Oct. 9th, 1845, wherein he thanks me for my letters and adds 'I am much obliged about your enquiries about my Health. I am quite well thank G.o.d! though much fatigued by hard work.'

"The next and the last letter of this year from the Duke is dated Dec. 3rd, wherein he writes; 'I a.s.sure you that I am very sensible of your continued kindness. I have not written to acknowledge the receipt of your letters and to thank you for them, as I really have not had time, having been so much occupied in the public Service.

When I write to you I am sensible that I must not omit a word or a letter. The feeling that such omission will give you offence is alone an impediment, therefore I hope that you will excuse me.'"

CHAPTER IX.

MISUNDERSTANDINGS.

The correspondence for 1846 begins smoothly, with no warning of the storm that was to burst before the year was out. From the Duke's first letter, it is evident that Miss J. had continued her epistles steadily, undeterred by the tartness of the Duke's last note, of December 3d. His first billet of the New Year is friendly in tone, while the brusqueness of the second quoted is explained by her comment thereupon. From the knowledge gained of her through her letters one can imagine what must have been the pious querulousness of her "remark."

"1846.--The first letter from the Duke in this year is dated Jan.

7th, wherein he writes--'I have received your letter of the 4th Inst., having before received many for which I really have not had the time to enable me to write and thank you as I ought to have done, as my sincere and heartfelt acknowledgments are due to you for your continued kindness towards me.'

"I presume judging by the Duke's next letter that I had made some remark concerning his silence, as he writes therein dating it Jan.

14th--'I have scarcely time for rest or meals. You must excuse me!

I cannot do it! Surely patience is a Christian virtue enjoined to us by the precepts as well as by the example of our Saviour.'"

Biographers of the Duke mention his power of going for hours without food, and then atoning for his abstinence by a hearty meal. His usual daily routine was to rise at seven, and go out of doors at once, returning to breakfast at nine. He ate no lunch, and dined at seven.

When much pressed with work, he was accustomed to have his dinner served on a small round oaken table in the library, where he ate alone, surrounded by his papers. His correspondence was enormous, owing to his practice of answering all his letters himself. He occasionally availed himself of a lithographed form in reply to some correspondents, and also sometimes adopted a sharpness of tone in answering irrelevant communications, in the hope that he might thus hinder their authors from writing again. As a rule, however, a courteous letter was apt to receive a courteous reply. The narrowness of Miss J.'s mental horizon is nowhere more strikingly shown than by her inability to comprehend the whirl of business that must have made life, to a man of the Duke of Wellington's conscientiousness, a ceaseless round of fatiguing labor.

"In the Duke's next letter, dated Feb. 4th, he writes--'I have received many letters from you and I am really ashamed of being under the necessity of repeating over again what I have stated so repeatedly, that I have not leisure time to acknowledge the receipt of and thank you for each of your letters when it reaches me.'

"In the Duke's next letter, dated March 13th, he writes--'I don't know whether you ever read the letters which I write to you. I doubt it, because I cannot make out how it happens that you do not notice or believe what I tell you in every one that I write, namely, that my time is so much occupied that I have scarcely time for the rest which is necessary.'

"In the Duke's next letter, dated March 20th, he writes--'I have received all your letters, the last this day, dated Wednesday, March 18th. I should have answered the two earlier ones at the time I received them if I had had one moment's leisure.'"

STRATHFIELDSAYE, April 17, 1846.

MY DEAR MISS J.--I have just now received your Note of the 15^th and I am very sorry to observe that I have again offended you by quitting London without going to pay you a visit; and because I have not acknowledged the receipt of some late letters received from you.

I wish I could induce you to believe that the disposal of my time does not depend upon myself; whether to pay visits or to write.

I have received all your letters, but have not written answers to them; or to thank you for them; because I really have not had Time.

I am obliged to you for having informed me that you intend to quit your Residence on Sat.u.r.day that is to-morrow.

If you will let me know where you will reside in future I will go to pay you a visit if I should have one Moment of Leisure.

I don't recollect to have sent my Servant with a letter to Mr. L.

If he took one there, I conclude it was because when I gave it to put into the Post, the Hour was pa.s.sed at which it would be received at the Post Office and he took it to the Gentleman to whom it was directed.

But this is mere Conjecture. I know nothing about the matter.

Ever, My Dear Miss J. Yours most faithfully,

WELLINGTON.

"In the Duke's next letter, dated May 30th, he writes--'I am not surprised at your vexation in neither receiving an acknowledgment of the receipt of your letters nor a visit from me. But I have always considered Patience an eminently Christian virtue--I a.s.sure you again that my time is so much occupied! I have dined but once since last Sunday! These are well known facts!--I returned home to rest at five o'clock yesterday morning on Horseback! I was employed all day yesterday after that Repose and did not return till two in the morning!'

"In the Duke's next letter, dated June 24th, he writes, after thanking me for my 'continued kindness;'--'I had before received several letters from you, for all of which and your continued kindness I return you my thanks. In respect to your question whether it is probable that I can go to see you before the 1st of July I answer that I will if it should be in my power but I cannot be certain or now fix the time. Till this night I have not dined since last Sunday and I doubt whether I shall again till next Sunday. I have scarcely time for Rest--None for Meals and as you may suppose none for visits. However I will go to see you if it should be in my power and will write to give you Notice.'

"I think if the Duke were to return to the world he would consider no duties before those connected with communion with me, who was so solicitous to strengthen him in every good word and work. But it was not to be! Therefore however much I may and did suffer, such I trust will be permitted to rank among the 'All things that are to work together for Good to them that love G.o.d, to them that are the called according to His purpose,' and since there never was a moment when the Duke did not sink into the utmost insignificance in comparison with His good will and pleasure, such must necessarily follow.

"The poor Duke's next letter, dated July 13th I will copy throughout as it refers to his affliction--in the loss of his Grand Son." [Endnote 10]

This letter is interesting as giving a glimpse of that softer side of the Duke's nature, generally lost sight of in contemplation of his sterner characteristics.

LONDON, July 13, 1846.

MY DEAR MISS J.,--I have received your letters of the 12^th and Friday last on the subject of the loss I recently sustained of my Grandson, the eldest Son of my second son. Poor boy! he died on Tuesday! By the Mercy of G.o.d! the second son, an infant has recovered. But at one time I was apprehensive that the grief of the Mother who was nursing the youngest child would have affected Her Health; and that we should have lost that Child; and eventually the Mother. But thank G.o.d! Both are now safe! I am very sensible of your kindness upon this occasion. I wish that it was in my power to tell you that I have any prospect of being able to go to see you! But I cannot expect to be able to do so at present! Believe me, My Dear Miss J. Ever Yours

Most faithfully,

WELLINGTON.

"The Duke's next letter, dated July 23rd, 1846, is expressive of concern at my having caught cold, adding; 'I am very sorry still to be unable to fix a time at which I can go to see you.'