Abbildungen der Seite
PDF
EPUB

LETTERS.

VOL. II.

R

THE Parents of Sir John Moore had the habit of preserving

many of the letters of their family. From this collection, the following specimens are selected to illustrate the character of the General.

LETTER S.

FROM Dr. Moore to Mrs. Moore, on going abroad with the Duke of Hamilton; John Moore, then a boy, accompanying them :-·

6

[ocr errors]

'Calais, April 17th, 1772.

'My dear Jane,-I wrote to you, from Dover, that the wind would not allow us to pass over on the 15th; yet it changed a

little in our favour, and we got here that

night late. I found Jane' (his only daughter, who was educated in a convent at Calais) ' in good health. She speaks French with

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

'much facility, and is improved in many re

spects. Upon reflecting fully upon every

thing, I thought the best thing I could do

'was to send her immediately to London, ' and thence to Glasgow.

Madame

' and Monsieur Mollien have taken infinite 'pains with Jane, and shown her much kind'ness, as have, also, many families in this 'place. I hope she will prove 'a comfort and an amusement to you in your 'present situation, and may save you much

[ocr errors][ocr errors]

trouble; and I believe she will, for she has the best disposition in the world.

[ocr errors]

'We did not see her till the morning after 'we came; she came into Dessein's (inn) 'while we were at breakfast. I had been 'with her early in the morning, but had not ' mentioned Johnie. After the Duke of Ha'milton and Colonel Livingston had saluted her, she began to eye Jack. However, the • Duke kept her in conversation on purpose, though she still fixed her eyes on Jack. 'At length she said, with emotion, " Papa, 'Papa! who is that?" "He is a young 'boy, a page of my Lord Duke." "Good 'Heavens! how much he resembles my 'brother Jack." "Yes," (coldly,) "there is a ' resemblance." Then, turning to the Duke, she said, "I beg pardon, my Lord, but your

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

young page has a striking likeness to my ' eldest brother."

Upon this Jack fell a

laughing, and so did we all. "Then I "I believe he is my

[ocr errors]

declare," says she,

[ocr errors]

'brother;" and running to Jack, Come, sir, you shall tell me,-Are you not my 'brother? Is not that your Papa?" "No;" 'cries Johnnie, with harshness. "Yet," says she, in French, "he had your brusque man

6

6

6

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

ner. And so, upon my changing the dis

course, she was convinced he was not her

brother, and she apologised to the Duke for the freedom she had used with his page.

In twenty minutes after we told her who 'Jack was; and then there was a fine kissing

[ocr errors][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][ocr errors][ocr errors]

scene: she took him out of the room with

her, and they have been constantly together for these two days. She is now preparing everything for her voyage to-morrow.

'God Almighty bless you, my dear Jane." This charming young Duke fills me with inquietude; God grant my fears for his health may be groundless, and I hope they

will. This day I shall write my thoughts

« ZurückWeiter »