LETTER XII
MR. BELFORD, TO ROBERT LOVELACE, ESQ.FRIDAY NIGHT, SEPT. 8, PAST TEN.
I will now take up the account of our proceedings from my letter of lastnight, which contained the dying words of this incomparable lady.
As soon as we had seen the last scene closed (so blessedly for herself!)we left the body to the care of the good women, who, according to theorders she had given them that very night, removed her into that lasthouse which she had displayed so much fortitude in providing.
In the morning, between seven and eight o'clock, according toappointment, the Colonel came to me here. He was very much indisposed.We went together, accompanied by Mrs. Lovick and Mrs. Smith, into thedeceased's chamber. We could not help taking a view of the lovelycorpse, and admiring the charming serenity of her noble aspect. Thewomen declared they never say death so lovely before; and that she lookedas if in an easy slumber, the colour having not quite left her cheeks andlips.
I unlocked the drawer, in which (as I mentioned in a former*) she haddeposited her papers. I told you in mine of Monday last, that she hadthe night before sealed up, with three black seals, a parcel inscribed,As soon as I am certainly dead, this to be broke open by Mr. Belford. Iaccused myself for not having done it over-night. But really I was thenincapable of any thing.
* See Vol. VIII. Letter LVII.
I broke it open accordingly, and found in it no less than eleven letters,each sealed with her own seal, and black wax, one of which was directedto me.
I will enclose a copy of it.
TO JOHN BELFORD, ESQ.SUNDAY EVENING, SEPT. 3.
SIR,
I take this last and solemn occasion to repeat to you my thanks for allyour kindness to me at a time when I most needed countenance andprotection.
A few considerations I beg leave, as now at your perusal of this, fromthe dead, to press upon you, with all the warmth of a sincere friendship.
By the time you will see this, you will have had an instance, I humblytrust, of the comfortable importance of a pacified conscience, in thelast hours of one, who, to the last hour, will wish your eternal welfare.
The great Duke of Luxemburgh, as I have heard, on his death-bed,declared, that he would then much rather have had it to reflect upon,that he had administered a cup of cold water to a worthy poor creature indistress, than that he had won so many battles as he had triumphed for.And, as one well observes, All the sentiments of worldly grandeur vanishat that unavoidable moment which decides the destiny of men.
If then, Sir, at the tremendous hour it be thus with the conquerors ofarmies, and the subduers of nations, let me in a very few words (many arenot needed,) ask, What, at that period, must be the reflection of those,(if capable of reflection,) who have lived a life of sense and offence;whose study and whose pride most ingloriously have been to seduce theinnocent, and to ruin the weak, the unguarded, and the friendless; madestill more friendless by their base seductions?--O Mr. Belford, weigh,ponder, and reflect upon it, now that, in health, and in vigour of mindand body, the reflections will most avail you--what an ungrateful, whatan unmanly, what a meaner than reptile pride is this!
In the next place, Sir, let me beg of you, for my sake, who AM, or, asnow you will best read it, have been, driven to the necessity of applyingto you to be the executor of my will, that you will bear, according tothat generosity which I think to be in you, with all my friends, andparticularly with my brother, (who is really a worthy young man, butperhaps a little too headstrong in his first resentments and conceptionsof things,) if any thing, by reason of this trust, should fall outdisagreeably; and that you will study to make peace, and to reconcile allparties; and more especially, that you, who seem to have a greatinfluence upon your still-more headstrong friend, will interpose, ifoccasion be, to prevent farther mischief--for surely, Sir, that violentspirit may sit down satisfied with the evils he has already wrought; and,particularly, with the wrongs, the heinous and ignoble wrongs, he has inme done to my family, wounded in the tenderest part of its honour.
For your compliance with this request I have already your repeatedpromise. I claim the observance of it, therefore, as a debt from you:and though I hope I need not doubt it, yet was I willing, on this solemn,this last occasion, thus earnestly to re-inforce it.
I have another request to make to you; it is only, that you will bepleased, by a particular messenger, to forward the enclosed letters asdirected.
And now, Sir, having the presumption to think that an useful member islost to society by means of the unhappy step which has brought my life sosoon to its period, let me hope that I may be an humble instrument, inthe hands of Providence, to reform a man of your abilities; and then Ishall think that loss will be more abundantly repaired to the world,while it will be, by God's goodness, my gain; and I shall have thisfarther hope, that once more I shall have an opportunity in a blessedeternity to thank you, as I now repeatedly do, for the good you have doneto, and the trouble you will have taken for, Sir,
Your obliged servant,CLARISSA HARLOWE.
***
The other letters are directed to her father, to her mother, one to hertwo uncles, to her brother, to her sister, to her aunt Hervey, to hercousin Morden, to Miss Howe, to Mrs. Norton, and lastly one to you, inperformance of her promise, that a letter should be sent you when shearrived at her father's house!----I will withhold this last till I canbe assured that you will be fitter to receive it than Tourville tells meyou are at present.
Copies of all these are sealed up, and entitled, Copies of my tenposthumous letters, for J. Belford, Esq.; and put in among the bundle ofpapers left to my direction, which I have not yet had leisure to open.
No wonder, while able, that she was always writing, since thus only oflate could she employ that time, which heretofore, from the long days shemade, caused so many beautiful works to spring from her fingers. It ismy opinion, that there never was a woman so young, who wrote so much, andwith such celerity. Her thoughts keeping pace, as I have seen, with herpen, she hardly ever stopped or hesitated; and very seldom blotted out,or altered. It was a natural talent she was mistress of, among manyother extraordinary ones. I gave the Colonel his letter, and orderedHarry instantly to get ready to carry the others. Mean time (retiringinto the next apartment) we opened the will. We were both so muchaffected in perusing it, that at one time the Colonel, breaking off, gaveit to me to read on; at another I gave it back to him to proceed with;neither of us being able to read it through without such tokens ofsensibility as affected the voice of each.
Mrs. Lovick, Mrs. Smith, and her nurse, were still more touched, when weread those articles in which they are respectively remembered: but I willavoid mentioning the particulars, (except in what relates to the threadof my narration,) as in proper time I shall send you a copy of it.
The Colonel told me, he was ready to account with me for the money andbills brought up from Harlowe-place; which would enable me, as he said,directly to execute the legacy parts of the will; and he would needs atthe instant force into my hands a paper relating to that subject. I putit into my pocket-book, without looking into it; telling him, that as Ihoped he would do all in his power to promote a literal performance ofthe will, I must beg his advice and assistance in the execution of it.
Her request to be buried with her ancestors, made a letter of thefollowing import necessary, which I prevailed upon the Colonel to write;being unwilling myself (so early at least,) to appear officious in theeye of a family which probably wishes not any communication with me.
TO JAMES HARLOWE, JUN. ESQ.
SIR,
The letter which the bearer of this brings with him, will, I presume,make it unnecessary to acquaint you and my cousins with the death of themost excellent of women. But I am requested by her executor, who willsoon send you a copy of her last will, to acquaint her father (which Ichoose to do by your means,) that in it she earnestly desires to be laidin the family-vault, at the feet of her grandfather.
If her father will not admit of i
t, she has directed her body to beburied in the church-yard of the parish where she died.
I need not tell you, that a speedy answer to this is necessary.
Her beatification commenced yesterday afternoon, exactly at forty minutesafter six.
I can write no more, than that I am
Your's, &c.WM. MORDEN.
FRIDAY MORN. SEPT. 8.
By the time this was written, and by the Colonel's leave transcribed,Harry was booted and spurred, his horse at the door; and I delivered himthe letters to the family, with those to Mrs. Norton and Miss Howe,(eight in all,) together with the above of the Colonel to Mr. JamesHarlowe; and gave him orders to use the utmost dispatch with them.
The Colonel and I have bespoke mourning for our selves and servants.