Volume 1

Memoirs of the Lady Hester Stanhope, as related by herself in conversations with her physician : comprising her opinions and anecdotes of some of the most remarkable persons of her time.

  • Meryon, Charles Lewis, 1783-1877.
Date:
1846
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Memoirs of the Lady Hester Stanhope, as related by herself in conversations with her physician : comprising her opinions and anecdotes of some of the most remarkable persons of her time. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by Royal College of Physicians, London. The original may be consulted at Royal College of Physicians, London.

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    advantage of a man’s circumstances, to have made him act against his inclination.1 I have no right to demand permanent sacrifices of you or others. The time will come when you will see with deep regret whether or not I had taken into consideration your interests as well as my own present convenience. I was surprised at your offer, so often repeated, and less surprised at your conduct; as a doubt often had occurred in my own mind, if tempta- tions of any kind happened to be thrown in your way, whether or not you would have strength of mind to refuse present advantage and comfort. You have acted as you judged best, and as you thought circum- stances authorized you to do ; but you never can per- suade me that General Grenville, the soul of honour and feeling, could ever have recommended a man to break his word. Had you simply asked him, before you had made up your mind, “ Shall I keep my word and go, or accept of those offers ? Give me, I do en- treat, your candid opinion I know what it would have been. But, having decided, what would you have him say ? that I should be angry ? No: he knew me too well not to be aware that no sacrifice, 1 In justice to the honourable individual here alluded to, it is necessary to state that he was wholly ignorant of the corre- spondence going on between Lady Hester Stanhope and my- self.