The Sun.
London, England, 1824-12-25 00:00:00

ArROM COLONEL BERKELEY TO MSS FOOTE.

" Saturday eve, Dec. 13.
" Thy affections are not as they ever have been. Thy own
letters and thy actions prove the contrary. How many nights
have the horses been in waiting till thou wert released from
the theatre, that nu time might be lost in bringing thee to my
arms ? And row, days after days elapse, and thy affection is
so much on the wane, that no attempt is made to come to me,
• though there is no obstacle to prevent it—a line of conduct as
heartless as it is unwise. How dolt thou ever hope to accom-
plish the main object of thy wishes ? Thinkest thou that ab-
sence from me will carry the point ? Alas! the first four days
that I passed here without thee were weary, sad, and nothing
partook of the contentment and happiness which thy presence
was wont to throw over the scene. Each object presented to
me the ghost of a departed pleasure.' But even now lam
‘much more reconciled to the loss of thee than I thought I
should be. I feel now, the conviction, thatif it became neces-
sary I could part from thee for ever, which I always doubted
when under the habitual influence that thy presence, time, and
.-nay own honest love, combined to render so powerful. So
'much for the present state of my mind and sentiments. Now
-• to thepoint. On the Thursday that I last saw thee, I ex.
11l i ned myself most fully and most satisfactorily to thee as to
time, circumstance, &c., and thou hast never known me depart
.-from my resolutions, nor will I now. Come here, then. For
. five years halt thou been present on my birth-day. Do nut
thou absent thyself from the 6th. If thou dust, we may never
meet again, for I shall not come to London unless it is solely
for thy sake, and to give thee satisfaction, which shall never be
unnecessarily delayed. If thou meanest to come, write on
.111orulay to William Reynolds, saying that thou wilt be here
on Tuesday, and he will have the rooms ready, as I may be at
Lord Ducie's,-and not return much before thou arrivest.
Write also to me, and mistrust me not.—Thine."

An answer (of which there is no copy) to this letter was sent
by bliss Foote to Colonel Berkeley to say she would go, and
trust in him. _ . .

Miss Foote, with her mother, and a young lady (and servants
.as usual), went to the Castle on the 19th of December. She
.was received by Colonel Berkeley with every kindness; and
her mother, &e. with every respect, just as ever. Ile was par.
ticularly attentive to them, never more so ; and the remainder
of the month, which was the extent of their visit, passed away
without the subject of their marriage having been mentioned,
•which Miss Foote most patiently though anxiously expected
each day would be entered upon by him. On the last day
(Dec. 31), however, he repeated that the ceremony should take
place before the birth of the child, and that if it was a boy the
marriage must be made public, and it was then settled that she
should go to the Castle in February, which she did. Mr. and
Al rs. Foote, with the young lady before..mentioned, being of
the party ; and they remained there until the 24th of that
month (February last), when they all returned to London, Miss
Foote with the expectation that Colonel Berkeley would follow
leer to redeem his promises; since which time Miss Foote has
. never seen Colonel Berkeley. •
How Miss Foote conducted herself at the theatre during the
„period of nearly ten years may perhaps be best represented by
. the tbllowing letter from Mr. Fawcett, the manager, on being
:informed by Mrs. Foote of her daughter's determination of
either being married to Colonel Berkeley, or for ever separat.
ing herself from him, and of her leaving expressed that resolu.
lion to Colonel Berkeley; and being ill from uneasiness of
mind,. ke., it was also necessary she should withdraw herself
.:from the theatre :

" Theatre Royal, Covent-garden, Jan. 12, 1824.
My'dear Maria--(for so I hope you will permit me to call
you without affectation, or the least pretence to feeling which I
do not possess)—Most heartily do i regret your absence on the
score of illness. The loss of an good and useful an actress as
you are, would, I have no doubt (by our proprietors), be re-
gretted under any circumstances; but I confess I feel a sort of
parental regard for you, which supersedes all Selfish considera-
tions, and I acknowledge there might be a cause for your
abandoning the stage, which would give me great delight; that
your virtue and your merit deserve what I hint at, I shall never
cease to think. But if your absence be only temporary, be
assured the doors of Covent-garden Theatre will he always
open to you with a joyous welcome. if permanent, it would
he the acme of ingratitude not to declare you to have been one
of the best subjects that ever did honour it. To my love Mrs.
..Fawcett desires me to add hers, and:to believe me
" Most affectionately yours,
" To Miss Foote. "JUAN FAWCETT."

The following letters form part of the correspondence which
then ensued between Colonel Berkeley and Miss Foote
. COLOWEL.DEA.XELEY TO MISS FOOTE.
" Sunday, Itth March,.lB24.
. ' " I ant uncertain as to mycoming to London for many rea-
sons. lam in' daily expecuition of a letter front my solicitor,
which wilt bring rne, up, and I do not wish to move W I can
avoid it till that time, iv:being so troublesome and expensive
the moving backwards and forwards. At all events, do thou
fix the time for leaving• London, and the probability iv, that I
.shall be there before that day.—Thine."

IbtISVFOOTE TO COLONEL IllittrELE v.
sth Mardi, MX.

" My. dearest Berkeley—The letter I have received from thee
to-day in reply to the one I sent thee on Thursday, is extreme-
ly unsatisfactory to me. Thou thinkest there is only a proba-
bility of thy coining to town on business before I leave it, on
the 25th. lam anxious to know' ir. what manner, and where,
thou intended to make me thine before a -certain evimt, which
is very fret approaching, for it will be either the beginning or
*lune time during the next month. I confess I expected
that tilt3t< wouldest have come to 'London during this month
for the purpose of marrying me, for there is no tune to be lost
now; but when I. read thy letter, in which thou appearest to
consider that there is no other call for thy presence in hondon
than to see thy solicitor, and only mention the probability of
being here before I leave, I. am induced to mention a subject
which thou treatest with too greata silence to satisfy my antic-
'l must,therefore, entreat, my dearest Berkeley, that thou
wilt be less reserved, and communicate to me thy intentions,
&c.; for, wider existing circumstances, thou canc. not he sur-
prise& at my dire to be made acquainted with them, and to
be reteaved from the terrible state of imapense that I am at pre-
sent in. " nun, " '