1792

Thomas Beddoes to Davies Giddy, 9 January [1792]

9 Jan^y

Dear Giddy

We who are called upon to consider so many of its phases ought to know more than other people about this diversified nature of ours. Opportunities, I am sure, we have in abundance, though I know not if many of us turn them to much advantage: yet I have often been led to think that if the giver of all good gifts had bestowed upon physicians, or if they were at pains to acquire, a quick discernment of character as well as of complaints, it w^d not a little avail both themselves & their patients. This reflection has been just suggested to me (& it has often arisen in similar situations) by a case in which I want nothing but the means of regulating the temper. A girl in this neighbourhood marries a wealthy adventurer from Hindostan you can easily conceive how briskly her ideas w^d mantle up into her head, when sudden affluence opened before her the prospect of unruffled happiness. In all probability she was not aware of a certain unpleasant truth, viz, that the power of riches is always terribly overrated before possession. I think also that both the expectation & possession of wealth, instead of conferring happiness upon young women, frequently deprives them of the best comforts that life can afford. I c^d mention to you several instances where this observation holds of unmarried women. In the instance before me there has not, I fear, been made much provision against the season of disappointment either by these or by any other reflections. In 3 short months after her elevation, her expectations received a severe shock from an accident that befalls her during an early period of pregnancy. The Apothecaries in vain post away through the mire towards the great house: their hurry & their important looks are alike vain – after a decent interval, the Doctor is ushered in. It was not difficult to perceive that the nature of the complaint forbade active interference & that it w^d be both long & painful. She was forewarned of all this; but alas where the principle, upon which it is to act, has not been implanted in the mind, reasoning & remonstrance will have no more effect than spurs upon a wooden horse. One cannot therefore be surprised that the poor young lady sh^d be impatient now in proportion as she was sanguine before. It is, I believe, perfectly natural that she sh^d roar, like a child, on the occasion of a fit of pain & exclaim – she shall die – & exhibit a spectacle fit for the melancholy Jacques to moralize upon.

For this eventless tale & the unedifying speculations that are engrafted upon it I think I can make you some amends by the outlines of a theory of the British house of Commons. You w^d not I am sure exchange the clear & [xxxx] <unalienable> claims which every man brings with him into the world, [xxxx] to an equitable government for the perplexed & interminable disputes of Antiquarians. You w^d protest against any model offered by history, though you might applaud the spirit of some institutions; for even if you c^d satisfy every scruple as to matter of fact, what c^d establish the preference of any given situation to one in which things were placed a little before or a little after? & if you decide in favour of one, why sh^d not your aristocratic neighbor adhere to another? Will you refer the controversy to reason & call upon her to ascertain the respective relations of either form of government to human happiness? They will inevitably recur to the rights of man, & in this manner must every enquiry of this nature terminate. Why then encumber the research with a laborious & unprofitable enquiry into the practices of barbarians & semi-barbarians? But I do not state such considerations to you with any view to persuasion or dissuasion. I wish only to know whether the researches into the nature of past practices can be applied to our present necessities upon any other principle than a rational estimate of their value. Neither will you believe that our ancestors, the collective founders of our happy constitution in church & state, enjoyed a more commanding prospect of society than us, their obedient & admiring posterity? Can any man in his senses suppose that a brighter light dawned upon the very cradle of civilization than has been kindled by the united efforts of the most powerful minds during the most inquisitive & best informed period of history? Or will he affirm that contrary to all analogy, political science has been obscured by cultivation? You know very well what will be objected by those who are prompted by interest or stupidity to oppose sound to sense – Royal dignity – the danger of the church – sacriledge – innovation – temerity of discussion – You will allow me to conclude that our ancestors being nothing superior in abilities & much inferior both in knowledge & reflection, xxxx c^d not be so capable as we are of establishing <creating> a good form of government; & that it will be vain to trace back the course of ages for the purpose of discovering one. But you are impatient to hear how I conceive ancient practices <to have> arisen out of the circumstances of the times. When the feudal aristocracy terminated in the feudal despotism – i.e. when the king became nominal proprietor of all his dominions & the Barons were humbled to dependence, then the demesnes & perquisites of the crown became inadequate to the maintenance of it of its extended authority. In every country custom limits despotism on one side or the other in a greater or less degree, & you know how tender men are on the subject of property. The king therefore was obliged to obtain the consent of the people to taxation & the people or their deputies were to get the best return they c^d for their money. So far I suppose most people will agree. Then you see our representatives were a set of brokers rather than legislators. Their idea of themselves did not rise till a later period & till many events had extended them, to the dignity of legislation. Criminals they w^d I suppose relinquish to power, nor w^d they assume control over military operations; & so they wd relinquish the most important objects of legislation & whatever did not immediately drain their pockets. To us therefore therefore although Q. Elizabeth seems to speak in the usurping tone of despotism, when she tells the Commons that they have nothing to do with such & such subjects, yet in reality her expressions corresponded to the transmitted notions of their office; & the encroachment was in their side & not on hers. They were then beginning to feel what they so fully declared in the subsequent reigns, that whatever was the concern of the people was their concern. I know that sometimes they took advantage <at an earlier period> of the distress of kings & wrested a little power & held it for a short time, but they never uniformly & avowedly claimed & exercised the full powers <authority> of a legislative representation. But I have no intention of stating all the limitations that this theory may require. I w^d say enough to make you comprehend my meaning & not a word more. You see therefore that I believe the stream to have been narrow at its origin & to have widened as it flowed. You perceive also that I do not go back to the woods of Germany; even in the Saxon times; & long after the Romans has evacuated the island I despair of finding any thing capable of application. We want positive documents if we c^d not imitate though we had the model distinctly before us – I sh^d be glad to consider these speculations & if you have any remarks – of length at least – to make upon them, I c^d wish to compare the one with the other – It is so late at night that I cannot copy them & I have another frank of the same date. If ever therefore I sh^d have the good fortune to meet with you again, pray bring this letter in your pocket – unless you can satisfy me in three lines that I am quite mistaken – & surely in a train of reasoning which I have carried on with the pen in my hand, you will give me credit for being open to conviction. My fondness for these opinions, you see, has not grown by nursing – In explanation of an expression I have just used, I must add that I shall not probably be much at Oxford this year & I sh^d fear your office might keep you altogether away –

Your acc^t of Flamank surprises me – as to the unfavourable opinion ascertained at Oxford with regard to my sentiments on hospitals, you will readily believe that anticipated disapprobation falls light. You know, as well as I do, the orbit in which Oxford minds move. I suppose one might trace a chain of ideas from the French Revolution to doubts concerning the extensive usefulness of hospitals, & one might venture to foretell that neither the one nor the other would be well received in the house adjacent to the divinity school or the tower of St Angelo. Establishments w^d be equally respected in both. Perhaps the disapprobation is confined to the profession; the members of it are by no means exempt from the influence of the evil spirit that reigns so triumphant over the other faculty; & they are besides hospital physicians surgeons &c – & by consequence parties & not judges –

I have so much to say on these subjects that I c^d write on for a week – Will you laugh or will you frown if I tell you that I have begun to write a set of botanical dialogues? I wish the thought had struck me three months ago. I w^d give any thing I have to give to shew them to a certain person & to hear the opinion of that person –

Even now deprived as I am of so great an advantage if I can present to others the ideas that float in my own imagination with <in> their proper shapes & colours, I shall do more good to women & children than you will perhaps think of at first – In a day or two I shall hear the opinion of Mr and Miss Keir & for the want of a better irritation I shall lay a good deal of stress upon their judgement – Two or three tolerable judges gave pronounced too favourable a sentence upon the beginning already – You must understand, I can write them as fast as I can write this letter. I can do any thing for you at Birm^h so pray command me – Bushby’s letter exhibits him in rather a pleasing light, it will therefore give you some little satisfaction – can you tell me how I can advise him better than I have done on the back of his letter? If the music had arrived, it w^d have been inclosed –

I w^d recommend strong vomits. White vitriol a scruple every two days & Tickell’s ether in the interval for Thompsons maids sister. I gave the digitalis a sufficient trial – at least I thought so – warm bathing might possibly cure or help to cure her, if long persevered in –

My respects to your family

T. Beddoes

[Enclosure: Charles Maitland Bushby to Thomas Beddoes, 14 December 1791, with, on the verso, Beddoes’s draft reply:]

London 14^th Dec^r 1791

My dear Doctor

Tho’ I have receiv’d encomiums even from you for my dexterity in shooting on the swing, I was afraid of firing at you while flying from place to place – Now that you are perched at Shiffnal I feel confident xxxx my shot will hit you, tho impelled by government powder which has often been accused of imbecillity – You will shake your head and say that the above shows too clearly how I have spent my time since I saw you that from a mans ideas and combinations of ideas his favourite pursuit may be easily traced – I plead guilty – but not atrociously so. That I shot all the fine mornings is true – but that I read all the rainy ones is equally so – and I am sure you will give me the great credit for having spent a morning in examining the Basaltic columns at Duddingston, when I might have been on the race ground at Leith – From the inclosed letter too you will see that I have not forgot your commission to the Leadhills – it is not a bad xxxx <thought> of Taylor’s to write to you & send you specimens as they occur – you had better write to him to confirm him in the idea – I don’t know his direction but if you send your letter to me I shall send it to my father who will transmit it to him… When I was in Edinburgh my friend Mr Young offered me a collection of Icelandic specimens which by some unaccountable means or other had come into his possession – I declined taking them myself lest it should give me a rage for collection but if they can be of any service to you I have no doubt but I can still obtain them.

I have been in town upwards of a month attending Westminster Hall, and if it was not for my cursed accent I should entertain some hopes of succeeding there – I have as yet seen no superhuman exertions and this mode of pleading seems to have so very much of the [?reasoner’s] style that I think it must be of easy acquisition. –

I had a long letter yesterday from Mr Adams, (to whom I am indebted for your direction) about the exercises for my degree, which will call me to Oxford about the 22^d Feb^y when I hope to have the pleasure of seeing you as it is if I remember the time when you are usually there. –

Chisholm who is in town called upon me while I have been writing to you, & On my telling him what I was about desired me to be kindly remembered to you. – he has been in Scotland all summer and from what I can learn from him has a prospect of becoming Chisholm of Chisholm in a short time as his brothers illness rather encreases than diminishes.

I hope you will allow me to execute any commissions you may have that by my attention to them I may shew you that I would if I had an opportunity endeavour to repay the kindness you have shewn to me. –

I beg my best compliments to your father mother and Miss Beddoes – my kind remembrance to Bailey too: there was a je ne sais quoi about him that made me like him much. –

I have not seen Roden since I came to town–I suppose he has relinquished the study of the law for the more important employment of shooting woodcocks.

I am with great regard sincerely
Your
C.M. Bushby

No 20 Orchard Street
Portman Square

[Beddoes’s draft reply:]

I am glad to hear that your mind is not likely to be overwhelmed by the prospect of unattainable eminence in West. Hall. It is impossible to entertain a doubt of your success, provided some revolution favourable to human happiness does not demolish the corporation of lawyers in this country & provided also you resolve to acquire the Espirit de suite in your studies. This species of ability is however very uncommon even in those whose talents have gained them credit in the world; & when the contrary habit has once taken root, the xxxx <case>becomes almost hopeless. The self-denial which a young man must practice in order to confine his mind to one set of ideas till he has fixed them firmly & distinctly in his mind exceeds I am afraid, by many degrees that which the prevailing abstinence from sugar implies. But no man, unless he will submit to it can be master of any subject [one and half lines heavily deleted]. It is certainly the greatest among the <many> advantages that result from the study of mathematics & their application to physics; & it is this which has conferred upon [Beddoes leaves a blank space where a name should be] such an extraordinary power of application. I do not think much has been effected by advice concerning the method of study: otherwise if you can & will acquire this persevering patience of thought, I w^d recommend it to you to read several treatises in succession upon some subject connected with your studies, still as you go on reflecting upon them till you become enabled to give a compleat account of their contents & till you are become so far master of the principles as to be able to explain why one or other has fallen into certain mistakes; where he has reasoned illogically by having such a commanding prospect yourself you will be able to shew the objects distinctly to others; & this is certainly what a pleader ought to know how to do

Endorsement: Doctor Beddoes / 1791 / Dec^r the 14^th / Partly written by Mr Bushby of Pemb. Coll.
MS: Cornish Archives MS DG 41/40, 46–47