_RETURN TO ENGLAND.--MARRIAGE._
Fletcher returned to England in the spring of 1781, after an absence of
nearly three years and a half. His health was considerably improved by
the long rest and retirement; the worst symptoms had disappeared, but
he remained, at best, a frail and delicate man.
Almost his first act on reaching London was to preach in the new chapel
in City Road, which had been erected during his absence. Wesley was
away in the midland counties, preaching and visiting the societies;
from thence he passed into Wales, and next to the Isle of Man, so that
some months elapsed before he and Fletcher met. After a few days in
London Fletcher went to Bristol, where he received the warmest welcome
from Mr. Ireland and his other friends. Soon after his arrival, Mr.
Rankin, a Methodist preacher then stationed in Bristol, had an
interview with him, "which," he says, "I shall never forget in time or
eternity." Fletcher had many inquiries to make concerning the progress
of religion in England and in America, where Mr. Rankin had laboured
for five years. They walked to and fro in Mr. Ireland's garden, and as
he listened to Mr. Rankin's account of the triumphs of the gospel at
home and in the colonies, Fletcher broke forth again and again into
prayer and praise.
In almost every reference to him at this period of his life, and onward
to its close, there is mention of a something almost unearthly in his
spirit, and even in his appearance and manner. With the utmost
affectionateness and freedom of intercourse there was a certain
raptness of devotion, a mingled simplicity and elevation of thought and
feeling, peculiarly his own. The impression he produced, as shown in
the letters and journals of his contemporaries, is unmistakable. There
is nothing quite like it in the case of any other member of the group
to which Fletcher belongs. Alike in converse with individuals, and in
his public addresses, he gave the impression of one whose links with
earth were few and slender compared with those that united him with the
heavenly world. After describing the interview just referred to, Mr.
Rankin goes on to say: "He preached in the evening from 'God hath from
the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the
Spirit and belief of the truth.' The whole congregation was dissolved
in tears. He spoke like one who had just left the converse of God and
angels, and not like a human being. The different conversations I had
with him, his prayers and preaching during the few days which he stayed
at Bristol and Brislington, left such an impression on my mind, and
were attended with such salutary effects, that for several months
afterwards not a cloud intervened between God and my soul,--not for
one hour. Of all the men I ever knew, I never saw such love to God and
man, such deadness to the world, such entire consecratedness to Jesus,
as in him. It often appeared to me that his every breath was prayer and
praise. He lived more like a disembodied spirit than a human being."
No one rejoiced at Fletcher's return to England more than his old
friend and former colleague at Trevecca, Mr. Benson. In a hitherto
unpublished letter, dated from the "Preaching House, Leeds," June 12th,
1781, he wrote to him as follows:
"It gave me great pleasure to hear of your safe arrival in
England after so long an absence, and that your health was
considerably better than when you went abroad; and more
especially, as I understand from Miss Bosanquet, that you
have some thought of visiting Yorkshire, where, I am sure,
thousands will be glad to see you, and none more so than
myself, who once had the honour of being your intimate
friend, and whose one motive for troubling you at this time
is a desire to renew that friendship, formerly so beneficial
to my soul.
"Mr. Fletcher, no length of time, no distance of place, can
ever erase your memory from my mind, nor shall I, while I
breathe, cease to respect you above all men upon earth, and
that for one _only_ reason, because the Lord Jesus Christ
has in a great measure drawn His likeness upon you."
Although he returned to Madeley soon after reaching England, it was
some time before Fletcher really took up his residence and resumed his
work there. He determined to attend the approaching Methodist
Conference, to be held in Leeds in the beginning of August. Four years
had elapsed since his memorable visit to the Conference at Bristol,
when Wesley had said concerning him, "He shall not die, but live." He
now wished to meet once more the brethren to whom he was bound by so
many ties. Wesley moreover wanted his presence and counsel, and for
this, and for another reason that will be explained, he left Madeley
and went to Yorkshire.
Seventy preachers met at the Conference. On the Sunday before it began,
the Methodists had a high day at the parish church of Leeds. Wesley
preached to a vast congregation. Seventeen clergymen, including
Fletcher and Coke, assisted him in administering the Lord's supper to
eleven hundred communicants. During the Conference Wesley desired
Fletcher, Coke, and four others to meet him each evening to consult
with him on any difficulty that might occur. Fletcher preached at five
o'clock in the morning to at least two thousand persons, who listened
to him with the deepest attention. Wesley's comment was, "I do not
wonder he should be so popular; not only because he preaches with all
his might, but because the power of God attends both his preaching and
prayer." "I had the happiness to hear that venerable servant of God,
Mr. Fletcher," wrote one of the preachers to his wife. "Never did I see
any man more like what I suppose the ancient apostles to have been....
I think I never heard a sermon to be compared with it. I wish I could
tell you every word. I had also the happiness to receive from his hand
the bread in the sacrament of the Lord's supper."
The Conference was over in a week, but Fletcher still remained in the
neighbourhood of Leeds. Another, and to him a still more important,
matter was occupying his thoughts. It had reference to Miss Bosanquet,
the lady named in Mr. Benson's letter. A very brief account of one who
deserves, and has received, ample biographic honours, must here
suffice. Mary Bosanquet was a lady of good family and considerable
fortune, to whom belongs an eminence among the godly women of
Methodism, analogous to that of Fletcher among his associates. At a
very early age, and partly through the influence of a maidservant, she
became an earnest Christian. As she grew up she passed through much
conflict and sorrow from the opposition of her parents. They were
well-meaning but worldly people, and were disappointed and annoyed at
their daughter's distaste for balls and theatres, and at her generally
impracticable religious convictions. They endeavoured to secure her
promise that she would never, either then or thereafter, attempt to
make her brothers "what she called Christians." Upon her saying that
she dared not consent to that, her father replied, "Then you force me
to put you out of my house." A kind of agreement was soon afterwards
come to, that she should take lodgings in Hoxton, and visit her parents
from time to time; and at twenty-one years of age, accompanied by her
maid, she left her home, literally for Christ's sake. A year or two
later she removed to Leytonstone, to a house of her own, not far from
her father's residence. Here she gathered around her a family of poor
women and orphan children, who were supported at her expense, and
taught, trained, and employed according to their capacity. It was her
desire to form a household in which the glory of God should be the
supreme end and aim, and for many years her efforts were crowned with
success. Peace, piety, and simple order ruled the little community.
Wesley was particularly interested in her plan, and delighted with its
results. It reminded him of what he had seen many years before in the
orphan house at Halle, and among the brethren at Herrnhut. It was akin
to his own endeavour at Kingswood. In his "Journal" he refers to it in
the following terms: "It is exactly _Pietas Hallensis_ in miniature....
I rode over to Leytonstone, and found one truly Christian family: that
is, what that at Kingswood should be, and would, if it had such
governors.... I preached at Leytonstone. Oh what a house of God is
here! not only for decency and order, but for the life and power of
religion! I am afraid there are very few such to be found in all the
king's dominions."
In addition to the guidance of her household, Miss Bosanquet held
services in her kitchen, at which she read and expounded the Scriptures
to such of her poor neighbours as were willing to come. A Methodist
class-meeting was formed, and from time to time an itinerant preacher
would come and minister to the little flock. From early morning till
night there was nothing but hard and homely toil, frugal meals,
frequent religious meetings, and ever-recurring prayer and praise. Thus
devoting her time, her strength, her fortune to Christ and to the poor,
"She filled her odorous lamp with deeds of light,
And hope that reaps not shame."
There was no lack of hindrances and discouragements, however, from
within and from without. Many of the children suffered from painful
diseases, the result of poverty and neglect. Others distressed her with
the evil habits they had brought with them. Her relatives spoke of her
as of one who was out of her right mind. Some of her critics declared
that she was bringing up the children for nuns; others said her plans
savoured too much of carnal wisdom; while others again charged her with
idleness. Persons well-disposed and ill-disposed poured upon her their
conflicting counsels and reproofs; and, as if the brave, lonely woman
had not enough to bear, a crowd of rough men and boys would collect at
the gate, when nights were dark, to throw dirt at the people as they
went out from the meetings, and would afterwards come into the yard,
and, putting their faces to a window which had no shutters, would roar
and howl like wild beasts.
From Leytonstone Miss Bosanquet removed into Yorkshire, and settled at
Gildersome, a village near Leeds, where she bought land and built a
house. Here she continued for many years her self-denying labours and
let the steady light of a holy life shine, to the comfort and
edification of many. It is not necessary to tell the story in detail;
it may be enough to say that while thus living for others, her fortune
was melting away, partly through injudicious generosity, and partly
through the blunders of those who helped and advised her in the
management of her affairs. From these causes, to which might be added
the unconscionable demands of some whom she assisted, she was brought
to financial embarrassment and great anxiety. At the time of Fletcher's
return to England her difficulties seemed to be coming to a crisis. She
saw nothing for it but to sell her Yorkshire property for what it would
fetch, and with the proceeds pay off her debts as far as possible, and
meet the remainder from the small income still coming to her from
Leytonstone. It was at this juncture that she received an offer of
marriage from Fletcher.
He was now fifty-two years of age, and Miss Bosanquet ten years
younger. They had known one another for five-and-twenty years, though
for the greater part of that time there was no direct intercourse
between them. From their first acquaintance they had been attracted to
one another. Fletcher had confessed to Charles Wesley that "Miss
Bosanquet's image at one time pursued him," and that he should perhaps
have lost his peace of mind if he had not betaken himself to prayer,
and to a serious consideration of the reasons against matrimony. In
spite of the victory thus gained, there is little doubt that her image
pursued him through the following years. She, on her part, confides to
her diary that a feeling "that she might be called to marry Mr.
Fletcher" would now and again come to her mind. She found much help
and comfort in his writings. In her troubles she thought of him as "one
who might perhaps be sent to her aid." She dwelt upon "some little acts
of friendship in our first acquaintance," and then put the pleasant
thoughts away, lest they should be a snare to her. She resolved "never
to do the least thing towards a renewal of their correspondence." And
so for fifteen years they never met, each of them meanwhile passing
through much affliction, and needing the very help which the other
could have supplied.
To Fletcher's scrupulous sense of honour, Miss Bosanquet's fortune was
an effectual barrier between them. That the possession of wealth should
attract unworthy suitors is nothing unusual,--it is a constantly
recurring source of danger to well-dowered women; but the danger of its
repelling the worthy suitor, and so keeping those apart who are best
fitted for each other, although much rarer, is perhaps even more
difficult to deal with. In such cases some sort of mediation seems
desirable, though it is generally impracticable. What was wanted in
this instance was, in our judgment, that some one--say Wesley, or his
brother Charles--should have said to Fletcher and to Miss Bosanquet the
half dozen words explanatory of each other's sentiments that would have
removed all difficulty, and given them twenty years of happy married
life instead of four.
It is remarkable that when Fletcher made his offer of marriage to Miss
Bosanquet he had not seen her for fifteen years. There was no previous
renewal of the acquaintance, no gradual growth of intimacy and
affection, no preliminaries of any kind. His proposal came unheralded
and unexpected, and was at once accepted. It is clear that the needful
preparation had been made on both sides long ago. There was the sudden
removal of hindrances, real or imagined: that was all.
One of his letters to Miss Bosanquet, written during their engagement,
has lately been published by Mr. Tyerman.[12] It is a true love-letter,
and in no way unworthy of its writer. Others lie before us now. They
are written with the utmost freedom and simplicity, and show a warm and
tender affection, with a chivalrous admiration for the woman soon to
become his wife. The gentle-spirited, lonely man rejoices in his
new-found happiness. "Surely," he writes to her, "a human creature
_alone_ is but _half_ himself. And yet how many, for want of having
made the comparison, glory in their loss! I will do so no more." This
is a touch of nature that the reader will appreciate; more particularly
if he has been at the trouble of reading the "reasons against
matrimony" that have been alluded to. But we refrain from further
quotation. On the whole, we think it right to respect the privacy of
Fletcher's love-letters. They were written for one reader, and for one
only. By her they were sacredly preserved through the thirty years of
her widowhood, and then, chiefly, we imagine, because she could not
bring herself to destroy them, they passed into the keeping of a dear
and trusted friend. To remain in the keeping of friends, and not to be
published to the world is, in our judgment, their proper destiny.
We are, however, much indebted to Mr. Tyerman for bringing to light the
letter in which Fletcher asked the consent of Miss Bosanquet's uncle
and trustee, Mr. Claudius Bosanquet, to his marriage with his niece. It
is a most important piece of autobiography. We have so far availed
ourselves of it in the course of this narrative that the whole need not
be given here. But the following will be read with interest:
"It was soon after my ordination that I saw Miss Mary
Bosanquet, your pious niece. I had resolved not to marry;
but the sweetness of her temper, and her devotedness to God,
made me think that if ever I broke through my resolution, it
would be to cast my lot with one like her.
"Not long after, at Mr. Hill's request, his nephew, Mr.
Kinaston, member for Montgomery, presented me with the
living of Madeley, a little market town in the county of
Salop, worth about L100 _per annum_; and here I have chiefly
lived, sequestered from the world, as your amiable niece has
done at Leyton and at Cross Hall.
"After having corresponded some years with her on various
subjects, last spring, on my return from a journey to the
continent, I ventured to mention to her my first thoughts
about a closer union with her, thoughts which I had kept to
myself for nearly twenty-five years. After maturely
discussing the point, your pious niece has given me room to
hope she will give me her hand, if you, sir, whom she
honours as a father, give your consent to our union. I
earnestly ask it, sir; and beg you will share the pleasure
of uniting two persons who, from a remarkable agreement of
taste, sentiments, and pursuits, as well as from a
particular sympathy, seem formed for each other by the God
of nature and of grace.
"I wish, sir, I had a fortune equal to Miss Bosanquet's
deserts; but I hope I have one suitable to her piety, and to
the moderate wishes of that godliness which, together with
contentment, is a great gain. I have only about L1500 worth
of property in my native country, and about L400 or L500
more in my parish, besides the income of my living, and a
house much better than those with which most country
clergymen are obliged to put up.
"Whatever be your pious niece's fortune, I assure you, sir,
I seek her person, not her property; and to convince you of
it, I request before she gives me her hand, her whole
fortune may be secured to her by a proper settlement."
The same day he wrote to Miss Bosanquet's brother:
"Among the reasons which hindered me from making my
addresses to your amiable sister, when first I felt that
sympathy which binds my soul to hers, the superiority of her
fortune was not the least. Since that time, debts, which
unforeseen circumstances led her to contract, have
considerably lessened that difficulty, and the prudent fear
of contracting new ones seems to make it expedient for her
to get into a state where she may, without difficulty and
with propriety, bring her expensive housekeeping within
narrower bounds. That end will at once be attained if she
favours me with her hand."
The consent of Miss Bosanquet's relatives was readily and cordially
given. There was indeed no such disparity in the position and
circumstances of the two as could well be a ground of objection. Their
Methodist friends regarded their union as a peculiarly suitable one.
Wesley wrote to a friend at the time, "I should not have been willing
that Miss Bosanquet should have been joined to any other person than
Mr. Fletcher"; and later he said, "Miss Bosanquet was the only person
in England whom I judged to have been worthy of Mr. Fletcher." They
were married in Batley church, on November 12th, 1781. For nearly two
months after their marriage they continued to reside at Cross Hall. It
was desirable that Mrs. Fletcher's affairs should be settled before her
removal to Madeley, so an arrangement was made with Mr. Crosse, the
Vicar of Bradford, that he and Fletcher should exchange duty for a
while. The former went to Madeley, and Fletcher took charge of Mr.
Crosse's parish. On January 1st, 1782, he wrote to a friend in London:
"Strangely restored to health and strength (considering my years), I
have ventured to preach of late as often as I did formerly; and after
having read prayers and preached twice on Christmas Day, I did last
Sunday what I had never done, I continued doing duty from ten o'clock
in the morning till after four in the afternoon. This was owing to
christenings, churchings, and the sacrament, which I administered to a
church full of people, so that I was obliged to go from the communion
table to begin the evening service, and then to visit some sick. This
has brought back upon me one of my old, dangerous symptoms; so I have
flattered myself in vain that I should be able to do the whole duty of
my own parish. My dear wife is nursing me with the tenderest care,
gives me up to God with the greatest resignation, and helps me to
rejoice that life and death, health and sickness, work for our good,
and are all _ours_, as blessed means to forward us in our journey to
heaven."
The following day Fletcher and his wife set out for Madeley.