The Sun.
London, England, 1841-12-08 00:00:00

any other lady has supplanted you in my heart.
No, my dearest life."' It added • that he felt
the force of her dear little heart's love towards him, and
it was more than his nature could stand. He was sure
that when she was his he would be a happier and better
man, and that he would live in hope, and pray for that
blessing. Then on the Ist July there was a letter, in
which he said she was scarcely ever out of his thoughts ;
that he had that day taken a warm bath, and thought
his whole frame better for it.—(Great laughter.)
He begged her to write a line to say how she was, and
to breathe her sweet thoughts to him; that she had done
him the kindness to ask for a lock of his silver hair—
(Roars of laughter)—thathe should expect a lock of her's
in return ; that he was looking out for a lodging for her
near his house, and wished to introduce himself
and her sister to his daughters, and ended, " God bless
and preserve you, my dearest love, and believe me yours
affectionately." On the sth of July there was another
letter in which he said that having just finished break-
fast, he sat down to breathe his sincere affection to her ;
and thereby ease his anxious heart's doubts, which had
been occasioned by his observations about his daughters.
That he was determined not to forego his happiness for
the sneer of the world, and he was thoroughly convinced
that the Almighty ordained faithful marriages in
heaven ; that he considered her his own, as she must
consider him her's ; to dismiss all acquaintance and con-
nexion with the person she alluded to, and to receive
him who would engraft her in a bosom which
was wholly devoted to her ; that he had received
her little gift of love, which was beautiful and
nicely platted, and which would be often caressed by
her faithful lover, and would prove a delightful particle
of his dear sweet Sophia near his heart; he need
not remind her that the foundation of all his hap-
piness was morning and evening devotions to
Him, who gave all, and governe all ; he was
quite distressed that her delicate form should have been
exposed to the heat of the sun when he was walking with
her the previous day, and trusting it had not fatigued
her ; that he must contrive to introduce his daughters
to her. On the 6th July there was a letter, commencing
"My dear love, when solemn, and grand, and righteous
acts or deeds are resolved upon, what pleasure
there is in thinking upon, and committing to paper the
thoughts that arise from them ; therefore I indulge
myself in thinking of our future habitation as the inno-
cent birds who, after making their alliances, set about
making their nests—(Roars of laughter)—for those they
instinctively know to be the offspring of their connubial
alliance.—(Renewed laughter.) The letter went on to
state that he was thinking of a habitation for con-
summated love to dwell in, and whether it should
be in town or country, but that whichever-it was they
would endeavour, to be content and happy. ; that be pro-
mised himself a speedy consummation of his wishes, and
on his return from Wales, he would tell his daughters that
he was about to add an angel to their society; that he
should rejoice in proclaiming their union before kings and
queens. It then went on, " You, my love, my dearest
Sophia, your model is pleasing, and your dear body
being free from defects," observing that he was gratified
at this, because he confessed he was a man of taste—
(Laughter)—that he praised the Lord for every blessing,
and that a virtuous, well-formed, enlightened woman,
was invaluable, was an angel on earth, and led a man to
heaven. That he found himself bordering on idolatry, and
asked, " Have I, my dear one, breathed my love ardently
to you ?" It then went on to say she had asked for a
lock of his silver hair, and to comply he had cut a small
quantity from the crown of his head— (Loud laughter)
—as she said she wished to press it to her faithful bosom.
What honour and glory to his hoary head—(Bursts of
laughter)--probably they would be pressing the
reciprocals to their bosoms at the same time ; he
must not forget to add, that a thousand blessings at-
tend her, and a thousand kisses he stole in imagina-
tion from her, declaring himself affectionately hers ever.
On the same day, the 6th July, there was another,
commencing, " My own dearest love," and acknow-
ledging the receipt of her affectionate and
most welcome letter, which was balm to his excited
and fluttering heart. It asked her to say when she
would be his property, and gave her permission, which
it appears she asked, to go to Ramsgate for
a few days with a Mr. and Mrs. Bennett.
On the Bth of the same month another letter was written,
in which he feared the heat of the sun had occasioned her
some inconvenience in the walk they had taken theprevious
day. He promised to be with her on Sunday morning, and
offered for her acceptance his heart's whole affection, and
ending " God bless and preserve my dearly beloved
Sophia. Your ever affectionate." On the 9th the defen-
dant went to Hampton, in a carriage with a pair of greys,
paid a visit to the plaintiff and her mother, and returned
to town. On the 14th and 17th of July, and on the 31st,
other letters were written by the defendant. The
latter began "My dearest love and life." lie stated
that he had breathed his whole heart to her,
and that he intended to accept her kind offer of her
whole heart and person, hoping that the obstacles he
had referred to would be removed on his return from the
country. It appeared that defendant had spent the day
on the sth July at Hampton, and had then confided to the
mother of the plaintiff his intentions towards her daugh-
ter. On that occasion, the mother had cautioned
him about his conduct, and had expressed her asto-
nishment at his desiring to enter into a matri-
monial alliance so soon after the decease of his
former wife ; she suggested to him that his contem-
plated marriage might not prove agreeable to the
members of his own family, and she said that he
was not a young man. The defendant replied
that although old in years, he was as young
as any man not half his age'; that his family
knew enough of him to know that he was firm of
purpose in whatever he undertook ; and that if he once
took any matter in hand he would always go on with it,
and that it was useless to contend against him. The
mother then said to him, that her daughter
was of age, and had been so some years, and was com-
petent to judge for herself without any interference.
The plaintiff at that time was twenty-seven years of
age, having been born in the year 1810. Miss
Darbon felt that she owed a debt of grati-
tude and affection to the defendant for his
kindness towards her, and no doubt she felt bound to
follow the course which he might direct. The corre-
spondence between the parties continued, and on the 9th of
August, 1837, the defendant, being at that time on a visit
to some friends in Glamorganshire, wrote a letter to
the plaintiff beginning "My dearly beloved Sophia,"
and in that letter, after stating his inexpressible joy and
gladness at receiving her letter of July 31, he pro-
ceeded, " I am now in a land flowing with milk and ho-
ney, but the latter is not so sweet as that which I once
had the happiness of tasting from your dear
sweet lips, when I sealed' on them the pledge of our in-
delible and unalterable affection."—(Roars of laughter.)
The letter then proceeded, " Ever since I have had the
pleasure, honour, and happiness of knowing you,
my greatest joy has been to endeavour to de-
vise some means of rendering you independent of the
accidents of the world—l will not say the frowns, for
nothing can ever frown upon you. if not so happy as
to consummate that blessing, which I hope is
preparing for us at the conclusion of the year,
which only my decrease of health, or your
refusal, can prevent, I shall be happy to shield you
from the world." The defendant in that letter, after ex-
pressing his affection for her,and urging her to put her trust
in Almighty God, to whose honour, and with a view
of pleasing, when he trusted their union would soon
take place, he went on to say, " I am already wedded
to you in. spirit; be sure that you already possess
my love and affection." He then went on to de-
scribe the house at which he was staying in the
neighbourhood of Cowbridge, and, speaking of another
mansion recently built in the same neighbourhood by a
relative of his own, the entrance to which is by an iron
gate, he adds, "On this he has placed his motto,
' Better death ',than !shame,' in English, a motto which
I have adopted as my own in Welsh." The letter then
proceeded to state that a relation named Powell had re-
cently died worth nearly 50,0001., which had been
left among the relations and friends of the
deceased "among the rest myself and my daughters—
handsome." On the 28th of August, 1837, Mr.
Rosser had returned to town, and it should
seem that shortly after, he had had Mrs. Dar-
bon and her two daughters to dinner with him. On
that occasion the subject of Miss Darbon's approach-
ing marriage with the defendant was broached, discussed,
and looked forward to as a matter that was shortly to
take place. On the 4th of September, Mrs. and Miss
Darbon, and Mr. Rosser made a party to go to Milton, near
Gravesend ; and on that occasion the defendant, who
paid the expense of the trip, said how happy he felt
in the anticipation of the coming nuptials, which
should be celebrated as soon as the year after the
death of his first wife should have expired. On the 31st
October, 1837, he again wrote a letter to the plaintiff, in
which, after desiring to know the reason why she ex-
pressed her apprehensions of her unworthiness of him,
and his belief that more perfection could not be found in
any human being, he went on to say, "I shall come
down to you on Friday, and stay- till Monday, and talk
all matters over. I shall take the sacrament on Sun-
day, and I hope to have your mother and yourself
on each side of me to join in that beneficial
repast, as a fitting preparation for another holy sacra-
ment;" and after a great deal in the same strain, he
concluded by saying, " let us set our house in
order, in order that we may establish ourselves as
tabernacles for the entertainment of the Holy Spirit."
It appeared that when the plaintiff and her mother
and sister came to town, their circumstances
were such that they could not afford to lodge in such
expensive places as Red Lion-square or Ormond-street ;
and accordingly, with a praiseworthy prudence, they
took lodgings of an humble character, better suited to
their circumstances. This, however, did not meet with
the defendant's approbation, and accordingly, in a letter
dated Nov. 21, 1837, after stating the great anxiety he
had endured on her account, he says he is glad to find
that both herself and her sister felt an aversion
to the lodgings, as he did not consider them
sufficiently respectable. He then went on to urge her
to be of resigned mind, of cheerful pious habits ; and
expressed his belief that she was the most
, Youi,nnoceanrte-
hearted girl alive. lie concluded by saying,
in my thoughts from morning till night. Cheer up, my
best beloved, be happy." To that letter there was at-
tached a postscript, in the following words :--" IVlien-
ever you wish to indulge your feelings of loving-kind-
ness towards me, do so copiously.
Itletitserbaolfm theto
my soul."—(Grcat laughter.) In a
24th November, the defendant said " I hope to come soon
and seal the mutimil assurances of our affection on your
sacred lips. We %list regulate our minds by a pure and
holy train of thought. I beseech of you to read often
the sacrament of matrimony, and I will do the same, that
if it should please Almighty God that we should
enter into that sacred bond, we may be found
worthy of it." Various other letters passed between the
parties, to which he would not draw their attention, until
• the 18th December, when he wrote a letter, beginning,
• 4my dear little angel love." In that letter he ex-
• pressed his intention of marrying her as soon as " the
period shall have elapsed in which, according to custom,
; anunfortunate widower or widow can contract such ea-