The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1826-05-23 00:00:00

THE BRIT;SH PRESS.

of some friends of mine, who crossed the channel with us, and who
will hear witness to our mutual affection. Calais. although a
wretched place, was full of novelty and amusement to her. There
we panted nearly a week, like any other newly-married couple, and
as if neither n'ie nor I had any reason for anxiety. Indeed, although
occasionally I could not but be anxious to learn in what manner
Mr. Turner had receives my brother's communications, I was so
fully occupied in teaching, dressing, caressing, and amusing, the
high-spirited and affectionate girl,whose happiness, whatever might
be the conduct oilier family, I now considered as the Seat object of
my existence, that I was indifferent to almost every thing but the
actual employment of the moment, of which no one can imagine
the intoxicating nature, who has nor, by rare good fortune, been
the first object of a young heart's legitimate tenderness. And the
revolution in her situation was so complete--converting her in one
day from a scolded or neglected, and always restrained school-girl,
into the earthly idol of a passionate and romantic husband—that it
is not fair to wonder at her having, under its,liappy influence, pre-
ferred the vaudeville even of a Calais theatre, to the die-away songs
of a Liverpool concert—the hasty productions of a tenth-rate mar-
Maud de wades to the little coal-scuttle bonnet and scanty pelisse of
• Nlacelesdeld dress-maker—and my poor company to that of her
governess.
On the 15th of March, the Dover packet brought a friend for
whose I was waiting, and my wife's uncles. All the newspaper
accounts of our meeting are mere inventions. They went to the
Hotel Meurice where, I was told, they had asked for me. I pro-
ceeded there, but not finding them, returned to the Hotel Quillacq,
and was then informed that 31r. Robert Turner and Mr. Critchley,
together with a lawyer and several Row-street officers, were coming
to arrest me on a charge of abduction, and that .Sirs. Turner was
dangerously ill. Sly carriage and passports were ready, and I
could have escaped to the 'gorier* end with my wife; but I really
wished to meet her uncles ; and even if I had not so wished, the
accounts of Mrs. Turner's situation would have fixed me to the
spot. I sent to Messrs. Turner and Critchley, to say that I await-
ed them. When they appeared, I begged for a short conversation
with them before they should see their niece. Sly object in desir-
ing to see diem first, was to tell them the whole truth, and to
entreat that, for her Rake, they would not, as she was now toy wife,
give her a bad opinion of me. They, turned a deaf ear to all that I
could say upon the subject, seemed convinced that the marriage
was null and void, and urged me, in consideration of Mrs.
Turner's mast dangerous illness, and Mr. Turner's abject dis-
tress, to put no obstacle to the return of their daughter to Eng.
land. I could not hesitate for an instant. I led her to them,
and left her with them mane time. On my return, I found
her as touch convinced as they were that we were not married.—
I then, seeing their misery, hastened to afford them all the comfort
in my power, by taking them into their niece's bed-room, and as.
staring them that was the first time I had ewer entered it. Mr. R.
Turner asked me if I had any objection to write what I had stated?
" Not the slightest," I replied, "if you think that will be a com-
fort to Mr. and Mrs. Turner ;" and I immediately wrote a strong
declaration to the effect of what I had just motored them. Mr. R.
Turner and Mr. Critchley will hear witness th it I did not do this
under the influence of fear, or to obtain credit or favour for myself;
but that, seeing their conviction that no marriage had taken place,
and induced by their repeated assertions to entertain, myself, a
doubt upon the subject, I did it voluntarily and calmly, merely to
give the whole family some consolation in their distress. There
was then some desultory conversation about arresting me. This I
knew was out of the question, but I offered, if the lawyer would
undertake that I should be bailed, to proceed immediately to Lon.
don. He would not give me an assurance to that effect. I there-
fore declined returning to England immediately ; but I assured
Messrs. Turner anti Critchley, that I would certainly appear there
very soon, and meet manfully, though submiasively, the worst con-
sequences of what I had done. On the same day I addressed a
letter to Mr. Turner, in which I eagerly sought to remove from his
daughter to myself, all the blame that might attach to our marriage,
and repeated, even in stronger term., my previous declaration,
under the same impulse that had induced me to make it to has
brothers. .

.....
The following extract from that letter will show the spirit in
which it was written ;
" I am assured, Sir. by your brothers, that my marriage is null
and void. If this be the case, 1 shall feel the deepest regret, not
on my own account, I hope, but because reparation will thereby be
put out of my power. If your daughter be not, and should never
be, my wife, I have, indeed, done you an irreparable injury. In
that case I should desire: to give you some proof of abject repent.
once, if any sacrifice on my part could only tend towards removing
the evils of which I shall have been the author ; but 1 fear I shall
be unable to do you any good by suffering myself. Nevertheless,
I shall place myself at your disposition. Every facility shall be
afforded by me for the pursuit of your vengeance. Igo to Paris
only to fulfil an indispensable engagement, and shall hasten to re.
turn, to suffer cheerfully whatever punishment it may be your plea.
sure to inflict upon me.
" If I have not mistaken the 'pith of your brother's measures,
nothing but the Act of Parliament can decide whether or not your
daughter be my wife. For her sake, I certainly trust that she is ;
but if she be not, and if you decide that she never shall be, then I
have only to desire that every shadow of doubt may be removed from
the question ; and, in effecting this, I shall not only to ready, but
most anxious, to afford any assistance that it may happily be in my
power to offer.
" I trust, Sir, that you will not misinterpret the spirit in which
this hasty letter is written. I do not seek any favour from you ; I
am not influenced by any feeling of alarm. lam prepared for, and
anxious to meet, the consequences of what I have done, and I have
no hope of being able to persuade you to think favourably of me.
I have tried to write, in the first place, with a view to your com-
fort, what undoubtedly would give me comfort in such a case ; and
seeondly, under a conviction that I am your son, with the manly
frankness which, 1 trust, is habitual to me ; so that, at least. If at
present you know nothing but ill of. me, you may learn that I am
any thing but a sneaking coward, who would hesitate to repair a
grievous wrong by every means in his power."
Mr. Turner answered this letter by obtaining a warrant against
me for a capital felony. Ino sooner heard of it, than I hastened
to England, where I have always been anxious to surrender myself,
and give bail for my future appearance. Hitherto my offers to
that effect have obtained no answer from Mr. Turner's agents.
I am impelled to make this statement (from which I have pur.
posely excluded numerous corroborative details), not with a view to
my own justification, for that 1 know is impossible, but in order to
remove from myself sonic of the most injurious, and from my wife
the mortifying, imputations which have been cast upon us both.
It may be well to pursue me vindictively, but it is cruel to make
her suffer for my sins. I will, therefore, trust that this repeated
acknowledgment of the injury that I have done to Mr. Turner, and
the proof which it furnishes that I have no wish to defend myself,
may check, for the future, t`:e well-tneant though misguided zeal
with which his agents have laboured, and are still striving to make
his daughter a public laughing-stock, and the object of e,erlasting
curiosity and comment.
The above statement has been submitted to Mr. Turner, togr-
thee with the following letter
. . .

" compliance with the implied pledge contained In a
letter which I lately addressed to the editor of the Courier, I have
the honour to enclose, for your consideration, an account of cir.
cunisiances attendant on my marriage, which account it Is my in-
tention to circulme amongst my private friends.
" If the public statements respecting your daughter and me had
not, for the mesh part, appeared originally in a newspaper which is
supposed to be under the control of your agent, I should have
treated them with complete indifference, and nothing would have
induced me to aid in making your daughter an object of public
discussion ; but as many cf the ridiculous and mortifying para-
graphs respecting us both have been inserted with the stamp of
your authority, though I feel certain without your knowledge, I
ant impelled to rectify the misrepresentations which they contain,
by de-cribing, in their true colours, amongst try friends at least,
yo.ir daughter's amiable character and admirable conduct.
" And although it 1114 been iutrossible for me to do this without
acknowledging, in their fullest extent, my heavy sins towards you,
I have no objection to your making such acknowledgement public,
in all details, if you should agree with me in thinking that the false
imputations cant unon your daughter may thereby be removed.
•• To you, bit. I ton anxious to repeat, that I have no wish to
escape from the punishment which it may be your pleasure to in.
filet upon me.
. .

Britt I must, at the sante time, beg you to believe that, in thus
submitting myself to your vengeance. I have no selfish hope in
being able to moderate your anger. My sole reasons for this step
are, the recollection of my engagement to place myseif at your dis-
position, and an anxious desire to facilitate, by every means in my
power, whatever course of proceeding may be thought moat condu-
cive to you' daughter's advantage.
" I have the honour to be, Sir,
" Your most obedient humble servant,
" London, May 6." EDWARD U.WAKEFIELD."