All our family is deeply sensible of the injuries you have received at
the hands of one of it, whom you only can render in any manner worthy of
the relation he stands in to us all: and if, as an act of mercy and
charity, the greatest your pious heart can show, you will be pleased to
look over his past wickedness and ingratitude, and suffer yourself to be
our kinswoman, you will make us the happiest family in the world: and I
can engage, that Lord M., and Lady Sarah Sadleir, and Lady Betty
Lawrance, and my sister, who are all admirers of your virtues, and of
your nobleness of mind, will for ever love and reverence you, and do
every thing in all their powers to make you amends for what you have
suffered from Mr. Lovelace. This, Madam, we should not, however, dare
to petition for, were we not assured, that Mr. Lovelace is most sincerely
sorry for his past vileness to you; and that he will, on his knees, beg
your pardon, and vow eternal love and honour to you.
Wherefore, my dearest cousin, [how you will charm us all, if this
agreeable style may be permitted!] for all our sakes, for his soul's
sake, [you must, I am sure, be so good a lady, as to wish to save a
soul!] and allow me to say, for your own fame's sake, condescend to our
joint request: and if, by way of encouragement, you will but say you will
be glad to see, and to be as much known personally, as you are by fame,
to Charlotte Montague, I will, in two days' time from the receipt of your
permission, wait upon you with or without my sister, and receive your
farther commands.
Let me, our dearest cousin, [we cannot deny ourselves the pleasure of
calling you so; let me] entreat you to give me your permission for my
journey to London; and put it in the power of Lord M. and of the ladies
of the family, to make you what reparation they can make you, for the
injuries which a person of the greatest merit in the world has received
from one of the most audacious men in it; and you will infinitely oblige
us all; and particularly her, who repeatedly presumes to style herself
Your affectionate cousin, and obliged servant,
CHARLOTTE MONTAGUE.