"Wimbledon, January 29, 1798.
"My dear Wilberforce,—There can not be a doubt of the wishes of Government to bring forward the zeal and exertions of the country in every practicable shape; at present I am not aware that any thing cheaper (if really efficient) can be resorted to than the system of volunteer corps and yeomanry corps to which every encouragement is given. At the same time if any proposal through the regular channel can be laid before Government having the same tendency, there can not be a doubt of its being duly attended to. The only satisfactory answer therefore which I can make to your letter is to suggest to you the propriety of mentioning to your friends who have applied to you, that it would be best for them to put in writing the specified plan they would severally wish to adopt, and if that is sent to the Duke of Portland by the Lord Lieutenant, I have no reason to doubt that it will be duly attended to. If a copy of the proposal is at the same time extra officially laid before me, it might be the means of expediting the consideration of it, as I have frequent opportunities of conversing with the Dukes of York and Portland, and likewise with Mr. Pitt on all subjects of that nature. Indeed the proper defence of the country by every possible means it can be done with effect and economy occupies my unremitting attention, and if I observe it neglected in any department, it vexes and distresses me more than I can describe, and perhaps more than is convenient consistently with keeping one's mind in a constant tenor of steady and unruffled attention. I was sorry to learn within these two days that Mrs. Wilberforce is ailing, and
"I remain, my dear Wilberforce,
"Yours very sincerely,
"Henry Dundas."
In his later days when he had withdrawn to
a great extent from the society which he had
charmed in his youth Wilberforce's chief female
friends were Hannah More, of whose letters hundreds
remain, Martha More, Mrs. Fry, Maria
Edgeworth. In strong contrast stand out the
friendships of the youthful days, when Wilberforce's
Wimbledon villa was the resort of witty
and fashionable, rather than of learned and charitable
ladies, when he was "sitting up all night
singing" and when the society he frequented
included Mrs. Siddons, Mrs. Crewe, Mrs. Sheridan,
the Duchess of Portland, and last but not
least, the beautiful and bewitching Jane Duchess
of Gordon, she who raised the regiment of Gordon
Highlanders by giving, as was said, the
shilling from her mouth to the recruits.
The Duchess of Gordon writes to William
Wilberforce in July, 1788, of "the many happy
hours I have spent at Wimbledon," and from
Keswick this versatile woman tells him of the
"sweet church" she had passed by and how she
"found myself repeating the lines, 'Remote from
man with God he passed his days, Prayer all
his business, all his pleasure praise': it is thus
I should like to live, the world forgetting, by
the world forgot." She tries to tempt him to
Gordon Castle in these words: "I know that
'silent glens have charms for thee,' and this is the
country in which you will find those silent and
peaceful abodes. Nature bestowed every wild,
uncultivated beauty, with a purer air and brighter
horizon. Here Hygeia is to be found; we lead
the lives of hermits. Dr. Beattie shall be our
companion. We go to bed at eleven, and sometimes
visit the majestic ocean before breakfast.
I am certain the air of this country would perfectly
re-establish your health, which would give
joy to thousands, and no one more than, &c.,
"J. Gordon."
In this letter the Duchess encloses her correspondence with Dundas, who was one of the circle at that Liberty Hall of Wimbledon.
The Duchess had had a misunderstanding with Dundas which she wished Wilberforce to heal through his influence with Pitt. She had "dropped some words" respecting Dundas to Pitt which had "got round" to the former. Dundas writes to her:
"India Office,
"July 4, 1788.
"Dear Duchess,—I received your affectionate note previous to your departure for Scotland. A great part of its contents are more fit for discussion in free conversation than by letter. I have only to beg of you always to keep in remembrance the long letter I wrote to you in consequence of some words you dropped to Mr. Pitt respecting me last winter.
"It is scarcely possible for you to put me out of humour, because however much you may at times forget yourself, and get into sallies of unguarded expression, you would be almost the worst of beings if you was seriously to entertain for me any other sentiments than those of perfect regard and affection. I therefore never suspect you of any serious alteration of your regard. But let me for your own sake entreat you to reflect that everybody does not make the same allowance that I do. You judge truly when you think that you have many enemies, and be assured that there is no such good receipt for having enemies than to talk rashly or disrespectfully behind their backs; and be sure of it these things in some way or other get round, and no after-civility is received as an expiation. On the contrary, it brings upon you the imputation of duplicity which of all other ingredients in a character ought (even the suspicion of it) to be avoided.
"After so long a lecture, I think it right to console you with enclosing Sir George Young's note just received. I leave you to say anything you please about me to Mrs. Gordon, only let her not imagine that I made professions even in the middle of a country dance without a perfect determination to realise them. Remember me affectionately to everybody, and
"I remain,
"Yours sincerely,
"Henry Dundas."