LETTER XXXVI

Miss Montague, to John Belford, Esq. 
M. Hall, Friday, Sept. 15.

SIR,

My Lord having the gout in his right hand, his Lordship, and Lady Sarah, and Lady Betty, have commanded me to inform you, that, before your letter came, Mr. Lovelace was preparing for a foreign tour.  We shall endeavour to hasten him away on the motives you suggest.

We are all extremely affected with the dear lady’s death.  Lady Betty and Lady Sarah have been indisposed ever since they heard of it.  They had pleased themselves, as had my sister and self, with the hopes of cultivating her acquaintance and friendship after he was gone abroad, upon her own terms.  Her kind remembrance of each of us has renewed, though it could not heighten, our regrets for so irreparable a loss.  We shall order Mr. Finch, our goldsmith, to wait on you.  He has our directions about the rings.  They will be long, long worn in memory of the dear testatrix.

Every body is assured that you will do all in your power to prevent farther ill consequences from this melancholy affair.  My Lord desires his compliments to you.  I am, Sir,

Your humble servant,
CH.  Montague.

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This collection having run into a much greater length than was wished, it is proper to omit several letters that passed between Colonel Morden, Miss Howe, Mr. Belford, and Mr. Hickman, in relation to the execution of the lady’s will, &c.

It is, however, necessary to observe, on this subject, that the unhappy mother, being supported by the two uncles, influenced the afflicted father to over-rule all his son’s objections, and to direct a literal observation of the will; and at the same time to give up all the sums which he was empowered by it to reimburse himself; as also to take upon himself to defray the funeral expenses.

Mr. Belford so much obliges Miss Howe by his steadiness, equity, and dispatch, and by his readiness to contribute to the directed collection, that she voluntarily entered into a correspondence with him, as the representative of her beloved friend.  In the course of which, he communicated to her (in confidence) the letters which passed between him and Mr. Lovelace, and, by Colonel Morden’s consent, those which passed between that gentleman and himself.

He sent, with the first parcel of letters which he had transcribed out of short-hand for Miss Howe, a letter to Mr. Hickman, dated the 16th of September, in which he expresses himself as follows: 

’But I ought, Sir, in this parcel to have kept out one letter.  It is that which relates to the interview between yourself and Mr. Lovelace, at Mr. Dormer’s,* in which Mr. Lovelace treats you with an air of levity, which neither your person, your character, nor your commission, deserved; but which was his usual way of treating every one whose business he was not pleased with.  I hope, Sir, you have too much greatness of mind to be disturbed at the contents of this letter, should Miss Howe communicate them to you; and the rather, as it is impossible that you should suffer with her on that account.’