SD144. Mary Trepsack to Elizabeth Barrett Williams
As published in The Brownings’ Correspondence, 1, 311.
[Hope End]
[2 October 1810]
Yours, my dear Mrs W– is just arrived & as tomorrow is packet day shall avail myself of a few moments left me this day to send you a line or two, it gives me much concern to find your health still continues Indifferent, you require a little of my rowing to make you forget Illness & other unpleasant circumstances which may occur to harrass your mind, to the injury of your constitution; I assure you we look forward with great pleasure for the time of your arrival, & trust when once more safely landed in dear old England you will never have occasion to look back & remember such things were—but the remainder of your days glide on in the calm sunshine of peace & happiness[.]
We are now at Hope end– Mary has another Girl to the great disappointment of every one, they are both doing well– I never saw more lovely children[.] Ba particularly clever, reads extremely well, writes very prettily indeed—& Edward as happy as possible quite delighted with his purchase—it is a Beautiful place– Nature has been bountiful in the scenery– which is grand & extensive—this situation is rather retired, too much so for most young men, but just the thing for the present owner—who is up to his chin in brick & Mortar– When the improvements (which are intended to be made) are finish’d it will be very handsome—the House is very Indifferent[.] Society they can have as much as they like, being a very centrical situation to many gay places—Bath—Gloucester—Worcester—Cheltenham & their own shire, the roads are not so good as cou’d be wish’d owing to the Country being so Hilly—The Capt has been here & thinks this place resembles St Ann’s very much—he was well when we left Town– Sam has been at Mr Clarkes for some weeks & I understand on his leaving there will bend his steps this way– George was there a month—he went to pay our Sam a visit, but not finding him at home went on to Newcastle– You have no doubt heard of his being gazetted, & of the great attention of the Duke of Kent– We saw his Letters, nothing cou’d be more flattering than they were, & there remains not a doubt but that he will do his utmost to promote George’s Interest & very deservedly will they be bestow[e]d, for he is a very fine Boy—had you seen a letter he wrote about you, I am sure you wd have been delighted—do not be angry with him my Dear Mrs W—for going contrary to your wishes—he never wd have been happy in a Counting House—as a parent you did right in pointing out what to you appear’d most eligible, If he cou’d not (compatible with his own happiness agree to your plan) you have the satisfaction in knowing that he has not entered into any that can disgrace him; but on the contrary there is every prospect of his shewing by his conduct that he is an honor to those connected with him; being the youngest Cornet he will not be sent out of the Kingdom, will therefore be on the spot ready to receive you on your arrival– Edward is expected here some time this month—Mrs Nuttall’s son is now here—he is going to Jamaica—on the Augustus Ceasar [sic], or the Phoenix– I hear he is to be patronized by |many| he is a good looking young <man>—& every respect his fathers exact Counterpart–
I think in a former Letter you said nothing cou’d ever again surprise you– I can tell you, you are mistaken for I know your hands & Eyes will be rais’d in astonishment at what you shall hear– Tom Peters is on the Eve of Marriage with a Girl of 3,000 for her fortune—she was educated a<t Messrs> Carden & Leach Cumberland place—it is quite a melancholy circumstance—you will no doubt see in the papers an unfortunate Duel between Mr Pane & Mr Clarke—the latter, Brother to the young Lady—she was an intimate friend of Mrs Pane’s & spent a good deal of her time at the House where Criminal intercourse took place between the husband & the Lady & carried on for the last two years, but was at last discovered & a duel was the consequence– Mr P has left |4| Children & only the eldest provided for—before the affair became public Miss C was most anxious to conclude her marriage with Tom—she is in a family way—& although he is acquainted with every circumstance he is so delighted at getting her money that he looks upon everything else as nothing & they are to be united some time this month—her family gave her up entirely to Tom’s management & he has the option to take her or leave her. I think her friends will have much to answer for, by giving her to such a creature is throwing her upon the wide world helpless & miserable—he will spend her fortune & then leave her to wretchedness—her father was a physician of great respectability—it is a melancholy affair when we think of the poor wife & children; he had 14,000 a year entail’d property, the eldest gets all—whilst you feel for them, you cannot help beng diverted at Sir Roger, whose acct of the business & his own actions are perfectly ludicrous—boasts that he can get a wife with a forton when other men are oblig’d to marry with out—it is truly amusing—by the bye, I am much oblig’d to the good folks for providing so handsomely for me—£30,000 has thirty thousand charms, but I think it wd have been as well to let the Gentleman to cho[o]se from himself—I am sorry to hear he has been so Ill, but trust he is ere this recover’d—I am indebted on many occasions for his Kindness, which is more than I can say of many others—the fertile genius of Mrs Wilson will never rest– I don’t know any friends of hers that Sam coud be possibly at all intimate with– I believe he has less thought now of Matrimony than ever & pray let it be known to every one that the Lady only dream’d when she propagated such a story– I don’t know why she shd say feathers were not worn—you scarcely see a Lady without. She might with propriety have said flowers were vulgar for they are worn entirely by the lower order—the demand for feathers have been so great that they were nearly double the price formerly asked for them—I pity her poor soul that coud find nothing more amusing than fabricating untruths[.] Pray give our best love to Mrs Lockhead & thanks for her Letter– I shall trouble her with an answer very soon[.]
I am glad to hear Mrs Plummer lives so near—say everything kind for us– We have not heard from Sarah lately but understand she is b<ette>r—Mrs |Lead| has been very Ill– When we went to Town she was gone in the country for change of Air—therefore we did not call– Sam seems to be in a doubt about visiting Jamaica as nothing more has been said lately respecting it– When you see Mr Hilton pray remember us both to him—I have not had any money yet—tell him so– All here sends [sic] their best regards to you & Mrs L– Mrs M says you must remember If we are not in London when you arrive, you must take possession of 39 Somerset St.
Don’t forget to send a number of kind things to Mrs H W P who we hope is safe out of the show with a little Boy– Kisses to Emmaline & accept for yourself My dear Mrs W—our best regards & believe me ever most affectionately Yours
Address, on integral page: Mrs Barrett Williams / Montego Bay / St James’s / Jamaica / pr Packet Oct 3rd.
Publication: None traced.
Manuscript: Eton College Library.
___________________
