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From: "Geo." <>
Subject: The Times, 06 Sep 1821 - Carlisle Assizes (9) - Breach of Promise of Marriage (2)
Date: Tue, 27 Jun 2006 16:32:42 +0800
The Times, Thursday, Sep 06, 1821; pg. 3; Issue 11344; col B
SUMMER ASSIZES.
-------------
CARLISLE, SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 1.
BREACH OF PROMISE OF MARRIAGE. - THOMPSON V. BLAMIRE.
[continued]
Now, gentlemen, I will show you upon what terms the defendant visited the
plaintiff, and how much he was, or professed to be, in love with her. Gentlemen,
I care not which: if it was a pretence for a purpose so base that I can hardly
give it a name, he has signally failed; but I rather think that he was in love
with her till he fell in love with another, because the other had a larger
fortune. The defendant had removed on a tour of excursion of business to
Northumberland, and there he wrote a letter, dated from Newcastle, in which, in
the usual way, he expresses the evils of absence, his impatience to see Miss
THOMPSON, &c. "My dearest Sarah, I have embraced the earliest opportunity of
writing a few lines. I don't like Newcastle so well as I did. I should be much
happier with you, my dear Sarah." There were two or three other objects alluded
to in the letter, one was an object always of a great deal of attention with
him, namely, his horse. (A loud laugh.) "I am afraid it will be Saturday night
before I will get hence, as the horse does not run for the cup, but for the
maiden plate on Friday. (Repeated bursts of laughter.) I wish I was back to you
again, my dear Sarah, as there are none on earth I love but you. I remain,
dearest Sarah, your affectionate lover, E. BLAMIRE." A day or two after he
writes another letter, in which he says - "I have been very ill, and last night
I thought I should have died." Here, as it were, with all the solemnity of a
death-bed, he declares the warmth and unalterable ardour of his affection and
attachment. "ARMSTRONG has behaved himself very well; he is very ill also."
(Loud laughter.) Next there is this expression - "I think the horse will not run
at all this week, as he has fallen amiss." So, you see, the horse, like Mr.
ARMSTRONG, did very well, and fell ill also. (An uproar of laughter.) In the
next sentence you will see how early that trait in his character appeared which
has so much distinguished him since. It will appear a peculiarity in his
disposition, which always breaks out, and which is vulgarly called, looking at
the main chance. "I have stopped with Joseph JOHNSON since Monday, which I think
is much pleasanter than stopping at an inn." (Immoderate laughter.) Again he
recurs to his horses, and says, "I am sorry I did not bring my chestnut mare
with me, as I am quite tired with walking. I see none here half so good as she
is. She is" - (You will expect here to find a splendid comparison in favour of
his mistress: I thought I was to read that the chestnut mare was as much
superior to all others as Miss THOMPSON was fairer than all the misses of
Carlisle; but no, gentlemen, the letter runs thus: - "the chestnut mare is as
much superior to any horse here as Jack is to any about Carlisle." (The Court
was here quite convulsed with laughter.) The love-letter writer goes on - "Sally
is turned as pretty a little thing as ever I saw." This, I suppose, was some
horse or mare that he thought very pretty; but no, gentlemen, I find I am
mistaken. In short, gentlemen, I need only say that this lover of horses
professes himself "sick of Newcastle races." He concludes by saying, "Believe
me, my dearest, to be yours, and none but yours while I have life, E. BLAMIRE."
In this declaration, gentlemen, Miss OLIVER was excepted; but that was a mental
reservation. Gentlemen, you see that his master passion, as appears from his
letters, or as he represents, I care not which, is his love for Miss THOMPSON.
In the spring of 1819 he writes a letter from the metropolis. I am not deeply
read in amatory effusions - I am not much learned in love-letters; yet, never
before was there more attachment, more ardent love, more glowing enthusiasm for
the name of a female, in prose or in verse (for the gentleman dealt in both)
poured forth from the Bull and Mouth, in Bull and Mouth-street, since the
foundation of that useful and convenient institution. I cull out one, from the
principle which it unfolds. He says, "I am getting fat with London." (Immense
laughter.) There comes next a sentence of this sort: - "I have just received a
letter from my sister; she also mentions the death of the 15th Hussars." He was
naturally much interested in this, as the doctor had been connected with a horse
regiment. But what inference, think ye, does he make from this melancholy event?
Is it that we should be always ready for death? - always ready to render up an
account? - that we should live well, and deal justly by our neighbour? No such
thing. But this is the inference: - "I was very sorry to hear it; the evening
before I left Carlisle he was playing at billiards in good health. This is an
uncertain world, therefore" - mark gentlemen - "we should take great care of
ourselves." This is exactly the case wherever he is; whether racing in
Newcastle, or getting fat in the Bull and Mouth, he is true to this. Mark the
end, says the wise man. Regard the end of all things, says Mr. BLAMIRE, and let
us take care of ourselves. Gentlemen, I shall trouble you with no more, nor
shall I detail to you the love verses which, if I may judge from the
extraordinary difference between the spelling and the words, he must have copied
from some other writer. Take this specimen: -
"Bid me to live, and I will live thy protestant to be;
"Or bid me love, and I will give a loving heart to thee.
"Thou art my life, my love, my heart, the very eyes of me,
"And hast command of every part to live and die for thee."
[It is quite impossible to give an idea of the state of the Court and audience
while the learned gentleman repeated those verses in his peculiar manner.] But,
gentlemen, the result was not as poetical as the poetry I have repeated may lead
you to expect. He was not led by love; he was not chained to a hair as lovers
love to say, but his was a golden chain. Gentlemen, he abandoned her to whom he
professed himself attached, whom he taught to love, whose hopes he had inspired,
and whose life he has made forever wretched. Gentlemen, he has driven her to you
to seek for compensation in damages. If any of you are fathers or brothers, I
call upon you in the situation of fathers, brothers, or friends: but no, if you
are men, it is sufficient. I appeal to your feelings as men, I call upon you to
prevent young men from exciting an attachment in the breast of a virtuous
female, and then seeking for marriage elsewhere. Marriage, gentlemen, all
classes look to for happiness; with persons in her class it is almost the whole
of happiness. But to make her attached to him, to have taught her that happiness
was to be found only in his society, and then to have abandoned her, and all for
the sordid love of greater property: gentlemen, what compassion will you give
for such an injury? If my learned friend shall attempt to insinuate any thing
against Miss THOMPSON's character, I shall have an opportunity of again
addressing you. I mention this as only possible, because such attempts are often
made; and when they are made without cause, they can have only one effect, which
is the only effect they ought to have - that of enhancing the damages.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This case to continue.....
Petra
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