Bedfordshire Archives Service Catalogue
  • Reference
    W1/6564
  • Title
    Samuel Whitbread II, Geneva, to Elizabeth Grey. Marked no 19.
  • Date free text
    17 July 1787
  • Production date
    From: 1787 To: 1787
  • Scope and Content
    My dear Bessy You will be surprized at so soon receiving another letter dated from Geneva; but the arrival of a letter from Punch yesterday, has little altered our plan, & as we shall not return here from Chamonni, I must trouble you once more before we depart for our Mountain Expedition, as it will be probably ten or twelve days before I arrive at any place which can afford a Courier to take another letter to You.- I must first begin with the Eulogium of my friend [William Nesfield, see W1/6554], who altho' he has it not in his power to join our party, assigns reasons so prudential & so good in themselves for denying us the pleasure of his company, that whilst we regret his absence we cannot but highly applaud the motives that induce him to spend the Summer in Ireland rather than with Us. He says that immediately upon the discovery of the Omission in one of his Terms, he wrote to his Father to inform him of it, & at the same time said that he should follow him to Ireland as soon as he had taken his Master of Arts degree at Cambridge. the smallest breach of Promise or Appearance of Neglect he holds to be unpardonable after his Father's very liberal behaviour to him; he therefore prefers his duty, to his pleasure, & resists the temptation of joining our party in Switzerland. I sincerely regret, for his sake, as well as our own that he cannot join us, but feel a considerable share of pleasure & triumph in the motives that prevent him from coming to Geneva, & I shall keep his letter (perhaps frame it) as a perpetual memorial of his being really possessed of that prudence, I have so often asserted that he was Master of.- I think, you & the whole Fallodon Family will join with me in his commendation, & allow that he has considerable merit in this self denial.- Monson & myself shall now wander over the Alps without any addition to our society, at least without any permanent one; for we shall from time to time meet with detachments from the numerous congregation of English here. You will be the constant companion of my steps; my heart, my thoughts, my happiness are wrapt up in you.- We take horses from hence for our expedition, & send one of our Servants to Basle with our Carriage to wait our arrival. Our time at Geneva has been spent neither unpleasantly nor pleasantly; & I shall quit it without regret. but I may fairly be reckoned an incompetent Judge; for at the distance I am from you it is impossible that anything should thoroughly please me.- The Gentlemen have had another day of racing, & altho' there were two falls in the course of the morning, the ardor for the amusement does not appear in the least diminished, & next Monday is named for the third day's sport. The Duke & Dutchess of Gloucester were present & entered much into the spirit of the thing. Ld. Craven & his daughters & Son are arrived since I wrote. We employed Sunday in riding to the top of the Grande Saleu a Mountain that overhangs Geneva & from which we commanded a most extensive & beautiful view of the Lake & it's environs on the one hand, & of Mont Blanc & a chain of Alps on the other. About halfway up we passed thro' a little Village, part of which had been lately burnt to the Ground; an old Woman, who had suffered as severely as any of the Village, by this Calamity offered us some milk as we went by, which we accepted. during the time that we stopped, she gave us an account of her misfortune. She was gone to Geneva, she said, when the fire broke out. so that she had no opportunity of saving any thing from the flames; Mais Gracis au bon Dieu she added, qui dans tout mon en alheur m'a conserve ma pauvre petite Vachi? I was forcibly struck with the simplicity & Gratitude, I may add Philosophy of this exclamation, which showed that the little good preponderated in her mind against so much evil & I thought that independent of the Beauty of the Prospect I had by no means lost my time - by going up the Mountain.- Altho' I lay claim to a very great share of merit in submitting with so much patience & so little complaint to an absence which bears to heavy upon me I find upon reflection that it bears but a very small proportion to the Happiness that must attend the expiration of this period & that instead of lamenting what I cannot but consider as a Misfortune; the distance; & length of time that I pass from you; I ought to exult in the Idea that (the) Weeks will bring me to your presence, & render m(e) completely happy. Oh Bessy, do you feel as anxio(us about) my return, as I do? If you do, I will submit to (having?) the appointed time put at a still greater distance, for that Idea is in itself almost perfect Happiness. Having myself so thoroughly seen all Switzerland, I shall be entirely at Monson's disposal & our Tour will be protracted, or shortened, as he shall find the country exceed or fall short of his expectations. I must restrain the impatience I shall feel to arrive at Strasbourg & receive your letters. the one that I am to have (at) Zurich will increase that Impatience, because I fear that will upbraid me; & that but too justly; & I shall be unhappy till I meet with the forgiveness. I take pen, ink & paper with me, & shall not omit any opportunity of giving you infomation of our proceedings. You will continue to direct to Francfort. Remember me to all your Family; tell Charles that I have bought the Books that he desired me to purchase for him.- Is it true that Sr. R. Jebb is dead? what will Sir H- do? or will he not be a great deal better for the loss of his Physician?- Adieu, my dearest Bessy. Adieu depend upon me. for I am, & shall ever remain most sincerely & affectionately Your's & Your's only. S.Whitbread I hope I shall meet the purse at Francfort. Adieu."
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