Letter LXI

Summary

My beloved Lady G.

You will excuse my long Silence, when you are reminded of the Occasions to which it has been owing; for some of them you know; and when you are told the others.

In the first Place, I was oblig’d to pay a dutiful and concerning Visit to Kent, where my good Father was taken ill of a Fever, and my Mother of an Ague: And think, Madam, how this must affect me, from their Time of Life!—O Death! Death! thou mayst knock at the Doors of Tenements so frail, but so beloved: We cannot help ourselves: But we will not let thee in, if we can possibly avoid it; for the Lives of such dear Parents are a Part of my own Life: And, if God see fit, I cannot spare them! Indeed I cannot!

Mr. B. kindly accompany’dme, apprehending, that his beloved Presence would be necessary, if that Recovery of them both, in which I thankfully rejoice, had not taken Effect; especially, as a Circumstance I am, I think, always in, added more Weight to his Apprehensions.

I had hardly return’d from Kent to Bedfordshire, and look’d round, when I was oblig’d to set out to attend Lady Davers, who sent me word, that she should die, that was her strong Term, if she saw me not, to comfort and recover, by my Counsel and Presence, so she was pleas’d to express herself, her sick Lord, who was just got out of an intermittent Fever, which left him without any Spirits, and was occasion’d by fretting at the Conduct of her stupid Nephew, those also were her Words.

For you must have heard, (Every-body hears when a Man of Quality does a foolish Thing!) and it has been in all the News-papers, That—‘On Wednesday last the Right Honourable John (Jackey, they should have said) Lord H. Nephew to the Right Honourable William Lord Davers, was marry’d to the Honourable Mrs. P. Relict of J. P. of Twickenham, Esq; a Lady of celebrated Beauty, and ample Fortune.’