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Archive Reference / Library Class No.D8760/F/FEP/1/1/12
Former ReferenceD3311/8/3/16
TitleLetter from John Franklin to Eleanor Anne Porden, during his visit to family in Lincolnshire, including statements on his religious beliefs and outlook
Date1 Jun 1823
DescriptionGreatly misses Eleanor's interesting letters. Enjoys writing to Eleanor despite what she thinks. Has not been able to keep on top of the poor state of communication in his current location. Mostly received Eleanor's letters whilst at table with strangers. Has recovered health completely. Hopes that Eleanor's 'better judgement' has helped her find a better house than the ones he has managed to find. Doesn't expect 'complete conformity' with regards to religion, but hopes that Eleanor does not 'differ on any part of faith' (Church of England). As long as meekness and humility are observed, John respects religious individuals, irrespective of faith. Faith does not lessen John's pleasures.
Extent1 sheet
LevelItem
RepositoryDerbyshire Record Office
Full Catalogue ListClick here to view a full list for this collection
SenderJohn Franklin
Sender LocationHorncastle [Lincolnshire]
RecipientEleanor Anne Porden
Recipient LocationMiss Appleton's, Upper Portland Place, London
Archive CreatorEleanor Anne Porden, later Eleanor Franklin (1795-1825)
Gell family of Hopton Hall, Wirksworth
Transcript or IndexHorncastle June 1st 1823 [year in pencil]

I am so far from being weary of your letters my dear Eleanor that I can assure you I look with an anxious solicitude for the arrival of each days post in the hope that the packet may contain another of your interesting communications. I also find great pleasure in writing to you, a circumstance of which you seem to be doubtful and not without reason perhaps, judging only from the replies which are made to your letters. My silence however must be generally attributed to the want of immediate communication as there is a loss of a day if the answer is not dispatched almost directly afterwards, which I have not been able to do, having for the most <part> received your letters when seated at table with strangers who have been invited to meet me.
I have had quite a round of visiting without feeling the least inconvenience, on the contrary I am now in perfect health, having entirely parted with my cough and the pains in my head which I occasionally had from keeping the unseasonable hours of London parties. Do not now expect a lecture on imprudence for your having attended the Ball at the D’Israelis. I was indeed very glad to find you were sufficiently strong to encounter meeting of your friends on such a pleasant occasion. I can easily conceive the number of their congratulations on your reappearance in their society and fancy your gratification in tripping about from one friend to the other, and learning the history of each since your separation from them. The assurance of your having borne the fatigue of this assembly, superadded to the bustle which Berners Street must occasion is a pleasing and unequivocal testimony of your reestablishment in health. A blessing which I sincerely trust will long be granted to you. I confess with you it would have been most desirable that one remove of the articles you retain from Berners Street should have sufficed, but neither yourself or I were in a proper state of mind for house hunting, at the time it would have been necessary to have procured one, that is, when you first determined on letting Berners Street. I am too fully sensible of my own ignorance respecting the rent and equipment of a house to trust my own arrangements, even now, and shall hope to find that your better judgement has been exercised on these points, and that you have at least heard of some house that will suit our purpose.
I do not my dear friend expect a perfect conformity in our religious opinions (however desirable it would have been to me) but I should hope and trust that we do not differ on any point of faith, being as we profess both sincere admirers of the excellent Liturgy and Institutions of the Church of England. These contain every article of my faith and in as humble obedience to it doctrines I rest my hope of salvation. I am far from venturing to condemn any individual who differs from me in matters of religious faith - on the contrary I feel a high respect for every one whom I see following the dictates of his religion in meekness and humility, but in the partner whom I have selected to share the remaining days of my life I should wish <and hope> to find an union of sentiment with repect to the practical part of our duties. We certainly differ at present on these points but I hope <a more full> expression of each others opinions will produce an accordance of sentiment.
Believe me my dear Eleanor my religious impression do[ …] as you seem to hint, tend to make me gloomy on less […] than other people. On the contrary I subscribe with heart and mind to that excellent line of Dr Watts.
“Religion never was intended to make our pleasures less”! Still less <I think> ought those who partake of its blessings to be otherwise than cheerful, and though I would not as you may imagine seclude myself on a Sunday. (The society of my family and dearest friends would be particularly agreable) – I must confess I should wish to dispense with the formal visits of less intimate acquaintances. The turn of conversation which is usually taken by morning visitors proves often unfavourable to that course of thought and reflexion which I feel to be more congenial to my mind often having attended the worship of my God and Saviour.
The same effect would be produced by my reading any light or trifling work <on that day> and I certainly should consider myself highly culpable were I to pass the Sunday in perusing either novels, plays or any other work which would lead me to forget that I was commanded to keep “the Sabbath day holy”. Though I agree with you that Christianity needs no evidence but the Scriptures. I do not go the length of hating books on those subjects . I should be ungrateful indeed if I did having received much instruction <and> benefit from their perusal, and having been led by them to search the Scriptures with more earnestness than I should <otherwise> probably have done. I think also more favourably than you do of many of the books of Moral Instruction. They have assisted me in many cases where probably without their aid my weak judgment might have erred.
I have been led again on the subjects of the preceding sheets by the fancies of your sentiments in your last. I may not have expressed myself very intelligently now, but I am sure you will put the kindest construction on what I have written; and we may perhaps defer the further mention of these points until we meet. If you write on Monday night, have the goodness to address me at Horncastle, but after that time until the following Saturday at Mrs Burnside Castle Gate, Nottingham.
Pray give my kindest regards in Gower Street.
Believe me ever yours sincerely & affect’ly
John Franklin

[Addressed to]
Miss Porden
at Miss Appletons
Upper Portland Place
London
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