Waldegrave, Elizabeth
Hannah More to Patty More, 4 August 1794 [copy, presented to EM Forster by his great aunt, Marianne Thornton
After dinner & I go to Lady Waldegraves at hamstad [sic]. We, that is, your masters hope that you have put an end to sitting up, or you will get laid up. is gone off to Teeston [unclear] to study, where he lives in pompous solitude
Hannah More to Marianne Sykes Thornton, April 5th 1809
I write a few lines to thank you for your kind solicitude about me, when you yourself were probably suffering so much more. confirms the account of your very oppressive cold, Which I hope /will be removd by/ the blessing of God on this fine change in the weather, for it is now raining green pease and goosebery Tarts: and our grass, which on Sunday was as brown as a Mat is now as green as an Emerald. I thank God my fever has given way and I am again much better, tho I had an ague fit the night before last, as I generally have on every change of weather. I heartily rejoyce at the improvd account of Lady Waldegrave who spent a long day here Yesterday (which prevented my writing) thinks he looks tolerably. In addition to her heavy sorrows,2 she is now involv’d in two or three /law/ suits which are this moment trying at Our Assizes, and in which, as her Antagonist (her late Steward) a friend of a deep designing Man has made a party against her, I fear she will be cast. Every thing however which relates to money is a trifle compared with her other causes of sorrow.4
Hannah More to Marianne Sykes Thornton, April 5th 1809
and Lady W. &c tell me they never see or hear of – I am disgusted at her want of decency, to say the least, in not concealing her satisfaction at quitting a place, so pleasant so advantageous /so congenial/ to .7 The change must be an immense expence. and I have had a good deal of intercourse a few weeks ago about health – We agreed in thinking, that more relaxaxation [sic] from business without travelling about, and renouncing the comforts and accommodations of his pleasant home, was the best thing for him at this time of year. I hope he does relax and that you will soon if the Spring shoud ever begin, get to Battersea for your sake especially. – Shoud You see will you tell tell her that I will write to her on her kind proposal soon, and that we are soon looking out for the Barrister the Circuit being nearly over.8 I agree with you in wondering that your coud overlook that agreeable girl and chuse one so inferior both in mind and person.9 How can you read by way of learning to do good? An avow’d Atheist? An acquaintance of mine, woud have married him she said had he been only an Infidel, but he denied a first course.10 To me his writings are the blackness of darkness. Hume by his elegance, and Voltaire by his wit and the charms of his style are seducing. But tell Mr. T. if he reads it, not to let others read it, for I remember at Xt Church and were frightened at his reading Hume’s Essays to them11 They were not then so strong in Religion as they are since become. Seriously I think Plays and Novels safe reading compared with books of subtel sophistry and promiscuous reasoning – I dont mean that you may not pack /up/ up good things in them. I have not yet read the C. O.12 but have run over Ingram13 which is very good, the second part I thought leaned a little more to Calvinism than I do, that is I thought it woud give the C. O. a rather more Calvinistic Air than it has lately assumed I am glad the C. O. takes up the Plan14 – I have been in constant correspondence (when able) [wi]th [tear] this good Bp on the Subject ever [s]ince [tear] he planned it. It is to raise the character morals, learning & piety of the Welch Clergy. I hardly know so pressing a cause. There will unavoidably, to save his credit be mixd with it a little too much High Church but we must be glad to do something if we cannot do all that is wanted. I subscribe and propose leaving a legacy to the St. David’s Plan. The building a sort of Welch College was partly my Suggestion. –
To Lady Olivia Sparrow, August 1814
, our two principle neighbours are going to France. How that abominable country is to make the old young, and the sick well, and the fanciful[l] [tear] contented I do not know. Poor Lady Waldgrave [sic] is ordered to spend the Winter at Nice, she is in very bad health, increased I fear by the dejection of her Spirits on 's conduct*. She writes very piously wishes much that she could have the benefit and consolation of our dear 's Society there, and she thinks it might patch him up for years. – But the thing is quite out of the question I think.
Hannah More to Marianne Thornton, 1816
by the desire of my dear Lady W. just before her death announced to me her departure. Her dying behaviour was most exemplary. She lived to see her offending, would I might say her penitent . She is thro much, very much turbulation endured unto the kingdom of heaven. I never witnessed such a life of trials. They have been sanctified to her. I feel much for her death tho I cannot regret it. It closes for ever my connexion with Strawberry hill.* There is no family in so many branches of which I have found such zealous friends. Lady W herself, her Sister , her Mother , her Uncle , all were singularly attached to me /and my constant correspondents/ I have seen them all go down to the grave – for one Alas! the * I have not ceased to mourn, not on account of his death but his unhappy prejudices against religion, tho they never appeared either in his conversation or letters to me.