684 - Martin Madan to Judith Madan, 1724

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Image #1 of letter: Martin Madan to Judith Madan, 1724
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My Dearest Soul, my every Dear Judy. I am at last
arrivd at Northampton, but many a dreadful & dismal
Hour have I past, since I was seperated from my Soul.
My best Freind pitty my unhappy state, that will be
a means of alleviating my misery, {^I need not doubt yt since} I know yr Good nature
woul’d be apt to be affected by any Persons misfortunes,
less Dear to you, than I flatter my self to be; when
I reflect how greater xxx return you have always made
to my Passion xxx I am happy, I have xxx {^ever} met
from you a regard, & esteem, more than xxx I cou’d deserve
Gratitude must repay you, otherwise I should be an eternal
Debtor, How poor a Return do I make, for so much Goodness?
Blame the Creator, not me, why didn’t nature make me
more than man, when she knew I was destin’d for you?
I am promis’d to see you sooner, then I expected. I believe
by the middle of next month, till then, I must make my
self happy wth reflecting upon xxx {^the} dear, tender moments we spent together, this mitigates but cannot
My Dearest Soul, my every Dear Judy. I am at last
arrived at Northampton, but many a dreadful & dismal
Hour have I past, since I was separated from my Soul.
My best Friend pity my unhappy state, that will be
a means of alleviating my misery, {^I need not doubt yt since} I know yr Good nature
would be apt to be affected by any Persons misfortunes,
less Dear to you, than I flatter my self to be; when
I reflect how greater xxx return you have always made
to my Passion xxx I am happy, I have xxx {^ever} met
from you a regard, & esteem, more than xxx I could deserve
Gratitude must repay you, otherwise I should be an eternal
Debtor, How poor a Return do I make, for so much Goodness?
Blame the Creator, not me, why didn’t nature make me
more than man, when she knew I was destined for you?
I am promised to see you sooner, then I expected. I believe
by the middle of next month, till then, I must make my
self happy wth reflecting upon xxx {^the} dear, tender moments we spent together, this mitigates but cannot
Details

Martin Madan to Judith Madan, 1724

A response from Martin to Judith – he also misses her greatly, and also writes in embodied language. He describes her as his soul, and has been deeply unhappy since he has been separated from ‘his soul’. Her disposition is such that he knows she will feel for him in his time of misfortune, and he is cheered by knowing that she feels the same as him. He believes he will be home sooner than first expected, but until then, he is comforting himself by recalling happy memories of the two of them together.

Madan Family

Eng Lett C.284 f.42

Bodleian Libraries, University of Oxford

1724

[England]

[England]

People
Person: Martin Madan
View full details of Person: Martin Madan

primary author

  • thinking
  • travel
  • visiting

separation

  • feeling
  • happy
  • hopeful
  • love (romantic)
  • low
  • sorrow

  • memory
  • self
  • soul

marriage

Person: Judith Madan
View full details of Person: Judith Madan

primary addressee

separation

  • feeling
  • love (romantic)

disposition

marriage

How to Cite

To Cite this Letter

Martin Madan to Judith Madan, 1724, 1724: Bodleian Libraries, University of Oxford, Madan Family, Eng Lett C.284 f.42

To Cite this Edition

Material Identities, Social Bodies: Embodiment in British Letters c.1680-1820. Compiled by: Karen Harvey, Helen Esfandiary, Sarah Fox, Emily Vine, University of Birmingham. Project funded by the Leverhulme Trust (2021-2025, Ref. RPG-2020-163), https://socialbodies.bham.ac.uk.

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