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

"'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.

"'Nor would she hesitate to address him more frequently if she had not from long experience proved how little impression anything she writes or says is permitted to make either in his life or conversation, having no reason to imagine the slightest alteration has taken place in his worldly feelings from the moment she first beheld him to the present—on which account God seems to think proper to restrain her pen, and address—thus preventing her from being subject to receiving Notes as formal as they are unsatisfactory, the loss of which she cannot,—does not regret, being happier, infinitely happier when allowed by her gracious Heavenly Father to indulge in, and enjoy her former as well as present loved occupations. Yet when HE thinks proper to make her do either, she submits, and only then—as the pleasure once enjoyed on such occasions has long since fled, giving place to others more satisfying.

"'Miss J. does not for a single moment by the above acknowledgments mean to offend or displease His Grace which were she to find him labouring under any serious afflictions either of body or mind she trusts her conduct would prove, as in the hour of necessity her desire would be to afford him comfort and consolation: and since he is so public a character as to insure such circumstances being generally known Miss J. trusts they will be obliged to meet her eye or ear whenever God thinks proper to occasion the one or the other—which HE can do at any moment, and to any extent, and will if His Holy Name can be magnified thereby.'

"I have underlined the above just as forwarded to His Grace.

"The Duke's next letter is dated Oct. 6th, in which he writes—'He returns his thanks for her letter of Saturday just received' also the next, dated Oct. 11th contains his thanks.

"In the Duke's next letter of the 12th of Oct. he writes—'He returns many thanks for her letter of the 10th inst.,' and his letter of the 14th of Oct. acknowledges another from me.

"In the Duke's letter of Nov. 1st he writes 'The Duke is unable to give any other answer to Miss J.'s letters excepting His thanks for taking the trouble of writing them.'

"The next is dated Nov. 7th also containing his thanks, followed by one of the 15th, the last of that year."

CHAPTER VII.

ASPIRATIONS AND REBUFFS

"The first letter I find for this year is dated Aug. 21st 1838 which I see contains an Enclosure of three sheets addressed to Her Majesty Queen Adelaide, sent for the Duke's perusal, also to be delivered by him into Her Majesty's hands, which he felt under the necessity of declining, consequently returned it to me—having written therein as follows.

"'It is impossible for me to be at all instrumental in transmitting a letter to the Queen Dowager. Her Majesty has Chamberlains and Ladies in attendance upon Her Whose duty it is to receive and lay before H. M. the letters addressed to Her. I could not interfere in the performance of their Duties. I could not be instrumental in forwarding an anonymous Letter however proper, respectful and dictated by the Highest Motives. I could not say that I did not know that the Letter was sent; or the Writer thereof if enquiry should be made; and I should make myself liable to the Imputation of being instrumental in the forwarding to the Queen Dowager an anonymous letter! I hope therefore that you will excuse me for declining to forward this Letter and for returning it to you.

"'You are mistaken give me leave to observe in respect to the Subject to which this Letter relates. The House in which the Queen resides is Royal property; if not a Royal Palace! It is Her Majesty's Jointure House. The Royal Palaces used as such are not liable to the payment of Rates and Taxes. Her Majesty would not have been justified in making the payment on demand without reservation of the Right to Exemption. But she pays the money as a Gift which was improperly and illegally demanded as a Right. You will see it is the Parish and not the Queen which has contravened the Lord.'

"Having thus introduced so much of the Duke's letter it will be necessary to quote some passages from that referred to by him, which as implied still remains in the same position and will continue to do so among my papers for further investigation should such be resorted to after my decease; with the six cards that accompanied it, upon which are written in full: Matt. ii. 28, 29; Luke xvi. 15; Romans xii. 2; Isaiah xliii. 21; Acts xiv. 22; Hebrews xii. 6; John iii. 3; 2 Cor. v. 17; Rev. iii. 12; 1 John v. 3, 4; and James iv. 4.

"After addressing Her Majesty at length on the subject alluded to by the Duke with every desire to render 'honour to whom honour,' I next refer to the necessity of reverencing the Sabbath, adding; 'I recollect on one occasion seeing in a Newspaper that the Duke of Wellington quitted Your Majesty at Hastings for Dover on The Lord's Day and slept at the Ship Inn, on his way home.

"'Now such is the character and loyalty of His Grace that had the respected Consort of his beloved though deceased King [William IV.] only hinted a desire that he should postpone his departure until the morrow I believe it would have been sufficient to insure his immediate obedience. Consequently I could not help lamenting the omission for two reasons, feeling so desirous to behold Your Majesty a shining vessel in The Lord's Hands to show forth His praise by honouring His Commands, also, that the Duke should be restrained from doing that which on a dying bed would pain him to remember. That he like too many other men of the world acts contrary to His Maker's laws in numerous instances is, Alas! but too evident; yet I cannot for a single moment imagine him one of Your Majesty's Advisers with regard to resisting the Laws of His Country, feeling assured he is too much your real friend to approve of the same and too loyal to acquiesce in an evil the consequence of which his penetrating eye would in an instant perceive could only tend to your dishonor.

"'Fearing an evil may arise by my thus distinguishing or singling out the Duke of Wellington as an adviser, duty forbids my conclusion so immediately as intended, in order that I may beseech your Majesty to lean to no Adviser or advice in comparison with Christ and His Gospel, which if sedulously studied will in itself enable you rather to instruct the Duke of Wellington than to be instructed by him; for however great and wise he may justly be considered in a worldly point of view, he must be brought to acknowledge all his wisdom foolishness and all his greatness, littleness before he can appear worthy in His sight "in Whose presence is Life." Therefore he must be humbled before he can be exalted far beyond all that he now is even in this world, believing as I do, that his present greatness will bear no comparison with that which he will experience when robed in the "Wedding garment of Salvation" and rendered meet thereby for "an inheritance among the saints in light," considering him in The Lord's Hands a mighty vessel intended to show forth His praise in this present generation as powerfully as a Daniel, David, or Paul, living more to the glory of his Redeeming God during the few short years of his eventful life than others who have professed themselves Christians even from their infancy, consequently ranking among those of whom it is written "The last shall be first." When this great glorious change takes place in so faithful and tried a subject,—I should then encourage your Majesty to rely on his judgment not only in one case but all.'"

This astonishing production—whose impertinence borders upon sublimity—being thus returned to Miss J., she proceeded to show the Duke that she could communicate with at least one prominent personage unaided by him. She sent him the following letter from Sir Robert Peel, in answer to one she had written to that statesman:—

White Hall, April 25th.

Madam,—I avail myself of the earliest opportunity after my return to London, of acknowledging the Receipt of your last Letter and of assuring you that the former Communications with which you favored me were received by me in the spirit in which they were dictated.

I have the honor to be, Madam,

Your Obedient Servant,Robert Peel.Walmer Castle, August 25, 1838.

My dear Miss J.,—I return the inclosed Letter which I received yesterday; and at the same time the Spectacle Wipers which you was so kind as to send me. I had already some which you had sent me; and I am much flattered and obliged for your thinking of my convenience.

Believe me Ever Yours most faithfullyWellington.

I had read the Work which you have sent me.1 The same author has recently published another which I have got; but have not yet read.

Walmer Castle, August 27, 1838.

My dear Miss J.,—I have received your letter of the 22nd.

You do me Justice in believing that I could not allow any circumstances to prevent my writing to you when I should think that my doing so could be useful or agreeable to you.

Feeling it to be desirable that I should write to you I should have been unpardonable if I had allowed a recollection of bygone Dissensions to induce me to address you on topicks which might displease, or in a form which would be disagreeable to you.

There is nothing under Heaven worth quarrelling about. Of all disputes and quarrels those in writing are the least pardonable. In the Heat of Conversation or of Discussion we may say that which is not justifiable. But our communications in writing are the Result of Reflection. That very act ought to cool us and prevent the use of angry and irritating expressions.

You are quite right in having determined not to address the Queen Dowager about the payment of Rates for Marlborough House. I was certain that I should convince you upon the Subject.

It is very possibly true, that some Notice ought to be taken of the above of the Queen upon this subject. But the expediency of taking such Notice must not be considered as a Matter of Course; because the answer on the part of the Queen would be triumphant.

In all these Cases particularly those in which High Personages are concerned Prudence requires that those who advise should look a little farther than the one Case under consideration.

Believe me, Ever Yours

Most faithfullyWellington.

"By the Duke's next letter I presume I had dated one to him wrongly as he writes: 'I have received and perused with attention your letter dated the 29th, I conclude by mistake, for which I return my best thanks.'

"The next letter from the Duke is dated Aug. 31st, below which he again addresses me on Sept. 1st thus. 'Since writing the above my dear Miss J., I have received your letter of the 31st of Aug. There is no post from home today and you will not receive this acknowledgment of its receipt and thanks for it until Monday.'

"The next letter from the Duke is dated Sept. 11th in which he writes; 'I am not capable, I am sorry to acknowledge, of entering on a discussion on the topics in your letter'—and in his next of Sept. the 12th he writes; 'I can read your letters perfectly. I wish that I understood the subjects to which they relate sufficiently to be able to answer them.'"

Walmer Castle, Sept. 15, 1838.

My dear Miss J.,—I have just now received two Letters from you, both finished on the 12th for which I return my thanks. One of them contained the Pen wipers for which I am much obliged to you.

The Story in the Newspapers about my having been consulted by the Queen about Dr Hook's Sermon is entirely false. There is no foundation whatever for it.

As far as I can Judge from the accounts that I have seen the Queen did not notice Dr Hook's Sermon in any of the Modes supposed and stated.  [Endnote 1]

I am very much obliged to you for your Enquiries about my lameness. I thank God! I have entirely recovered from it.

Believe me Ever Yours most faithfullyWellington.

"I need not say it rejoices me to behold thanks given to Him from whom all blessings flow.

"A. J.

"The Duke's next letter is dated Sept. 16th in which he writes; 'There is no post from the country on Saturday as there is no Delivery in London on Sunday, so you will receive both letters therefore tomorrow, possibly at the same time.' The next from the Duke is dated Sept. 20th in which he writes 'I hope that you will soon recover from your indisposition,' and in that of the 23rd he writes; 'I assure you that I was aware that you had reason to believe that the story respecting the Queen was true.' The Duke means 'was not true' for he had referred to this subject in some letter just passed through my hands.

"On Sept. the 25th 1838 the Duke writes to thank me for my letters adding 'But you do not mention your health and I hope that you have entirely recovered from your indisposition.'

"In the Duke's next letter of Sept. 26th he writes 'I am much obliged by your continued kindness.'

"By the Duke's next letter I see he refers to my offering him a Bible of larger Print as follows,

Walmer Castle, Sept 29th.

I am much obliged to you for the offer of a Bible in large Print. That which I now have answers perfectly, and I will not deprive you of another.

Walmer Castle, October 2, 1838.

My dear Miss J.,—I have received at the Same time your Letters of the 30th Septr and 1 October.

I assure you that I am very sensible of your kindness; and of your motives for writing to me; and that nothing could induce me to write a Word or to commit an Act which would displease much less excite you.

When I received the expression of your wish to have my Picture I felt that the compliance with your wish might be inconvenient to you. But I postponed to give you an answer Wishing to avoid to do any thing to displease you; and thinking it possible nay probable that your own reflections would have induced you to avoid to renew the Subject.

As however you did mention it again I gave you the answer which has satisfied you.

I have not mentioned the Period of my return to London; as it is very uncertain.

Believe me My Dear Miss J.

Ever Yours most faithfullyWellington.

"The Duke's next letter is dated Oct. 7th. 'I have four letters of yours to acknowledge the receipt of, for which I return many thanks. In one you mention your indisposition but as you have not again adverted thereto I trust that you are better.'

"The 13th of Oct. the Duke writes 'I read your letters in the order in which you wish they should be read,' before closing which letter he acknowledges or writes another therein acknowledging mine of the 12th dating this additional letter Oct. 14th.

Walmer Castle, Oct. 20, 1838.

My dear Miss J.,—I have again to acknowledge the receipt of several Letters from you commencing on Sunday the 14th. I have been absent; and did not receive them till this morning. And as the Post for London does not go out till tomorrow, I will keep this till then in order that I may add the acknowledgment of the receipt of any other letter that you may have written me in the end of the Week.

In answer to the Wish that you have expressed to know when I shall be in London I mention that I shall not be there for some time.

You are in the Habit of writing to me freely upon all Subjects; and you say that you derive satisfaction from so doing. I assure you that I am sensible of the Interest which you feel for my Welfare; and of your Motive in writing to me.

But I confess that I cannot understand as you do, the High Authorities which you quote. I wish that I was sufficiently informed to be capable of reasoning with you whether verbally or in writing.

I do not pretend therefore to do more than acknowledge the receipt of your Letters; and thank you for your kindness.

Believe me Ever Yours most faithfullyWellington.

I am delighted to find that you are so well.

October 21. There is no letter from you this day.

"In the Duke's next letter of Oct. 21st, 1838, he returns me many thanks for a letter 'commenced on the 21st and ended on the 22nd.'

"The Duke's next letter is dated Nov. 3rd, referring to impressions on my mind which Time has declared to be erroneous with regard to the end God had in view, but as His glory was then as now my chief consideration I trust to behold this precious portion of Holy Writ verified therein. 'As high as the heavens are above the earth so are My Ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts,' and that God will consequently be much more glorified and magnified under existing circumstances than HE possibly could under any other for His great, glorious, Holy Name Sake!

"The next letter from His Grace is dated Nov. 10th 1838 thanking me for my last and the only remaining one of this year dated Nov. 19th wherein he returns many thanks for the letters I had sent him.

"Letters received during this year from the Duke of Wellington twenty two."

"1839.—The first letter received during this year 1839 is I see enclosed in a cover addressed to Her Majesty the Queen of England, Buckingham Palace, to whom I must have written, forwarding it to the Duke to deliver, but which as with that to Queen Adelaide was returned to me in his dated May 14th, 1839.

"Another letter in Aug. I see in like manner contains an Enclosure addressed to Her Majesty, but which was also returned under the same impression that he was not entitled to deliver such. In the Duke's next dated Nov. 17th 1839 he writes—

My dear Miss J.,—I am much obliged to you for your letter of the 15th in which you have enquired about my health as you had heard or read a report that I was indisposed. I am and have been quite well, thank God.

Ever yours most faithfully,Wellington.

"The Duke's next letter is dated Dec. 14th 1839 in which he writes—'I return a letter which I opened thinking it was addressed to me but I now find it was intended for another, as I find the Name in a Note to myself.'

"The Duke's next letter is dated Dec. 18th in which he writes—'I beg you not to make yourself uneasy about the missing letter.' This was a letter which miscarried and lost.

"The Duke's next letter is dated Dec. 24th, 1839, judging by which I presume some mistake had been made in a former epistle as he writes therein—'I receive so many letters and have so many directions to attend to; that you must not be surprised if I sometimes make a mistake.'

"The Duke's next letter is directed Dec. 28th in which he writes—'I have received your Note of the 26th. It certainly does not appear that both Notes have been opened.'

"This arose from my enclosing the Duke some covers forwarded to me which Mrs. L. thought had been unsealed.

"Another letter from the Duke on the same subject after making enquiries of his servants is dated Dec. 31st 1839.

"Letters received from the Duke of Wellington during this year eight."

"1840.—The first letter from the Duke of this year is dated Jan. the 16th, thanking me for mine of the 15th and on the 18th the Duke again writes—'I am much obliged to you for your letter of yesterday of which I acknowledge the receipt immediately with many thanks.' The Duke's next letter is dated the 20th of Jan. in which he writes—'You may rely upon it that I shall not misunderstand your communications and I am much obliged to you for the confidence reposed in me.'

"The Duke's next letter is dated Jan. 30th, 1840, by the contents of which I presume that I had expressed a wish concerning my letters being confined to his perusal as he writes: 'You may rely upon what I tell you. Nobody sees your letters. They reach me as regularly as is possible considering the greatness of the transactions of the Post Office.'

"Again in the Duke's next dated Jan. the 31st he writes 'You may rely on it your letters reach me in safety.'

London, February 3, 1840.In the Morning.

My dear Miss J.,—I received on Saturday night the 1st Inst. Your Letter of the 31—Jan—; of which I acknowledge the receipt this Morning according to your Desire.

I always write as you Desire. But you must not be surprized if a letter sealed with a seal bearing the Impression of a Coronet; received for you every day at the same place should occasion some curiosity.

Nothing can be more innocent than those Letters or more praiseworthy than those, to which they are an answer. But the existence of such a correspondence is calculated to excite curiosity; and Inquiry.

Believe me Ever Yours

Most faithfully,Wellington.London, Feb. 5, 1840.½ past eleven a.m.

My dear Miss J.,—I did not return from the House of Lords last night till Midnight; and did not receive Your Letter of yesterday till this Moment.

You are quite right not to desire to see me.

I refer you to what I wrote some time ago upon that Subject; on which there can be no alteration.

Ever Yours Most faithfully.Wellington.

"The Duke's next letter is dated Feb. 20th 1840 wherein he writes—'I have only this day received your letter dated Saturday afternoon. I was indisposed last week. But thank God! I have been quite well for some days. So many letters come here for me; that I think it most probable that the Medical Gentlemen desired that none should be given me.'  [Endnote 2]

"The next letter from the Duke is dated March 3rd in which he writes 'I am very much obliged to you for your letter of the 2nd Inst. now received. I thank you for mentioning my health. I was unwell about three weeks ago but, thank God! I have been quite well ever since.'"

Another quarrel is now brewing, and Miss J. must, as usual, have lodged the first complaint, since the Duke at once assumes a defensive attitude.

London, March 6, 1840. 11 a.m.

My dear Miss J.,—I am very much concerned that my affairs should render it necessary for me frequently to go into the Country; and that as you don't receive an answer to your Note you should still think it must have been perused by my Servants or someone else.

If you cannot divest yourself of this suspicion you would act more wisely in not writing to me again; if you should care one Pin who sees your Letters!

I received last night on my return to London your Letter of the 4th and I acknowledge the receipt thereof this morning.

Believe me Ever Your

Most faithful Servant,Wellington.

"The Duke's next letter dated March 9th wherein he writes: 'I am really much concerned that you should suppose that my last note to you was what you call Cross. But I am not so foolish as ever to be cross much less in writing.'"

The Duke seems in his next letter, dated March 11, to return to the third person again, wherein he writes after presenting his compliments: "The Duke has received her letter of the 10th, Inst. which does not appear to him to require any answer."

London, March 13, 1840.½ past 11 a.m.

The Duke of Wellington presents His Compliments to Miss J. Miss J. thinks proper to write to the Duke; but complains of the inconvenience attending the observations of the Curious among the Publick, upon the frequency of the Correspondence.

She sometimes objects to the Substance; at others to the form of the Duke's Letters. The Duke has endeavored invariably to render them as respectful as possible to Miss J., in form as well as in Substance.

The Duke is unfortunately for him not sufficiently informed to enable Him to write upon some of the Higher and more sacred Topicks of Miss J.'s Letters. But he considers it quite useless to write to Miss J. at all; if he should omit to state His opinion when he sees that she has taken an erroneous view of that of which he has a knowledge. He submits these opinions with great deference and Respect; and he is much concerned when any of them give Offence.

London, March 14th, 1840.

The Duke of Wellington presents His Compliments to Miss J. He has just received Her Note of Friday evening the 13th Inst.

The Duke is very sensible of Miss J.'s offer of Service in case the Duke should be sick or afflicted. The Duke is much obliged to Her. He is quite well. He has no reason to believe that he will have occasion to trouble Her upon any object whatever.

Indorsed in Miss J.'s hand. "Let not Him that girdeth on his harness boast himself as he that putteth it off. 1 Kings xx. 11.

"Alas! I tremble for you."

"The Duke's next letter is dated March 30th expressive of his thanks.

"The Duke's next letter is dated April 3rd in which he writes 'The Duke assures Miss J. that neither the form, manner nor substance nor even a Word in any letter of hers has offended him.' The Duke's next letter is dated April 4th in which he thanks me for my letter of that day. The Duke's next letter is dated the 4th of April in which he writes—'The Duke is much concerned to learn that Miss J. has been indisposed.'