LETTER LII
LORD M. TO ROBERT LOVELACE, ESQ.TUESDAY, MAY 23.
It is a long lane that has no turning.--Do not despise me for my proverbs--you know I was always fond of them; and if you had been so too, itwould have been the better for you, let me tell you. I dare swear, thefine lady you are so likely to be soon happy with, will be far fromdespising them; for I am told, that she writes well, and that all herletters are full of sentences. God convert you! for nobody but he andthis lady can.
I have no manner of doubt but that you will marry, as your father, andall your ancestors, did before you: else you would have had no title tobe my heir; nor can your descendants have any title to be your's, unlessthey are legitimate; that's worth your remembrance, Sir!--No man isalways a fool, every man is sometimes.--But your follies, I hope, are nowat an end.
I know, you have vowed revenge against this fine lady's family: but nomore of that, now. You must look upon them all as your relations; andforgive and forget. And when they see you make a good husband and a goodfather, [which God send, for all our sakes!] they will wonder at theirnonsensical antipathy, and beg your pardon: But while they think you avile fellow, and a rake, how can they either love you, or excuse theirdaughter?
And methinks I could wish to give a word of comfort to the lady, who,doubtless, must be under great fears, how she shall be able to hold insuch a wild creature as you have hitherto been. I would hint to her,that by strong arguments, and gentle words, she may do any thing withyou; for though you are apt to be hot, gentle words will cool you, andbring you into the temper that is necessary for your cure.
Would to God, my poor lady, your aunt, who is dead and gone, had been aproper patient for the same remedy! God rest her soul! No reflectionsupon her memory! Worth is best known by want! I know her's now; and ifI had went first, she would by this time have known mine.
There is great wisdom in that saying, God send me a friend, that may tellme of my faults: if not, an enemy, and he will. Not that I am yourenemy; and that you well know. The more noble any one is, the morehumble; so bear with me, if you would be thought noble.--Am I not youruncle? and do I not design to be better to you than your father could be?Nay, I will be your father too, when the happy day comes; since youdesire it: and pray make my compliments to my dear niece; and tell her, Iwonder much that she has so long deferred your happiness.
Pray let her know as that I will present HER (not you) either myLancashire seat or The Lawn in Hertfordshire, and settle upon her athousand pounds a year penny-rents; to show her, that we are not a familyto take base advantages: and you may have writings drawn, and settle asyou will.--Honest Pritchard has the rent-roll of both these estates; andas he has been a good old servant, I recommend him to your lady's favour.I have already consulted him: he will tell you what is best for you, andmost pleasing to me.
I am still very bad with my gout, but will come in a litter, as soon asthe day is fixed; it would be the joy of my heart to join your hands.And, let me tell you, if you do not make the best of husbands to so gooda young lady, and one who has had so much courage for your sake, I willrenounce you; and settle all I can upon her and her's by you, and leaveyou out of the question.
If any thing be wanting for your further security, I am ready to give it;though you know, that my word has always been looked upon as my bond.And when the Harlowes know all this, let us see whether they are able toblush, and take shame to themselves.
Lady Sarah and Lady Betty want only to know the day, to make all thecountry round them blaze, and all their tenants mad. And, if any one ofmine be sober upon the occasion, Pritchard shall eject him. And, on thebirth of the first child, if a son, I will do something more for you, andrepeat all our rejoicings.
I ought indeed to have written sooner. But I knew, that if you thoughtme long, and were in haste as to your nuptials, you would write and tellme so. But my gout was very troublesome: and I am but a slow writer, youknow, at best: for composing is a thing that, though formerly I was veryready at it, (as my Lord Lexington used to say,) yet having left it off agreat while, I am not so now. And I chose, on this occasion, to writeall out of my own hand and memory; and to give you my best advice; for Imay never have such an opportunity again. You have had [God mend you!] astrange way of turning your back upon all I have said: this once, I hope,you will be more attentive to the advice I give you for your own good.
I have still another end; nay, two other ends.
The one was, that now you are upon the borders of wedlock, as I may say,and all your wild oats will be sown, I would give you some instructionsas to your public as well as private behaviour in life; which, intendingyou so much good as I do, you ought to hear; and perhaps would never havelistened to, on any less extraordinary occasion.
The second is, that your dear lady-elect (who is it seems herself so fineand so sententious a writer) will see by this, that it is not our faults,nor for want of the best advice, that you was not a better man than youhave hitherto been.
And now, in a few words, for the conduct I would wish you to follow inpublic, as well as in private, if you would think me worthy of advising.--It shall be short; so be not uneasy.
As to the private life: Love your lady as she deserves. Let your actionspraise you. Be a good husband; and so give the lie to all your enemies;and make them ashamed of their scandals. And let us have pride insaying, that Miss Harlowe has not done either herself or family anydiscredit by coming among us. Do this; and I, and Lady Sarah, and LadyBetty, will love you for ever.
As to your public conduct: This as follows is what I could wish: but Ireckon your lady's wisdom will put us both right--no disparagement, Sir;since, with all your wit, you have not hitherto shown much wisdom, youknow.
Get into parliament as soon as you can: for you have talons to make agreat figure there. Who so proper to assist in making new holding laws,as those whom no law in being could hold?
Then, for so long as you will give attendance in St. Stephen's chapel--its being called a chapel, I hope, will not disgust you: I am sure I haveknown many a riot there--a speaker has a hard time of it! but we peershave more decorum--But what was I going to say?--I must go back.
For so long as you will give your attendance in parliament, for so longwill you be out of mischief; out of private mischief, at least: and maySt. Stephen's fate be your's, if you wilfully do public mischief!
When a new election comes, you will have two or three boroughs, you know,to choose out of:--but if you stay till then, I had rather you were forthe shire.
You will have interest enough, I am sure; and being so handsome a man,the women will make their husbands vote for you.
I shall long to read your speeches. I expect you will speak, if occasionoffer, the very first day. You want no courage, and think highly enoughof yourself, and lowly enough of every body else, to speak on alloccasions.
As to the methods of the house, you have spirit enough, I fear, to be toomuch above them: take care of that.--I don't so much fear your want ofgood-manners. To men, you want no decency, if they don't provoke you: asto that, I wish you would only learn to be as patient of contradictionfrom others, as you would have other people be to you.
Although I would not have you to be a courtier; neither would I have youto be a malcontent. I remember (for I have it down) what my old friendArchibald Hutcheson said; and it was a very good saying--(to Mr.Secretary Craggs, I think it was)--'I look upon an administration, asentitled to every vote I can with good conscience give it; for a house ofcommons should not needlessly put drags upon the wheels of government:and when I have not given it my vote, it was with regret: and, for mycountry's sake, I wished with all my heart the measure had been such as Icould have approved.'
And another saying he had, which was this: 'Neither can an opposition,neither can a ministry, be always wrong. To be a plumb man thereforewith either, is an infallible mark, that that man must mean more andworse than he will own he does mean.'
Are these sayings bad,
Sir? are they to be despised?--Well, then, whyshould I be despised for remembering them, and quoting them, as I love todo? Let me tell you, if you loved my company more than you do, you wouldnot be the worse for it. I may say so without any vanity; since it isother men's wisdom, and not my own, that I am so fond of.
But to add a word or two more on this occasion; and I may never have suchanother; for you must read this through--Love honest men, and herd withthem, in the house and out of the house; by whatever names they bedignified or distinguished: Keep good men company, and you shall be outof their number. But did I, or did I not, write this before?--Writing,at so many different times, and such a quantity, one may forget.
You may come in for the title when I am dead and gone--God help me!--So Iwould have you keep an equilibrium. If once you get the name of being afine speaker, you may have any thing: and, to be sure, you have naturallya great deal of elocution; a tongue that would delude an angel, as thewomen say--to their sorrow, some of them, poor creatures!--A leading manin the house of commons is a very important character; because that househas the giving of money: and money makes the mare to go; ay, and queensand kings too, sometimes, to go in a manner very different from what theymight otherwise choose to go, let me tell you.
However, methinks, I would not have you take a place neither--it willdouble your value, and your interest, if it be believed, that you willnot: for, as you will then stand in no man's way, you will have no envy;but pure sterling respect; and both sides will court you.
For your part, you will not want a place, as some others do, to piece uptheir broken fortunes. If you can now live reputably upon two thousandpounds a year, it will be hard if you cannot hereafter live upon seven oreight--less you will not have, if you oblige me; as now, by marrying sofine a lady, very much you will--and all this, and above Lady Betty's andLady Sarah's favours! What, in the name of wonder, could possiblypossess the proud Harlowes!--That son, that son of theirs!--But, for hisdear sister's sake, I will say no more of him.
I never was offered a place myself: and the only one I would have taken,had I been offered it, was master of the buckhounds; for I loved huntingwhen I was young; and it carries a good sound with it for us who live inthe country. Often have I thought of that excellent old adage; He thateats the king's goose, shall be choked with his feathers. I wish to theLord, this was thoroughly considered by place-hunters! it would be betterfor them, and for their poor families.
I could say a great deal more, and all equally to the purpose. Butreally I am tired; and so I doubt are you. And besides, I would reservesomething for conversation.
My nieces Montague, and Lady Sarah and Lady Betty, join in compliments tomy niece that is to be. If she would choose to have the knot tied amongus, pray tell her that we shall all see it securely done: and we willmake all the country ring and blaze for a week together. But so Ibelieve I said before.
If any thing further may be needful toward promoting your reciprocalfelicity, let me know it; and how you order about the day; and all that.The enclosed bill is very much at your service. 'Tis payable at sight,as whatever else you may have occasion for shall be.
So God bless you both; and make things as convenient to my gout as youcan; though, be it whenever it will, I will hobble to you; for I long tosee you; and still more to see my niece; and am (in expectation of thathappy opportunity)
Your most affectionate UncleM.
Clarissa Harlowe; or the history of a young lady — Volume 4 Page 54
