W1/6554

Samuel Whitbread II, Nantes, to Elizabeth Grey. Marked no 9.

9 June 1787

From: 1787 To: 1787

My dear Bessy. If the pleasure I experience at the receipt of a letter from You did not give me the strongest & most unequivocal assurance that mine were highly acceptable, I should scarcely venture to sit down so often to claim your attention with uninteresting accounts & frequent repetitions. But as promised I will perform, & meaning to give you satisfaction, must be deemed as meritorious if I fail, as if I suceed. however I am confident eno' to promise myself success altho' I have nothing to tell you but what you already thoroughly know. You have assured me that a confirmation of what is believed cannot come too often; give me leave therefore to tell you that the time I have already spent out of England, & absent from you has served to strengthen & confirm, & to increase if possible every sentiment that I possessed for you, when in England, & in your presence. What those Sentiments were I think you need not be informed; my conduct & actions independent of Words must have sufficiently proved what I thought but as I can with pleasure & truth repeat what I have so frequently said, I will not debar myself that satisfaction: craving first your pardon for tautology I will once more assure you that you hold the highest possible place in my Esteem & Affection, that Time & Absence & reflection all prove to me that place is given to one worthy of it in every sense, & that I have an equal share in Your's :- We left Cherburg on the Tuesday Afternoon, slept that night at Carentain, got the next day to Dol & on Thursday rejoined our Carriage at Kennes. whence we reached this place yesterday Evening. I think myself in some measure accountable to you for my time & that will be my Apology for being so minute in my ration of each day's progress. - The weather is & has been for two or three days past extremely hot, which made our Chaise the more agreable. We did not however at all suffer by our expedition on horseback; if I except Tom Monson's Eyes, the lustre of which is lost for some time; the heat of the Sun & whiteness of the roads having rendered them perfectly crimson. We do not doubt their reestablishment by Michaelmas. whom I am afraid none of Bill Nesfield's friends have met; as it does not appear to hasten it's step. but, chi vanpians, va sans. Patience must be my motto for some time longer. To preach this virtue I find very easy, & to practice it as difficult.- To proceed with my Journal; today we have passed in strolling about Nates, & tomorrow we set off for Bordeaux which we intend arriving at Wednesday. There we stay as long as we can amuse ourselves tolerably.- Fallodon is so far distant from London, & the Post so long going thither & returning with your answers that I hardly know where to desire you to direct that I may be most sure of attaining your letters. I think however once more you may Direct to Bordeaux & I will not leave it till I receive your answer to this. I have heard but twice from you since I left England; my expectations are raised to a large pile of letters chez M. Skinner & Fenwick for I will not even begin to fear that you have not answered most of those I have written to you. Altho' you began to fear I had failed in my promise from Calais. not that I mean to reproach you for this fear; on the contrary it proved an anxiety highly grateful to me. An unfortunate Welsh family of the name of Adams, are the only travellers belonging to our Island that we have met with since we left Tours. I call them unfortunate & I think you will say with reason. they landed at St Malo's on Thursday Morning, Papa, Mama, Master & Miss. the illustrious heir the interpreter for the whole family, Servant included. before they arrived at Kennes on the same Evening, they had been overturned & their carriage very much shattered. How the nerves of the Ladies were affected I do not know, for they arrived at Kennes precisely at (paper missing) in the Evening, & that happened to be the Moment I was going to bed. Earlier even than at Fallodon, & I promise you with much better will.- As soon as I arrive at Bordeaux I will write to you again. I shall be able to speak more positively relative to our future Route. & to give you directions where to direct my letters. I shall also write to you in better spirit for I shall write after having read some of your letters & I cannot in the present circumstances have a better recipe for the dissipation of every mental compliant.- I thank you for your enquiries after my Foot, which I forgot to answer it is quite well. one day to dance if dancing in the company I like were attainable. let me caution you not to lame yourself by dancing too much. my best remembrances attend all the Fallodians. Adieu my dearest Bessy, depend upon me, porty vous bien conserou moi votre amatie, & votre amour, & you will so make happy him who is & will ever remain, most sincerely & affectionately Your's & Your's only S. Whitbread" a scrawl like this from Nantes

item

Whitbread, Samuel II,
Grey, Elizabeth,
Monson, Thomas,
Nesfield, William,
Adams

Cherbourg, Nantes, Bordeaux, travel, road accidents, dancing