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

eful p

ng from the third of August, 1840, to the

ritten' 'The King's Heart is in the Hands of the Lord as the rivers of water, He turneth it which way soever he pleaseth,' so likewise all hearts. Consequently when The Lord's time came for proving to him the folly of forming such a rash resolution, he writes accordingly, and that too at a moment when I least expected it, so long a period having elapsed in silence. Nor do I, as he therein

ndence is hard to determine; but the interch

10,

one written yesterday, the 9th Inst; and I am very sensible o

r Letters; because you did not express a wish tha

ver Yours mo

lin

June 1

nig

pression of an Interest about my Health. I am thank God! as well as I was twenty years ago, and no longer feel any Inconvenien

t you are

ver Yours mo

lin

June 1

de for two very kind letters since I wrote to you la

d the statements which you write of the Interest y

rs most

lin

hem and thereby secure their future safety I only occasionally introduce one wholly; ther

June 2

ue that I made no observations upon the Domestick Details which your former Letter conta

ceased to feel for my welfare; and which you have expressed with so much sincerity.

Publick Duties which I have engaged to perform, and I have very Little of the l

ver Yours mo

lin

mine reaching him, as he writes-'If you should have any apprehension of your letters not reaching me, you have only not to s

iting to me so frequently. I have to thank you for two letters received, the last on this morni

it refers to a short separation which took place between my dear friend Mrs. L. and myself-arising from a circumstance that

because the Impression on my mind is, that she was your friend and that you were much attached to her. I hope therefore that before long that confidence

e had the desired effect and my intim

be reconciled to Mrs. L. It is impossible that you should be otherwise than of a forgiving temper and di

ighted to hear that you have renewed your old relations with

re of your occupations, that you write as well as read a great deal, that you write your thoughts as they occur to you, and that you do not attend to penmanship or Hand wr

July 6

hursday which reached me yesterday afternoon: and another commenced thursday afternoon which I received last night. I thank you for them all; you are most kind in writing to me: I beg you no

it is satisfactory to you to receive a Note from me, I do not omit to write to you

ver Yours mo

lin

Monday night. As I was occupied all day yesterday by the marriage of my Son [Endnote 3] it was not in my

orm and that it frequently occurs that I am under the necessity of postponing to thank you for your kindness and continued interest for my welfa

July 1

ay evening and ended on Saturday; which I received on that night. I think tha

ll let me know on what subject I will

ceive such in your letters: which are invariably uniform in the expression of a kind I

gentleman who met me told me that it had been reported o

nity of telling you that I thank God! there is not the slightest foundation for it. I hav

ver Yours mo

lin

will continue to write to me all that you feel and think. I cannot

much obliged to you for your continued anxiety for my welfare an

July 2

and two of the 25th for all of which; and your continued kindness I thank you. I am very s

e parliament will be prorogued: I

ued attendance; I continue

ver Yours mo

lin

me enquiry on my part-'It is impossible for me to say at what period Parliament

August 1

finement; and have besides been much occupied in Parlt and elsewhere. I have received and thank you for your letters, the last received having been commen

he cause is that I am much occupied and not that

ver Yours mo

lin

etter written yesterday Morning, the 11th, and according to your desire I do not delay to

ot feel very well but hope the Indisposition will be but short. The weather h

d and sent back to you. I have frequently told you to beware of the weight of your letters and to take care that each of them had upon it the proper stamp, etc

have been out of Town at Portsmouth and at Oxford with t

Sept.

rn

essity of going out of Town to Windsor Castle from whence

u on Saturday and I was followed away by the same p

you; it appears to me to be a good likeness,

on as I am certain at wha

s most fa

lin

in her Diary

his annoyed him particularly on my account, as he was aware of my objection to notice, notwithstanding that I

e Duke refers, Miss J. thu

ord of Lords, who permitted it to be bestowed upon me, to point out. He must determine whether it is to be sent to the British Museum, as a remembrance of one who in His Hands was permitted to become the preserver of our nation, or to be disposed of for the propagation of Christi

Sept.

nt was prorogued and in the Public Offices till between six & seven in the evening. Now I am about to return to Windsor Castle this afternoon for the Christening of the Infant Prince and I

s most fa

lin

e referred to was Alf

Sept.

rn

as I see clearly that it will not be po

t night; till after half past twelve, and I

House in London. I shal

ver Yours mo

lin

d with your permission will call upon you. It is very true that I am as well known everywhere as in my own House and that I am followed everywhere, and all that I do observed a

ch employed but I thank God, quite well.' In the Duke's next letter, dated Sept. 12th, he writes; 'I again express my gratitude to y

g out at a very early hour in the Morning and I do not return till night. But your kindness is always we

it that if not immediately responded to it is because my time is so much occupied at a distance from my Residence.' In the Duke's letter

writes-'I am very happy to learn that you are not

letter from the Duke dated Oct. 1st,

writes; 'I write one line to apprize you that I am in Town a

Saturda

12,

ce the day after I left London; havin

ening and finished, on Friday morning or rather later in the day on Fri

ere I shall put this letter in the Post tomorrow; and it will reach you on Monday. I am going there on my way

I am very sensible of your kindness in writing to me although I have been so muc

ind your new Lodgings

ver Yours mo

lin

stle, Oct

y morning to go to Portsmouth to meet the King of the French. I was out during the thunder, Lightning and Rain on that d

ne written before I quitted Windsor Castle; but sent from my House

eturn to London. But I cannot yet say at what time that will be: as I am called away so frequen

mmenced on Monday the 1

am very sensible of your kindness in writing to me; particula

ver Yours mo

lin

hence this day, there being no post. I will add a line to it when I shall have an opportunity o

of the kindness of your Letter of the 18th in the middle of the day; whic

you need not be apprehensive of my catching Cold on my

Ever Yours mo

llin

you for your continued kindness in writing me two long letters.' At the end the Duke writes; 'It is possibl

the Duke is dated Nov.

ce I begin to be apprehensive that you may have been unwell and have been prevented by indisposition fro

s in last week; in one I attended the Ceremony of opening the Royal Exchange by Her Majesty the Queen [Endnote 6]-on another to attend the marriage and indeed to give away in marri

always drawn from me the expressions of my grateful sense of your kindness.' Again in the Duke's next letter dated Nov. the 12th he writes; 'Notw

s soon as I shall have a moment's leisure. But my time is really so much employed in the se

s-'I write you one line to tell you that if it should be in

that I could not call upon you again. I am quite well. Then I was at Windsor Castle in attendance upon Her

ery much concerned to hear that you are unwell. You must take ca

st night having been detained at Windsor Castle till late in the afternoon and I went

upied, and while the Almighty will deign to permit me to live will be so occupied as that I shall not hav

es; 'I am very sensible of the kindness of your lett

had the misfortune of losing my Sister. But I trust

from you after my return to Town after paying the last Respects to the Memory of my poor Sist

I hope that you will take care of yourself and avoid to expose yourself to cold in this severe weather. I am very sensible of your kindne

ear Miss J. for several letters received from you in these last days; and regret that I was so much occupied when I received e

the Duke is dated Jan.

refer was dated the 23rd Inst., the day on which I attended the funeral of my poor Sister. I was in London for three days but my

You have been correctly informed; Her Majesty the Queen does intend to pay me a

hat I have scarcely sufficient for Rest. However my Health continues excellent and my strength unimpaired.' The next letter from the Duke is dated Feb. 7th 1845, wherein he writes; 'I have received many letters from you, dated the 20th, 22nd, 23rd, 24th, 26th and Feb. 2nd, which I have not expressed the sense of gratitude I felt for your kindness in writing them. But in truth I have

must say that my time and attention are so much taken up from morning till I go to bed at night that it is not surprising that I should pass over a letter in acknowledging

and by my attendance upon Him, his wife and afflicted family. I was very sensible of your kind offer of Assistance-But he had everything. We lost him, Alas! on Saturday night, I am happy to say without pain or suffering. [Endnote 9] His last moments were those of a good Christian in peace wi

Mercy of God My poor Brother suffered but little in his last Moments. Indeed I may say-no pain, from the disord

March 6th he writes-'I am concern

is, adding; 'I regret exceedingly to learn that you are still unwell. But hope that we

April 18

ntion has just now been drawn to two paragraphs in the Morning Post, stating that I was taken ill in

near the place where I was sitting. I arose, gave him the assistance of my Arm a

the whol

t and took part in the discussion

at eleven, not at twelve o'clock. The answer

s most fa

lin

ade in a former Note or letter as follows; 'You did not see me in Piccadilly on Saturday the 19th.

letters; the truth is that it takes me a long time to peruse them and I am obliged to do so by daylight,

iness which I have to transact who should not be a witness of my constant and unremitting exertions, and

of the Public is incessant from one week's end to the other. It is not given to Man to be in two pl

se or meals. We are now at the 5th of June. I have dined but twice since the 29th of May, although in perfect Health. I

ally implying he meant to call upon me, but never did, so thus keeping my mind in suspense and expectation. This doubtless The Lord of lords in His infinite wisdom did not see fit to

esides being very good, you must admit that patience under disa

the Lord of lords had decreed he should never call again, knowing far better what is good for us than

having dated it June 16th 1845 'I am quite well, thank G

knowledge the receipt of, and to thank you for the receipt of your letters regularly it is because I really have not leisure time. I assure you that since last Sunday I have dined only once, and th

n my best thanks. I hope that the rainy weather will not prevent you from receiving the benefit which you expected to derive from your residence near the Sea.'

lately, for which I return my grateful thanks. I only regret that I have not leisure to answer th

eturn thanks for all your letters; I am very sensible of your kindness in wri

e one that is upon so much paper as that one Stamp will not be sufficient, put half the paper in one cover and half in the second or put two or three stamps on the same cover. I have like

ry-I cannot complain. But it is the fact, that at a period of life at which other Men are seeking Repose, every moment of my time should be as it is, occu

ich reached me last night. I am really very much concerned that my public duties and the attention which I am under the necessity of paying to their performanc

y cautious to cross my t's and put dots to my i's and not omit an expression which I may e

nts you pay but little attention to their Contents-If you had perused these letters and had believed what I wrote, you could not have asked this question. However I answer it-I do intend to go to see yo

should ever write one word that could hurt your feelings and I sincerely beg your pardon.' The next letter from the Duke is dated Oct. 9th, 1845, wherein

ten to acknowledge the receipt of your letters and to thank you for them, as I really have not had time, having been so much occupied in the public Service. When I write to you