Wordsworth, Mary (1770-1859). - Letter, from an unstated address, to Edward Quillinan (1791-1851), at Lee Priory, near Wingham, Kent, dated 29 November 1822 (year from postmark). WLL / Wordsworth, Mary / 1 / 49.

<Nov. 29 1822>

(Altered by omission only chiefly) The good, the kind, the lovely & the meek, Might have fit Epitaph could feelings speak. If words could tell & monuments record How treasures lost are by the heart deplored, No name by grief's fond eloquence adorned More than Jemima's would be prais'd & mourn'd. The tender virtues of her blameless life Bright in the Daughter, brighter in the Wife, And in the chearful Mother brightest shone; That light hath past to heaven the will of God be done!

The above is harmonious & tender, but we think it not sufficiently particular; & submit the following additions, & slight alterations to your judgment, without any opinion of our own.

In the Burial ground of this Church, are deposited the Remains of Jemima Anne Deborah, second daughter of Sir Egerton Brydges, of Lee Priory Kent, Bart: She departed this life at Rydal May 25th. 1822 Aged 28 years. This Memorial is erected by her afflicted Husband Edward Quillinan.

These vales were saddened with no common gloom When good Jemima perished in her bloom; When (such the aweful will of Heaven) she died By flames breathed on her from by her own fire-side. On Earth we dimly see, and but in part We know, yet Faith sustains the sorrowing heart; And She, the pure, the patient, & the meek, Might have fit Epitaph could feelings speak; If words could tell, and monuments record, How treasures lost, are inwardly deplored, No name by grief's fond eloquence adorned, More than Jemima's would be praised and mourned; The tender virtues of her blameless life, Bright in the Daughter, brighter in the Wife, And in the cheerful Mother brightest shone; That light hath pass'd away- the will of God be done!

We are doubtful of the propriety of dwelling upon personal beauty in an Epitaph, therefore have had less scruple to displace the word "lovely"- patient being so very appropriate & here quite necessary to bind together the composition.

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Novr. 29th <1822>

My dear Friend

It is a great satisfaction to me to be able to transmit to you the alterations on the other side which William without much trouble made last night- I am certain, on this occasion two heads are better than one-for unless the work had been cast by yourself W. would have been bewildered, & have found it great difficult to satisfy himself- the extreme delicacy & sweetness of the subject, made him fearful of touching upon it.- The little darling God daughter will not be forgotten by the Poet in some happy moment.

We think that the Marble had much better be executed in London under your or Capt. Barrats superintendance- we could do nothing with it here unless a model were sent from you- &, it will be more expeditiously done also, in Town.

I am thankful to tell you that our dear Willy iam continues to recover- he has got upon his Poney again has regained his appetite & is in excellent spirits- but it will be some time before his strenght or healthy looks return I fear- the season being so much against his being fearlessly exposed to the fresh air- & we dare not trust the use of the Poney to his own discretion- his poor anxious father always walks by his side. We erred before in allowing him to take too severe exercise. Your last delightful letter was such a treat to him! The account of dear Mima & her Poney & Gig- & Rotha &c occupied his thoughts for a long time- indeed he thinks so much about them & imitates Mima's sweet prattle so continually that we are often forced to check him lest he become a Baby again himself.- We have excellent accts from Stockton Doro is quite well & we shall be looking for her and her Aunt at home in a few weeks.

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My Sister I believe replied to all the points in your nice letter- the closing promise in it that you would be "less brief another time" will I hope be literally attended to - the only fault of it was, that I was sorry when I reached the end of it. I read the latter part of what you said of Mr Barber to himself viz "that in spite of his Anti Radicalism & his Anti [[?]] he was a great favourite with you" which not a little delighted him - for he has always observed when I delivered a message in a general way from you, upon his asking (as he always does with great interest) after you & yours, that he did not think much of being indiscriminate remembrances. Poor Man he is nearly sick of solitude, & when he loses the Campbells whom we like much & the Fair Quakers who have passed the Summer at Tail end, I think he will run away also. [True] Sarah will be coming to comfort him, but she talks of going to London, so her time will not be long.

About Christmas, you may expect to hear from my Sister on matters of business- she promised this earlier, but she finds small bills are not so speedily settled- The wine all lies snug in Bond at Whitehaven our Cellars are not fit to receive it on account of the Repairs that are going on in the house & Mr Gee's none arrival keeps the business of appropriation undecided. The Gees are undetermined whether they spend the Christmas holidays in the South or at Ambleside- But Wm's debt to you is on acct.

I am sorry we shall see no more from the Lee Press- I hope you have secured printed copies of the sweet Poems you sent me from the Continent - yet I am almost selfish enough, on second thoughts, to hope that they are to remain in MS - for the present at least - such subjects, to my feelings lose much of their sanctity when copies are multiplied- this, in MS. cannot be to any extent. - You may rely upon it, if any of us are in London

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when you are at Lee, that we shall contrive to visit you & your Darlings at that fine Place- I should like much to see it for its own sake independantly of so many interesting associations & not to speak of its present inducements.

We were glad to hear of Egerton B. but we do hope, & the news to day encourages the hope, that Scarlet will not come in, notwithstanding his asssurances to the contrary. Did my Sister tell you that the Coachman at the Hall died of Apoplexy a short time ago- Mr Blakeney is dead also- & Fox Ghyll may be purchased- yet it is not publickly offered for sale.

The Seer continues in close retirement.

Wm has just stept in, & he bids me add, that he thinks, that Birth & personal beauty may be managed with less shock to the feelings of introduced into an Epitaph with less objection when it is composed in the latin language which seems to remove the composition farther from the pressure of our perishable mortal nature- He, & all beg our best love & tenderest regard to the Darlings- ever yours M Wordsworth

let us hear from you soon (writing at 90 degrees)

<Give Mima and Oto [[-?-]] each a kiss for me. W.W. Junr.>

To

Edward Quillinan Esqre

Lee Priory

near Wingham

Kent

Single hand.mw1

<1822 Rydal Mount Decr., 22 Jemima's Epitaph>

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Object summary: WLL / Wordsworth, Mary / 1 / 49