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Description
Lord Kenyon is staying at the home of his aunt, who he believes is close to death. He reports that the Trustees in England have positive feelings towards West, though Kenyon himself is more critical, and hopes that West will submit to Chase's wishes. Kenyon fears that the session of Parliament will be bad for the Church.
Date
12-31-1830
Keywords
Dr. Gaskin, George Montgomery West, G.M. West, Lord Bexley, Gredington, Timothy Wiggin, Marianne Kenyon, MP Peel, Duke of Wellington, Parliament
Recommended Citation
Lord Kenyon, "Letter to Philander Chase" (1830). Philander Chase Letters. 871.
https://digital.kenyon.edu/chase_letters/871
Rights Statement
Transcript
Peel Hall
Decr. 31
1830
My dearest Bishop
On this last day of this year, sad to me in many ways, I will write from my beloved Aunt’s peaceful abode to one of her as well as my dearest most venerated friends. To say that she is quite well & in heart & soul nothing [worse] only better I trust as her [nearer] approaches the [reason] [in] writing what we both shall [feel] to be a true blessing. Your priest & that of good [Dr.] Gaskin [smile] [on] me as I write & who will say such is not heavenly sympathy. I recd. your most kind & interesting letter of Nov. 11, & forwarded it forthwith to good [G.W.] of the singleness of mind with which you have a[?]d this and I am sure none of [your] English friends ever felt a doubt. [Among] them [all] I will not admit [you] have [one] more affecte. or [venerating] than [your] present correspondent & such of his precious [orphans] as yet remain to him; but you can have [none] [truer] than the good Bishop of [?], who is really distressed at the manner in which you have been harassed. He wrote me a most [feeling] letter abt. you a little while since, & you will believe I responded in the like [feeling] to him, as I am glad to say good Ld. Bexley did also. All your Trustees here feel convinced that in respect to pecuniary matters Mr. West exerted himself to the utmost, and with considerable success. He has a very [impressive] and taking manner & I verily believe did more than any missionary yourself only excepted could have done. Still, if what I have heard of his success be correct, I am surprized [sic], (patronized as he was, & highly [engaging] as his cause was felt to be) he did not obtain more. However I am very sure he used every exertion he cd & has most faithfully collected all he cd obtain. His conduct abt. The Episcopate is to me inexplicable on any sound principle wh. I can comprehend. In this Country I must fear I cannot give you hopes that you are likely soon to [find] much more. We are called on locally for every exertion we can make to employ our [population] wh. in places (not in this neighbourhood or that of Gredington thank God) is much excited by the disturbances wh. have [occurred] abroad; and wicked men have excited them to horrible acts of Incendiaries & Rioting. I am willing to hope such atrocities are gradually subsiding, & that the English character will shew itself again. God grant it may for the sake of our truly Apostolical Church the first object [ever] of my attachment. I rejoice you are still getting on, & [perhaps] too easy success is withheld from you to raise your own character still more among your people & make you still more God’s blessed instrument of good thereby to them, that you may be still manifestly supported by His special aid in your course I m[o]st fervently pray & [never] doubt. I will try to see good Mr. Wiggin when I get to town in Febry. My last 2 years & / 2 [sorrows] have incapacitated me from ex[ertions] wh. have [ever] been [?]ts to me especially since I was left a desolate Widower upon Earth, & my precious [Orphans] have [for] [then] 2 / [or] [Grace] engrossed my first thoughts and duties. My precious Marianne [eheu] ultima, is thank God quite well, & [now] at Gredington under the care of her two good [tenderly] affecte. brothers; & I bless God I believe they are 2 as true humble pious Xtians as are to be found, & guided by such principles in all their actions. Our Church is likely to encounter a fearful trial I fear this [Session] of Parlt., but has got rid of the [Duke] of Wn. & Peel who I consider were its worst allies it could have; allies utterly unworthy of confidence. May it please God to bless & preserve you, & may you ever retain your affection for your truly obliged & venerating friend
Kenyon
[Note written upside down on top of first page:]
I hope Mr West will move from Kenyon Coll, & from Ohio if he cannot bring himself to become entirely submissive to your wishes.