E-text prepared by Juliet Sutherland, Cera Kruger,
and the Project Gutenberg Online Distributed Proofreading Team
THE
Love Letters
of
DOROTHY OSBORNE
to
SIR WILLIAM
TEMPLE
1652-54
Edited by
Edward Abbott Parry
New York
1901
TO
MY DAUGHTER
HELEN
THIS VOLUME IS DEDICATED
EXEMPLI GRATIA
Editorial Note
It having been noted in the Athenaeum, June 9, 1888, that rumours wereafloat doubting the authenticity of these letters, and that theserumours would sink to rest if the history of the originals werepublished, I hasten to adopt my reviewer's suggestion, and give anoutline of their story. They are at present in the hands of the Rev.Robert Longe at Coddenham Vicarage, Suffolk, where they have been forthe last hundred years. At Sir William Temple's death in 1698, he leftno other descendants than two grand-daughters—Elizabeth and Dorothy.Elizabeth died without issue in 1772; Dorothy married Nicholas Bacon,Esq. of Shrubland Hall in the parish of Coddenham. Dorothy left a son,the Rev. Nicholas Bacon, who was vicar of Coddenham. This traces theletters to Coddenham Vicarage. The Rev. Nicholas Bacon dying withoutissue, bequeathed Coddenham Vicarage, with the pictures and paperstherein, to the Rev. John Longe, who had married his wife's sister. TheRev. John Longe, who died in 1835, was the father of the present owner.This satisfactorily accounts for the letters being in their presenthands, and these stated facts will, I trust, set at rest the fears orhopes of sceptics.
EDWARD ABBOTT PARRY.
MANCHESTER, October 1888.
Contents
II. EARLY LETTERS. Winter and Spring 1652-53
IV. DESPONDENCY. Christmas 1653
V. THE LAST OF CHICKSANDS. February and March 1654
VII. THE END OF THE THIRD VOLUME
CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
"An editor," says Dr. Johnson, is "he that revises orprepares any work for publication;" and this definition of an editor'sduty seems wholly right and satisfactory. But now that the revision ofthese letters is apparently complete, the reader has some right toexpect a formal introduction to a lady whose name he has, in allprobability, never heard; and one may not be overstepping the modest andJohnsonian limits of an editor's office, when the writing of a shortintroduction is included among the duties of preparation.
Dorothy Osborne was the wife of the famous Sir William Temple, andapology for her biography will be found in her own letters, here for thefirst time published. Some of them have indeed been printed in a Lifeof Sir William Temple by the Right Hono