1804

Thomas Beddoes to Davies Giddy, [November/December 1804]

Dear Giddy

You desire me to write to you if G. comes – He is not come – But if he does I can write again – However I do not write to any good purpose –

It appears to me that scarce any thing but insanity can account for all the facts, or a sort of wrong headedness which perhaps, is rather worse than insanity, because you cannot resort to the extreme remedy of confining the person affected.

Your sister is staking herself against all the chances. From all the rest of her conduct one should expect that she c^d never incur the possibility of censure, unless for excess of caution – But there is one sentiment or passion, which reverses the character –

If you & I were to decide, I think we could not hesitate. It seems to me clear that it w^d be better for both parties that this affair sh^d never proceed – I do not say this without feeling how thoroughly terrible it is for a female so far engaged to have the connection broken – But extreme cases have always been said to require extreme remedies –

The second thing to be wished is a delay of 6 or 12 months – during this time the state of the man’s mind may become too evident to admit of doubt – The habit of drinking, if he is infected with it, this or that accident may ripen the disorder of the understanding into full maturity –

This delay you may I conceive urge upon y^r sister – The argument may be that persons utter strangers to all the transactions from which she has been a sufferer, have been struck by the unaccountableness of G’s conduct on other occasions –

Sh^d you object that delay has been tried enough already, I have nothing to reply –

Lastly, I know not if it would not be some security ag^t gross ill treatment to y^r sister if as much property were kept back for the present; & he were given explicitly to understand that nothing w^d be to be expected from you or y^r father unless you had reason to be better satisfied with the husband than the lover – I feel that this sort of declaration if upon the day of before marriage is a most odious expedient. But I do not look for any cordiality between y^r sister’s intended husband & her relations – I suspect he feels you as an incumbrance & indeed I do not well understand why he has not broken off this reluctant sort of courtship long since, if courtship it can be described on his part – In the case of a very large fortune I c^d comprehend why he sh^d desire the union without liking his partner – But then he w^d have affected all the ardour he ought to feel – In short, I am unable to apply any general principle to his conduct – This courtship & the three repetitions of Mr Agasse’s address & the phrase you quote from his letter to you (which seems the translation of some tattle of French eloquence) are all beyond my metaphysical sagacity –

If he has not arrived without calling here, I sh^d hope that his unpunctuality w^d exasperate your sister – though indeed the past w^d seem to shew that she is not to be roused –

yr^s truly

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MS: Cornish Archives DG 43/10