MR. BELFORD, TO ROBERT LOVELACE, ESQ.
FRIDAY NIGHT, AUG. 4.
I have actually delivered to the lady the extracts she requested me to
give her from your letters. I do assure you that I have made the very
best of the matter for you, not that conscience, but that friendship,
could oblige me to make. I have changed or omitted some free words. The
warm description of her person in the fire-scene, as I may call it, I
have omitted. I have told her, that I have done justice to you, in the
justice you have done to her by her unexampled virtue. But take the very
words which I wrote to her immediately following the extracts:
'And now, Madam,'--See the paragraph marked with an inverted comma
[thus '], Letter LXX. of this volume.
The lady is extremely uneasy at the thoughts of your attempting to visit
her. For Heaven's sake, (your word being given,) and for pity's sake,
(for she is really in a very weak and languishing way,) let me beg of you
not to think of it.
Yesterday afternoon she received a cruel letter (as Mrs. Lovick supposes
it to be, by the effect it had upon her) from her sister, in answer to
one written last Saturday, entreating a blessing and forgiveness from her
parents.
She acknowledges, that if the same decency and justice are observed in
all of your letters, as in the extracts I have obliged her with, (as I
have assured her they are,) she shall think herself freed from the
necessity of writing her own story: and this is an advantage to thee
which thou oughtest to thank me for.
But what thinkest thou is the second request she had to make to me? no
other than that I would be her executor!--Her motives will appear before
thee in proper time; and then, I dare to answer, will be satisfactory.
You cannot imagine how proud I am of this trust. I am afraid I shall too
soon come into the execution of it. As she is always writing, what a
melancholy pleasure will be the perusal and disposition of her papers
afford me! such a sweetness of temper, so much patience and resignation,
as she seems to be mistress of; yet writing of and in the midst of
present distresses! how much more lively and affecting, for that reason,
must her style be; her mind tortured by the pangs of uncertainty, (the
events then hidden in the womb of fate,) than the dry, narrative,
unanimated style of persons, relating difficulties and dangers
surmounted; the relater perfectly at ease; and if himself unmoved by his
own story, not likely greatly to affect the reader!
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