Grant, Charmile March Phillips
Hannah More to Marianne Sykes Thornton, April 5th 1809
Charemile and &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 Charemile 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. –
Hannah More to Marianne Thornton, 3 July 1826
I am in your /debt/ for two letters, on topics most essentially different, but each deeply excellent and interesting in its way. That which contained the Saints Journal* /of/ the first week in May /was/ not only delightful to myself but was a treat conferred on as many of my numberless visitors as I thought worthy of such a banquet. The last, Alas! what shall I say to the last? Dear tormented Charmile!* I have cordially joined in the heartach of the mourning family. She was not only the favorite but the idol of so many who were able to appreciate her talents, her principles and her various powers of pleasing. The wounds of her doating brothers* and * will not soon be healed, I am glad I saw the latter when he came to fetch his incomparable Wife. It is a painful pleasure that she so lately spent a fortnight with me after a separation of so many years. Poor dear little *. I assure /you/ I was not the only one who shed tears at her remarks. Poor dear Child! she was always writing Sermons or Verses at me when she was here. I do not stand in need of the Memento on the Table before me, but I am glad I admired her work basket which she gave me, and when I want /it/ I always say fetch me my Charmile!