Bedfordshire Archives Service Catalogue
  • Reference
    W1/6596
  • Title
    Samuel Whitbread II, London, to Elizabeth Grey. Marked no 13
  • Date free text
    20 December 1787
  • Production date
    From: 1787 To: 1787
  • Scope and Content
    Bess, Bess, my dear dear Bess When I wrote to you on Tuesday I was in so great a hurry that I scarcely know what I said. I had scarcely had time to give your letter a second reading, which had I done I probably should not have answered it in so good spirits, as I perceive, or think I perceive that You Yourself were not quite so high as in your two preceding Epistles. a call upon Charles Yesterday unravelled the Mystery, & proved to me that my conjectures were not ill formed. Something in the Bargain displeased your Father. & that of course had an Effect upon You. I am sorry for it, particulary as I am in this instance the person to blame & my stupidity inattention, want of comprehension, or whatever else You please to call it has occasioned some slight uneasiness. However I have written to your Father to day & stated the whole matter precisely as it was, & hope that he will not suffer it to dwell upon his Mind, as an act of my Father's. It is upon my honour my stupidity that occasioned the Mistake for which I hope I shall be forgiven.- Thank You my dearest Bess, & dearest Friend, for receiving so much satisfaction from a knowledge of my Mind being at peace. It is I assure You in a very different state from what it has been. almost ever since I loved You. I love You better than ever, but I have the additional comfort of knowing that there is now no possible Impediment to our Union. My Father does behave extremely well now, & will I am confident continue to do so, as he sees the good effect it has on his Son & all his Family. He is vastly anxious that I should fix on a house which I have yet done. Dr Stevens's I have entirely given up as too small. Fifty I have seen since & one in Wimpole Street which I saw this Morning will I think suit Us. but I will not bore You any more about any species of business, You shall have as comfortable a House as I can get & ready before I leave London. Punch my self & Lee dined together Yesterday, the consequence I must leave to my Confesseress to guess. We did not part till about 1/2 past 12 but were by no means beasts. only elated. the Evening had very near ended in great merriment at my Expence. & it is neither Punch's nor Lee's fault that I did not sleep in the Watch house. for as we were walking home they proposed something that I did not & would not agree to, upon which they called the Watch & charged him with me for an attempt to murder, to which they swore most gravely & peremptorily. I ran away, the Watchman after me with his Rattle, & there was a Chace(sic) all up Picadilly after me of all the Watchman in the Neighbourhood. their Rattles going to stop the Murderer. I however luckily outran them & house myself safe in my Hotel in Albermale Street. Just now in Gray's Shop I met Lady Glyn who with a how do You do of surprize said the last time I heard of You was in the World which placed You in Northumberland. I said I had been returned about a Month. Pray said she very significantly was Lr Erroll there when You were. I replied I had seen him, & that he was now at Fallodon; & do You return' said She. I replied in January. Oh! I hear by Charles that your Noble Visitor continues with You till the Middle of that Month. I hope his stay will not be protracted to see You & Me married. After that ceremony is over I shall be extremely happy & desirous of seeing him him & cultivating his acquaintance, but immediately at that Moment I should not wish to have any body by who must in his heart wish me dead. I trust also that You do attend to my constant prayer which I here repeat that You will avow me, & not leave him the uncontradicated credit of having supplanted me in your Affections. I know how little Influence report has upon fact, but I do love You so very very dearly as to wish if it were possible that no one should ever think there was a probability of our Union being interrupted. Happy I am but completely so I shall not be till I see You & Fallodon once More. Think Bess (what a luxurious thought) We have taken leave for the last time & have only a happy meeting to experience. no parting. Oh Dio. & may you live long, & may the endeavours I shall exert to make You happy be crowned with success. the first I ensure, & I hope the latter will follow. nay it shall, it must. My Father observed the other day that he was happy to think his Son was going to be married to a Woman of good sense, as well as good figure.- I am to dine with the Baronet today so have only time to conclude my letter with my most fervent prayer that God may bless my dear dear dear dear dearest Bess, that she will continue to love me as well as she does now, that she will write to me, avow me & believe one who is from the bottom of his Soul most sincerely & most affectionately Her's & only Bess's. S. Whitbread My Father & Sister's best Compts. to all. Mary's love, & Compts. to her friend Sr. Charles to whom little Mary holds herself much obliged by his good opinion. I have hired my Cook & House Maid, & very near a Coachman. I go to Bedwell Saturday, & Stay Xmas day over. I carry Mary. "
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