Wordsworth, Dora (1804-1847). - Letter, from Rydal Mount, to Edward Quillinan (1791-1851), at 12 Bryanton Street, Portman Square, dated 30 December 1828. WLL / Wordsworth, Dora / 1 / 17

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Not to be read till time and attention can be given to the important contents.

Rydal Mount

Der 30th 1828.

Miss Dora Wordsworth along with other members of the Family at Rydal Mount rejoice to find that it is Mr Quillinans intention to procure a Wig. This Covering they sincerely hope will produce the same effect on his head as wither'd Leaves on a [Kail] Bed. The Brain which for some Months past appears to have been in a torpid state will by this means revive and bring forth Fruit.

May be the eyes are declining - if so by applying to Geor. Miller in all probability he will be able to put Mr Quillinan in the way of providing himself with a [gross] of Spectacles at a more moderate rate than the St James' St. Wig - It appears from the Memoirs of this distinguished Officer that the Inhabitants of Lima who

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are not fellow Sufferer's with Mr Q: but retain their eye-sight unimpair'd to an advanced age - have the above Article forced upon them from the old World in great numbers - doubtless then they may be had in that City "at small expense" - Or it may be the Man of Ton, the Man of Letters, the Man Of Business, and the Sportsman are Characters too numerous and too widely opposed to be concentrated in one Individual, though that Individual be Mr Quillinan -

But nonsense aside my dear Sir you must admit you are the inattentive Person. In your letter of the 26th Der. you say "If I were near you I think I should be inclined to scold Mr Wordsworth for his inattention to me in regard to a request that I made him about Mr Rogers seconding my nomination to

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the Atheneum about which I have never heard a syllable since."

We left a note for you in Bryanston St. informing you that Mr. Rogers was out of Town, but that my Father had written to him to remind him of your wish which had been named to him before - This is once you might have heard a "syllable'' about it. Then in a letter to my Father, from Edinburgh, (as if this note had never been written) you tell him he has neglected or forgotten your request - In this letter my Father returned an immediate answer which at yr. desire was directed to Bryanston St. whence it was forwarded to you at Sir somebody's where you were fallandering away we know not how long tho' you had previously informed us that pressing

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business required your presence in Town so that not one day could be given to R. Mt. To this letter at my Father's request I added a P.S. which P.S. informed you for the second time that Mr Rogers had been applied to - but no answer received - and thus the matter now stands - And now Confess - Are not your brains torpid? Or eyes dim? Or having so many Characters to support & consequently so much to think about one concern put another out of your Head? -

Before we condemn Mr Rogers let us remember he has a perfect letter-phobia which we doubt not is the sole cause of his not answering the note - He ought to have put the Name down & for this there is no better excuse than procrastination & idleness - And my Father desires me to say

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if you chuse to pay Mr Rogers the Compt. of a third application he will gladly make it -

We were truly sorry to find you were prevented from going into Derbyshire - & doubly so for the cause - poor Darling Mima, it is a tedious disagreeable & unbecoming malady but no small comfort, to know, not dangerous. A grievous disappointment to the dear Whitwickers who have been looking forward to a peep at you with so much pleasure. Aunt Wordsworth will really be inclined to think the Fates have decreed that you & she are never to meet again - We all quite mourn for this their sad disappointment. I wished you to see Brother John in his retired curacy

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where he is so happy - so much liked and so much respected. To have heard him in the reading desk & Pulpit. I do think him such a Tidy clergyman Forgive a bit of sisterly vanity - Now I will look forward to your visiting him when invested with his Rectorial dignities at Moresby. Impudent as I am I dare not say a word about my Child's coming to Rydal till you have quite forgotten this sauciest of all saucy letters - but I will promise to rein in all my sauciness if you will but let us have her a wee bit -

You are quite right - there is no good picture of my Father - Phillips more than once begged him to sit to him - but not liking his manner he declined - Jackson is

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the Artist he would prefer should he ever sit for his likeness which I fear is not probable. Those persons who are interested in him, must be content with the Bust.

We have good accounts from Aunt Sara - all friends well in Herefordshire. Our small party I suppose will ere long become smaller. My Father is desirous of sending Willy for two years to a private Tutor in Germany - & a Friend is now in correspondence for him, with a Mr Papendick British vice Consul at Bremen -, this gentleman takes two or three young Men who are on the same footing as his own family, Daddy wishes if possible to get Willy into a public Office - & if he succeed the German & French languages,

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which he may learn at Bremen in half the time & with half the trouble that wd be required in England at the same time he is going on with his Latin & Greek - will be of great use to him -

Father Mother & Aunt Joanna desire their kind remembrances - And hoping you will not quite annihilate me I remain your affectionate, tho' saucy yet half penitent - Dora Wordsworth. but I must tell you a little more of your mudling. The letter which informed you of the wine money, was from Mrs Wordsworth not "Mr" as you will have it -

Your last letter was directed to Mr Wordsworth Esqre. Rydal Mount Ambleside Westmoreland - now

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you know very well that Rydal Mount Kendal is quite enough, & that Westmoreland is quite wrong - this being added frequently causes a days delay as the letter is sent to Appleby - then this letter which is directed to Mr Wordsworth Esqre. - begins my dear Mrs Wordsworth -

I wish you had sent us the 7. "Triad" - the best of all - we have not yet seen it in print, indeed we have not seen it at all since we were in London - we have no copy in the house. There is a keepsake for us on the road but it is long in making its appearance. Did you write in the Bijou or any of these Annuals -? Pray tell us - that we may beg a sight of the Vol: from some of our rich neighbours - My Father is subscriber to a book club in Ambleside. what think you of the march of Intellect in this northern clime - ? exceedingly interested in the book we are now reading - Geor. Miller's - the Worst is we are only allowed seven days for a Vol: which makes it a hurry scurrying business & we can only half enjoy an interesting book when we have it -

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It does not suit our Poet at all when he is at work he cannot read - so he has petitioned to be allowed to keep the book beyond the time & pay his fine. He has just finished another Poem of 37 lines - Composed nearly a thousand lines in the last six or seven weeks - pretty well for a Man in his 59th year -

Love to the Darlings - Not a little pleased to read that Mr Stacey has pleased to remove his odious self from your presence. We think Mr Robinson must be out of Town - my Father written to him twice & no answer - Is he gone out of England again? This we half fancy. I heard of Elizabeth Cookson, the other night; dancing away at a public ball, the gayest of the gay & the bonniest of the bonny I doubt not -

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This letter has been waiting for a frank since the 30th of last month - & I dare say you will think I would have done well to kept [sic] it in my desk for ever - & I am much of the same opinion - We have heard from Mr Robinson -

Poor Daddy met with an extraordinary & ugly accident yesterday He was on the Mount with Lord de Tabley his brother, Mr Jackson & Willy, was running down from the first mount to the second when his toe some how or other caught in the turf - & he was thrown headlong down to the very bottom just grazing the second mount with one foot - he fell like a log of wood - having one hand in his breast & the other in his Trowser's pocket he had no power of balancing or saving himself - there is rather a deep cut at the top of his nose, a good deal bruised about the left eye & the muscle of the neck strained the voice altered, he speaks as if he had a cold & Mr Carr fears his natural tone will not return - He [[?]] kicking about better than any

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I know - he is not any ware in himsel. We have great cause for thankfulness had he been thrown a yard further his head must have been dashed against the rough stone wall & with the violence he went he must have been killed on the spot - the leathern front of his Cap which he wore was broken in two as if it had been a piece of eastern ware or any other brittle substance

Rydal Mount

Jany- 8th 1829.

Edward Quillinan Esq.

12 Bryanston St.

Portman Square

<Answd. May 30 - 1829>

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Object summary: WLL / Wordsworth, Dora / 1 / 17