"Adieu!--And once more adieu!"--embracing me. "And when thou thinkest thou hast made thyself an interest out yonder (looking up) then put in a word for thy Lovelace."
Joining company, he recommended to me to write often; and promised to let me hear quickly from him; and that he would write to your Lordship, and to all his family round; for he said, that you had all been more kind to him than he had deserved.
And so we parted.
I hope, my Lord, for all your n.o.ble family"s sake, that we shall see him soon return, and reform, as he promises.
I return your Lordship my humble thanks for the honour of your invitation to M. Hall. The first letter I receive from Mr. Lovelace shall give me the opportunity of embracing it. I am, my Lord,
Your most faithful and obedient servant, J. BELFORD.
LETTER LIV
MR. BELFORD, TO LORD M.
THURSDAY MORNING, OCT. 5.
It may be some satisfaction to your Lordship, to have a brief account of what has just now pa.s.sed between Colonel Morden and me.
We had a good deal of discourse about the Harlowe family, and those parts of the lady"s will which still remain unexecuted; after which the Colonel addressed himself to me in a manner which gave me some surprise.
He flattered himself, he said, from my present happy turn, and from my good const.i.tution, that I should live a great many years. It was therefore his request, that I would consent to be his executor; since it was impossible for him to make a better choice, or pursue a better example, than his cousin had set.
His heart, he said was in it: there were some things in his cousin"s will and his a.n.a.logous: and he had named one person to me, with whom he was sure I would not refuse to be joined: and to whom he intended to apply for his consent, when he had obtained mine.* [Intimating, as far as I could gather, that it was Mr. Hickman, son of Sir Charles Hickman; to whom I know your Lordship is not a stranger: for he said, Every one who was dear to his beloved cousin, must be so to him: and he knew that the gentleman who he had thoughts of, would have, besides my advice and a.s.sistance, the advice of one of the most sensible ladies in England.]
* What is between crotchets, thus [ ], Mr. Belford omitted in the transcription of this Letter to Miss Howe.
He took my hand, seeing me under some surprise: you must not hesitate, much less deny me, Mr. Belford. Indeed you must not. Two things I will a.s.sure you of: that I have, as I hope, made every thing so clear that you cannot have any litigation: and that I have done so justly, and I hope it will be thought so generously, by all my relations, that a mind like your"s will rather have pleasure than pain in the execution of this trust. And this is what I think every honest man, who hopes to find an honest man for his executor, should do.
I told him, that I was greatly obliged to him for his good opinion of me: that it was so much every man"s duty to be an honest man, that it could not be interpreted as vanity to say, that I had no doubt to be found so.
But if I accepted of this trust, it must be on condition--
I could name no condition, he said, interrupting me, which he would refuse to comply with.
This condition, I told him, was, that as there was as great a probability of his being my survivor, as I his, he would permit me to name him for mine; and, in that case, a week should not pa.s.s before I made my will.
With all his heart, he said; and the readier, as he had no apprehensions of suddenly dying; for what he had done and requested was really the effect of the satisfaction he had taken in the part I had already acted as his cousin"s executor; and in my ability, he was pleased to add: as well as in pursuance of his cousin"s advice in the preamble of her will; to wit; "That this was a work which should be set about in full health, both of body and mind."
I told him, that I was pleased to hear him say that he was not in any apprehension of suddenly dying; as this gave me a.s.surance that he had laid aside all thoughts of acting contrary to the dying request of his beloved cousin.
Does it argue, said he, smiling, that if I were to pursue a vengeance so justifiable in my own opinion, I must be in apprehension of falling by Mr. Lovelace"s hand?--I will a.s.sure you, that I have no fears of that sort--but I know this is an ungrateful subject to you. Mr. Lovelace is your friend; and I will allow, that a good man may have a friendship for a bad one, so far as to wish him well, without countenancing him in his evil.
I will a.s.sure you, added he, that I have not yet made any resolutions either way. I have told you what force my cousin"s repeated requests have with me. Hitherto they have with-held me--But let us quit this subject.
This, Sir [giving me a sealed-up parcel] is my will. It is witnessed.
I made no doubt of prevailing upon you to do me the requested favour. I have a duplicate to leave with the other gentleman; and an attested copy, which I shall deposit at my banker"s. At my return, which will be in six or eight months at farthest, I will allow you to make an exchange of your"s, if you will have it so. I have only now to take leave of my relations in the country. And so G.o.d protect you, Mr. Belford! You will soon hear of me again.
He then very solemnly embraced me, as I did him: and we parted.
I heartily congratulate your Lordship on the narrow escape each gentleman has had from the other: for I apprehend that they could not have met without fatal consequences.
Time, I hope, which subdues all things, will subdue their resentments. I am, my Lord,
Your Lordship"s most faithful and obedient servant, J. BELFORD.
Several other letters pa.s.sed between Miss Howe and Mr. Belford, relating to the disposition of the papers and letters; to the poor"s fund; and to other articles of the Lady"s will: wherein the method of proceeding in each case was adjusted. After which the papers were returned to Mr. Belford, that he might order the two directed copies of them to be taken.
In one of these letters Mr. Belford requests Miss Howe to give the character of the friend she so dearly loved: "A task, he imagines, that will be as agreeable to herself, as worthy of her pen."
"I am more especially curious to know," says he, "what was that particular disposition of her time, which I find mentioned in a letter which I have just dipt into, where her sister is enviously reproaching her on that score.* This information may enable me," says he, "to account for what has often surprised me: how, at so tender an age, this admirable lady became mistress of such extraordinary and such various qualifications."
* See Vol. I. Letter XLII.
LETTER LV
MISS HOWE, TO JOHN BELFORD, ESQ.
THURSDAY, OCT. 12.
SIR,
I am incapable of doing justice to the character of my beloved friend; and that not only from want of talents, but from grief; which, I think, rather increases than diminishes by time; and which will not let me sit down to a task that requires so much thought, and a greater degree of accuracy than I ever believed myself mistress of. And yet I so well approve of your motion, that I will throw into your hands a few materials, that may serve by way of supplement, as I may say, to those you will be able to collect from the papers themselves; from Col.
Morden"s letters to you, particularly that of Sept. 23;* and from the letters of the detestable wretch himself, who, I find, has done her justice, although to his own condemnation: all these together will enable you, who seem to be so great an admirer of her virtues, to perform the task; and, I think, better than any person I know. But I make it my request, that if you do any thing in this way, you will let me see it.
If I find it not to my mind, I will add or diminish, as justice shall require. She was a wonderful creature from her infancy: but I suppose you intend to give a character of her at those years when she was qualified to be an example to other young ladies, rather than a history of her life.
*See Letter XLV. of this volume.
Perhaps, nevertheless, you will choose to give a description of her person: and as you knew not the dear creature when her heart was easy, I will tell you what yet, in part, you can confirm:
That her shape was so fine, her proportion so exact, her features so regular, her complexion so lovely, and her whole person and manner so distinguishedly charming, that she could not move without being admired and followed by the eyes of every one, though strangers, who never saw her before. Col. Morden"s letter, above referred to, will confirm this.
In her dress she was elegant beyond imitation; and generally led the fashion to all the ladies round her, without seeming to intend it, and without being proud of doing so.*
* See Vol. VII. Letter Lx.x.xI.
She was rather tall than of a middling stature; and had a dignity in her aspect and air, that bespoke the mind that animated every feature.