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

I beg you to let me know what sum it is you wish, at what time or times to be paid? Whether an order at a Banker would suit you? If Payable at a Banker usually employed by you, will you be so kind as to let me know his Name? All this legibly written!

Ever yours most faithfully.Wellington.

I entreat you to write legibly! and to avoid fatiguing yourself by writing too much!

This letter of the Duke's, if hardly gracious, is at least not unkind. The answer he received was of a nature to drive a man of his practicality to the verge of distraction:—

My dear Duke,—As "for me to live is Christ, but to die is gain," you may rest assured however surrounded by pecuniary difficulties, I should have preferred the latter to making known my circumstances to you. Had I not been so continually urged by my dear Sister telling me that it would kill her, that she could never bear to leave me in England thus situated and that she hoped for her sake that I should use the only means in my power for prolonging my life I never could have told you such truths. I am not surprised that they drew forth the remark that you had never read of such a state of pecuniary affairs. Nor would I offer so great an insult to my Christianity as to do more than add that the same God Who has thought proper thus to situate me knows that I would never dishonor His great Name by the slightest misrepresentation. Therefore, My dear Duke, if you read that letter carefully you will be much better able to calculate what I require than I am to tell you. I would not do so, nor am I able to tell you by what means I am to receive it as I never did such a thing and know nothing of money arrangements. Consequently I must leave all to God and yourself, beseeching Him to guide, influence and direct you to treat me in whatever way is most agreeable to His unerring will and to bless you accordingly.

Your kind wish that I should not fatigue myself with writing too much is, rest assured, appreciated as it deserves, as every other mark of kindness and consideration shown to

Yours devotedly,A. J.

A Harold Skimpole in petticoats! The ineffable condescension to the worldly-mindedness of the Duke, the tone of spiritual pride that pervades the letters, would be exasperating if they were not absurd. That the humorous side of the affair was not apparent to the Duke is shown by his reply:—

London, July 16, 1850.

My dear Miss J.,—I am very sorry indeed if I should have offended you. But when you wrote to me a description of the State of your affairs, I concluded that you intended that I should form an opinion upon them and communicate the same to you!

It is very true that you and I are of a different opinion. I think that God having endowed Men with reason, and the Power of judging Right from wrong! Has made Him responsible for the care of Himself and for good will to all!

You think that Man is responsible only for His Duty towards the Almighty! who charges Himself with the Rest! I dare say that I am mistaken! notwithstanding my Studies. You know more of this matter than I do!

Ever Yours most faithfully,Wellington.

Miss J. does not give a copy of her next letter to the Duke, but she remarks that it consisted principally of observations upon complete reliance on God, and disregard of earthly means; taking as her text, "Seek FIRST the Kingdom of God and HIS righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you."

The Duke's answer does not savor of things spiritual:—

London, July 23, 1850.

My dear Miss J.,—I am very much concerned to observe from your last letter that notwithstanding that you feel that you require my Worldly assistance; and are willing to accept and receive the same, you will not state to me the mode in which I am to render the Assistance required! I know that you have a Banker in London! Why don't you then let me know His Name? or state in whatever mode of those stated by me you would wish to receive what I should send. You may rely upon it that unless precautions are taken you will not receive the money sent! It will fall into the hands of thieves!

Ever Yours most faithfullyWellington.

Miss J. writes:—

"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 12th 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.

My dear Miss J.,—I have received your Letter of the 24th that is yesterday, but not the one which you state in that letter that you had written to me yesterday—it is on Tuesday—containing two enclosures being a letter from your Guardian and another from his Wife.

These letters when forwarded will enable me to judge of what it is you require! and the mode in which I am to send you what you require!

It is indeed very difficult to supply the daily wants of those who will not state what they are; or adopt any means of receiving what she requires!

However I shall be able to form a judgment when I shall receive the letters you received from Mr. & Mrs. –

Ever Yours most faithfully,Wellington.London, July 26, 1850.

My dear Miss J.,—I have received your Note of the 25th and the number inclosed of the Shop at which the Post Office is kept, … and I wish you to make Enquiries after your own Letter! If I am to make enquiries they will be forwarded as a letter from yourself which I must send to the Post Office; and I beg you to write accordingly in plain simple Terms reciting the fact! and as your letter must be sent to the general Post Office I beg leave without intending any Offence to request that all endearing expressions which do not suit the Relations in which we stand towards each other should be omitted! as they might lead to false conclusions injurious to you! I must observe to you that the General Post Office will probably answer that if the last letter contained papers of consequence; it ought to have been marked and paid for as a registered letter; when put into the Post! The cost is sixpence!

This is the mode in which I proposed to send you Money! You would have to do no more than sign the printed receipt for the letter which would be sent to you with it.

The Post Office would know nothing of the Contents of the Letter!

Living in the World and with the Wants and necessities incident to Human Nature! it is necessary that even you should comply with its simple Rules and Customs.

Yours most faithfully,Wellington.

The missing packet was at last found and forwarded. The enclosures stated about the same explanation of Miss J.'s affairs that she had herself given in her letter to the Duke. They also stated that the amount of her income from this time would be only £12 10s. 1d. every half year. At the same time these came to hand, the Duke received Miss J.'s letter of July 23rd, given above.

London, July 30, 1850.

Miss J.,—Since I addressed you last your letter of the 23rd of July which had been refused or missing reached me with the enclosed letters returned. I confess that I cannot admit of the Christian Justice of your Reproaches.

I told you that I was ready and willing to give you pecuniary assistance if you would say what you required, and would adopt one of several Modes in which I offered to send it to you! But you have given no answer either as to warrant, a means of sending you this; and yet you reproach me! This is not just or fair!

In truth according to the statement in these letters there is no absolute necessity for any Assistance at present!

Your most obedient Humble ServantWellington.

Miss J. writes,—

"To describe how I recoiled from this letter received from His Grace would be impossible. My feeling was both on his account and my own. On his, to think that while possessed of thousands yearly he could thus have reconciled himself to imply that the utterly insufficient sum alluded to in those enclosed letters was enough for me in that truly distressing helpless state. On my own part, I lamented deeply that I should ever have been influenced under any circumstances to ask a favor at his hands. This I would rather have died than do, had not the affection of so fond a Sister, who judged of others by her own generous heart overcome every selfish feeling and at length prevailed!"

Miss J. immediately prepared and sent off the following letter to the Duke.

July 30, 1850.

My Lord Duke,—Having placed my cause in His Hands "Who judgeth righteously and Whose Countenance beholdeth the thing that is right," consequently Who will not, I am assured, suffer you with impunity to treat me with greater coarseness and want of due consideration than I under similar circumstances should have extended to a common menial that I had known or who had served me for the same number of years, I leave you in His Hands accordingly. I resume my pen merely to inform you that as you thought proper after reading my Guardian's letter written several years ago and his wife's of later date, yet can at the conclusion of your most unwelcome letter write as follows, "In truth, according to the contents of these letters there is no absolute necessity for any assistance at present,"—I desire to remark that if it were not necessary then it will never be necessary from Your hands. Consequently, should you at your good will and pleasure think proper to take the liberty of sending me a Registered letter with an Enclosure, I shall not only decline receiving it but likewise refuse to sign the paper that accompanies it in the Post Man's charge, let the consequences be whatever they may. It is to prevent such an Intrusion on your part and such a due mortification on mine towards Your Grace that I have now resumed my pen—for ill as I still feel I would rather beg my bread from door to door than receive a favor at such hands! preferring to trust myself wholly in His Hands Who declares "The silver is Mine and the gold is Mine."…

May God in His infinite mercy, My Lord Duke, give you Grace to understand this Divine assertion, "Whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in ME, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the Sea."

May HE before it is too late incline you to draw near unto Him accordingly prays,

His devoted Child and Servant,A. J.London, August 7, 1850.

Field Marshal the Duke of Wellington presents His Compliments to Miss J. He is much concerned at her answer and that he has given her Offence, however unintentionally! The Duke may have been mistaken! But it certainly appeared to him that the Money lent upon Mortgage; of which the Interest was in arrears of a year, and paid very irregularly might with advantage have been called in and the rest of the Sum might with advantage have been applied to defray the expenses attending Miss J.'s illness! More particularly as Miss J. was unwilling to adopt any of the modes suggested by which pecuniary assistance might have been sent her!

The Duke assures her that he is not disposed to expose her to any thing inconvenient by desiring that she should sign any papers!

He was anxious that she should receive the pecuniary assistance which might be useful or necessary to Her in the manner least tiresome to Herself and least likely to occasion the inquiries of busy and impertinent curiosity!

However Miss J. may rely upon it that he will not interrupt her repose excepting in consequence of her own expressed desire!

One fancies a mocking tone in the last sentence of the Duke's letter, as though he surmised Miss J.'s silence would not be of long duration. He did not reckon without his host. Miss J. held her peace for three weeks. Then, seeing by the "Times" that the Right Hon. Charles Arbuthnot had died suddenly at the house of the Duke of Wellington, she wrote a letter of condolence which in its expressions of deep sympathy and its religious consolations would not have been out of place if indited upon the death of the Duke's nearest of kin.  [Endnote 12] To this effusion the Duke sent no answer. Nothing daunted, Miss J. only waited for an excuse to write again. This she soon found in a newspaper paragraph stating that the Duke had been thrown from his carriage. Her letter and the Duke's reply follow:

Sept. 16, 1850.

My Lord Duke,—Notwithstanding my changed feelings I am deeply concerned to hear of your late accident, and still more deeply grateful to Almighty God for your preservation. I sincerely hope that such gracious interposition of Providence in your favor may eventually lead you to glorify Him in your life and conversation accordingly, 'seeking Him while HE may be found, and calling upon Him while HE is near," ever bearing in mind that HE is "no respecter of persons." Consequently none but those who through His Grace have undergone "a new birth unto righteousness," can justifiably expect to enter into His Kingdom. That HE may enable you to understand this experimentally is the earnest wish of

His devoted Child and Servant,A. J.

P.S. I do not give you my address, My Lord Duke, in order to elicit an answer, but merely to imply that should my Christian advice be required you may know where to find me.

By the Duke's answer, he apparently feels no need nor desire for Christian advice.

Walmer Castle, Sept. 17, 1850.

Field Marshal the Duke of Wellington begs leave to acknowledge the receipt of Miss J.'s Note of the 10th Inst.

He is thankful that he received no injury by the overturn of his carriage a week ago! He returns his thanks to Miss J. for noticing the accident!

Miss J. was so delighted at the receipt of this note that she immediately replied to it in four sheets of closely written note-paper. She began by explaining elaborately that she had seen the notice of his accident only a few days before, although by his letter she learned it had occurred a week ago. After ringing the changes on this, she proceeded to bestow Christian admonition in her usual liberal fashion. The Duke's reply was little more effusive than the note he had sent last.

Walmer Castle, Sept. 20, 1850.

Field Marshal the Duke of Wellington presents his Compts to Miss J. He is very sensible of her kindness in writing to him. He merely mentioned as a fact that the accident to which she referred had occurred in the preceding week!

He is happy to learn that Miss J. is improved in Health!

In Miss J.'s next she reprimands the Duke for having misdirected the envelope of his last note to her, and inquires if he ever received her letter on the death of Charles Arbuthnot, as she now calls him.

Walmer Castle, Sept. 24, 1850.

F. M. the Duke of Wellington presents His compts to Miss J.! He has received Her note without Date in which she encloses the Cover which the Duke returns!

He regrets much that he made a mistake; which has given her the trouble of writing again!

The Duke does not recollect to have received a letter from her upon the Subject of the Death of Mr. Arbuthnot!

But he thanks [sic] for having thought of writing to him upon the melancholy occurrence.

There were no letters exchanged after this for many weeks. Miss J.'s health improved slowly, and through her sister funds were supplied for her maintenance. The next entry of any interest in the Diary is dated November 9th:—

"I have felt dreadfully shocked to day at reading a report of the Duke's death which thank God, is false!  [Endnote 13] O that I may be enabled to write to him expressions of my feelings, if such be The Lord's will! I find I feel more than I had imagined was possible! having suffered exceedingly at this report and at length have addressed him as follows: 'O My dear Duke, for I cannot use formality under my present excited, distressed feelings, having been so shocked by that dreadful Advertisement in the Times of this day, saying you were gone forever! This God in His infinite mercy has proved to be false, having spared you, I trust, for a far more glorious end than the one therein described. For this I can never thank him sufficiently, subscribing myself consequently with additional gratitude

"'His devoted Child and Servant

"A. J.

"'P.S. I have been six weeks confined to my room, inflammation having taken place on the day after I wrote you last. O that God in these troublous threatening times may guide and counsel you to act as He would have you do to Whom I beseech you to look for the same most prayerfully.'"

As Miss J. received no reply to the above, she wrote again. This time her epistle was in sharp contrast with her preceding semi-affectionate note. She arraigned the Duke for his silence, and succeeded in provoking a response:—

Strathfieldsaye, Dec. 21, 1850.

Field Marshal the Duke of Wellington presents His Compliments to Miss J.! He understood from a former letter; that it was Miss J.'s desire never to hear from the Duke again!

Therefore he did not write! nor should he write now! excepting a mere matter of Courtesy! He thus finally takes His leave!

Wellington.

CHAPTER XII.

CONCLUSION

Miss J. was in nowise dismayed by the crushing reply she received from the Duke.

She wrote again and again, and yet again. These letters, of which she has left copies, are made up in about equal parts of accounts of her health, verses of Scripture, and reproaches to the Duke for his silence. She at last extorted an answer:—

London, January 17, 1851.

It is very satisfactory to me to learn from the receipt of this Day of a Letter of the 16th that Miss J. is better! And I write to thank her for giving me the satisfactory Information!

I hope to hear of her continued convalescence and perfect Recovery of her Health!

Most faithfully Her Obedient Humble ServantWellington.

The Duke's next note was less amicable:—

London, January 21, 1851.

In order to avoid to create irritation in the Mind of Miss J. and the receipt of a Note expressing such irritation in strong terms!

I write to acknowledge the receipt of Miss J.'s letter! written on four sides of letter paper; in the Night of the 19th of January! I entreat her to avoid the Irritation of writing again!

Most faithfully Her Obedient Humble ServantWellington.

All the entreaties of the Duke proved futile, however, when Miss J. had convinced herself that it was her duty to write. The occasion she desired soon came. She says in her Diary for February 6th:—

"I have been pondering over the account given in the Times paper of this day wherein the Queen's visit to the House of Peers is noticed and among other things the following remark in reference to the Duke—'His Grace appeared to shrink from the attention and respect of which he was the object.'—This induced me to marvel whether The Great Lord of lords has not at length begun to exercise His Godly Power over his precious soul, making him consequently feel the nothingness of all things in comparison therewith!"

Upon the strength of this impression Miss J. wrote to the Duke, asking him if he recollected where he was and how he was occupied at the time she mentions. His answer came promptly, although Miss J. did not find it at all satisfactory.

London, Feb. 8, 1851.

I have received Miss J.'s Letter! And I hope that Her Health continues to improve! But she does not mention it! I thank her; I am quite well!

I was employed on Tuesday in the usual Manner in giving attendance upon the Sovereign when she opened Parliament! I perform all my worldly Duties to the best of my ability! Miss J. despises things of this world, but I fear that if all followed her good example strictly they would suffer.

Her Humble Servant.Wellington.

Miss J.'s reply begins as follows:—

"Alas! My Lord Duke! it is grievous to me to find that the remarkable expression in the Newspaper on Wednesday referred to in my last, namely; 'His Grace appeared to shrink from the attention and respect of which he was the object' did not come from the impression I had hoped of Regeneration—or Divine Grace having begun its work in your precious Soul, to which at present you are so evidently a stranger. Judging by the latter portion of your reply you never desire or expect to be otherwise, as you seem to imply if all were to follow my example you fear you should not be improved. This assertion is but too true except the Great Lord of lords put forth His Almighty Power for that purpose."

And so on through pages of pious abuse.

The Duke's answer to this is characterized by a calm dignity in noticeable contrast to the petulance of most of his notes of this period.

London, Feb. 12, 1851.

I beg Miss J.'s pardon if I misunderstood Her Letter; in which she understood what passed on the day on which Parliament met! I understood that she had adverted to my attendance upon the honorary Service of the Queen!

In my Answer I observed that unless such services as well as other worldly Offices were attended to; the Affairs of the World would not go on so quietly as might be wished by those who like Miss J. thought more of Spirituals and of the next World! I hope that I do not fail in feeling due Humility upon all occasions! And most anxious to merit approval where alone such can be of any avail! I have thought it proper to explain this to Miss J.; as I wish not to be misunderstood!

Her Most faithful ServantWellington.London, Feb. 20, 1851.

F. M. the Duke of Wellington presents His Compts to Miss J.! He has received Her Letter of the 17th of which he acknowledges the receipt; in order to save her the trouble of making farther enquiries about it!

But he really entreats Her not to give herself the trouble of writing to him again!

It is obvious that the act of doing so irritates Miss J.! which cannot be beneficial to Her Health! He hopes that she will not write again!

Miss J. in her Diary for February 21st gives a copy of a note she wrote the Duke at this time:—