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 faithfully
WELLINGTON.
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.
[1] Keith on the Prophecies (A. J.).
WALMER CASTLE, August 27, 1838.
MY DEAR MISS J.,--I have received your letter of the 22^nd.
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 faithfully
WELLINGTON.
"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 12^th 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 D^r 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 D^r 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 faithfully
WELLINGTON.
"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 30^th Sept^r 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 faithfully
WELLINGTON.
"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 14^th. 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 faithfully
WELLINGTON.
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 1^st 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.
1/2 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
4^th 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.
1/2 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 13^th Ins^t.
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.'
"The Duke's next letter is dated April 10th in which he writes 'He
understands that Miss J. wishes him to enclose to Mrs. L. the
answers addressed to Herself although that is not stated as usual.'
"The Duke's next letter is dated April 18th in which he writes 'The
Duke has never been better than for the last month and most
particularly for the last few days. He is aware that reports are
continually circulated to the contrary but they are entirely
undeserving of credit.'"
The cause of this coolness between the Duke and Miss J. is not clear.
Her Diary throws no light upon the subject, and the only clew to the
dissension must be found in the Duke's letters. From these it would
seem that Miss J. has again criticised his manner of writing, or
resented some fancied liberty. The quarrel begun so promisingly in
March is still vigorous late in April, and the Duke is making energetic
but futile efforts to break off the correspondence.
STRATHFIELDSAYE, April 24, 1840.
The Duke of Wellington presents His Compliments to Miss J. He has
received her letter of the 21^st Ins^t for which he returns His
thanks being convinced that Her Letters to the Duke are dictated
by the best Motives.
The Duke cannot but acknowledge however that they are written to
but little purpose; and considering their Tone and Tenor, the
writing of them can be but little satisfaction to Miss J.; while
it must be troublesome; the transmission of them embarrassing; as
well as the Reception of the answers to Herself and Her friends.
Under these Circumstances the Duke would earnestly recommend to
Miss J. not to write to Him again.
LONDON, May 20, 1840.
The Duke of Wellington presents His Comp^ts to Miss J. He is
much concerned to learn that His omission to acknowledge the
receipt of Miss J. [_sic_] has occasioned any inconvenience
to her. The Duke received all her Letters in due Course.
The Duke did not acknowledge the receipt of them. He really
thought and thinks still that Miss J.'s correspondence with the
Duke is very inconvenient to Her and Her friends; that it exposes
her to the Effects of the Curiosity of the Idle; and to the
observations of the Malicious; and that however much he may be
obliged to the Kindness of Miss J. in writing to him, he ought to
endeavour to prevail upon her to refrain from doing which
[_sic_] may be inconvenient to Herself or to Her friends.
The Duke is thank God! and has been perfectly well, and he
sincerely hopes that Miss J. is so likewise.
Indorsed by Miss J. "There is _no_ wisdom nor understanding, nor
counsel against THE LORD." "MY Counsel SHALL stand, and I will perform
ALL My pleasure."
LONDON, June 30, 1840.
The Duke of Wellington presents His Comp^ts to Miss J. He has
received several Letters from Her. The last dated the 29^th
Ins^t.
He has not thought it necessary to answer these Letters. He
writes now only because Miss J. expressed an anxiety to know
before she leaves town whether Her letters had been received.
The Duke would recommend to save Herself from such anxiety in
future by omitting to write to Him.
LONDON, July 29, 1840.
MY DEAR MISS J.,--I have received your Note of the 28^th and I
thank God! that I am and have been quite well for this last week.
There was some casual Derangement of my Stomach a week ago; and
the Editors of Newspapers immediately discovered that I was in
great Danger.
They forget that their Reporters reported that I appeared in the
House of Lords quite well.
I am very much flattered by the anxiety which you express for my
recovery. I assure you that I am as well as I have been for
Years.
Believe me Ever Your most faithful Servant,
WELLINGTON.
LONDON, August 3, 1840.
The Duke of Wellington presents His compliments to Miss J., and
again returns His thanks for Her Kind Enquiries about His Health.
The Duke is quite well. He earnestly recommends to Miss J. to be
satisfied with the Accounts which she gets in the Newspapers.
It is impossible for the Duke to be certain of receiving a letter
from Miss J. to a Moment; and that he will be able to send an
answer forthwith. He has frequently stated this to Her; and in
order to avoid disappointment he now tells her that he will write
no more.
WHO is he that saith _and it cometh to pass_, when THE LORD _commandeth
it_ NOT?
Lam. iii. 37.
Indorsed by Miss J.
Miss J. writes in her Diary at this period:
"Whether the Duke would write again or not, I told him in my reply,
must depend upon God rather than himself, adding that I never
wished to hear from him till God pleased, and defied him
accordingly,--trusting in 'The Lord of Lords.'"