An 26 Samhain 1658
Banmharcas Urumhan – ag scríobh faoin ainm ‘JH’, ó Theach an Dúin Mhóir seans – chuig a fear céile, marcas Urumhan, a dtagraíonn sí dó mar ‘An tUasal James Johnson’
Sir
your tow leters of the 11 of oct are both come unto my hands with a copie of the Diede, the former you sent beinge defective, was tharfor not thoght fitt to bee prodused in Court, and whether this second may bee of forse; not beinge an origenall, your lawyers must determine, with whom I shall the next terme advise consarninge it; and for also beinge in some wonder that you have not heard from mee in many weekes, is an omistione, that I hope you will excuse, when you shall have considerede what a frind I have lost of my unkell Badlie, that ocationed my sielense for some Time, which I shall now indevour to repare, by writinge oftener, sense it is a troubell, I find you willinge to admitt of; and as to your othar comands, I shall give you the [s]ame clear accompt tharof, as in all things ellse [t]hat you please to injoyne mee, by acquantinge you that accordinge your desiers, I showede your frind the proposals of a mach for hir elldest sone; and first, [r]epresented the extractione of the person, hir fortune [a]nd the condistione how it stoud, as I did Likwise [t]he vertew and Beuty of the yonge gentellwoman [a]nd the pastion that hir sone had for hir, all which, beinge then Left unto hir to Consider [of], I then prest as farr as was fitt for mee to know hir sense tharupon, which in brife was this; that [a]s to the first, shee consevde Just cause of exseptione as to the desent of the Ladys father, which however not perhapes the less estimede in a Nother contrye, would make it of reproch heare; and secondl[ie] as to the fortune, which hee shee hears at the most is bu[t] tene Thowsand pound of which nethar the husban[d] nor his parents canbee the beter more then wha[t] the intrest of soe much cane bringe, shee conseves very inconsiderable, to the freeinge of an estate Morg morgedged for noe Les befor and sense the warr th[en] twentye Thowsand Pound, besids depts contracted for some years mantenanse, and the expense of recovring[e] it by Sute, and the yearlie rent with which it stand[s] Charged, besides tow daughters, yet unprovided for [/] which considered, as shee hopes it willbee seriouslie by hir sone, and shuch of his frinds as are ther, wil[l] shee hopes give a Stope unto his Rueninge of his [fortune] familie, to please his fancye, sense himselfe kno[wes] that beter Maches were offerede hime befor hee went to travell, and shee belevefs not without Some resone may still bee had, more Sutabell in respect of the advantages of thar allianse, then what th[is] stranger cane bringe, soe as upon the whole Matt[er] I find shee dous not for thes resons aprove of t[he] proposistione, which and I thought it befitted mee to tell you, and if I have relatede in this, what may bee ethar displeasinge unto your selfe, or the yong gentellman; I bege your pardon for it, the which I am incoridged to hope you will grant, when to a person that has actede noe furthar then what your owne comands has warented mee to; in fathfullye returninge an accompt of what I was desired, as to the best of my understandinge I have now don, and shall with the same in integritye acquitt my selfe, on all ocations else, of your consernes as may answer, the profestione of my beinge
sir
your fathfull humbell sarvant
the 26 of No JH
Tugtar léargas sa litir seo ar an athrú a bhí ag teacht ar chúrsaí cumhachta idir an banmharcas agus a fear céile le linn di saol nua a bhunú di féin agus dá leanaí is óige in An Dún Mór tráth a raibh seisean ag leanúint lena shaol contúirteach mar dheoraí ar an Mór-Roinn.
Ainneoin na gcoinníollacha a raibh uirthi déileáil leo, mar a léirítear sa litir seo, lean an banmharcas le comhfhreagras faoi rún lena fear céile i ndiaidh di An Dún Mór a bhaint amach. Cheil sí a lámhscríbhneoireacht; d’úsáid siad códainmneacha éagsúla chun a neasteaghlach agus daoine eile a raibh baint acu lena saol sóisialta a phlé; agus chruthaigh sí persona eipistileach di féin mar chara fireann de chuid a fhir chéile, agus bhain sí úsáid as na hinisealacha ‘JH’ – na hinisealacha céanna a d’úsáid a cara nuair a bhí sí ag scríobh chuici in Caen deich mbliana roimhe sin. Cinneadh contúirteach a rinne Elizabeth nuair a chinn sí scríobh chuig a fear céile ‘ciontach’ a bhí ar deoraí i gcúirt Stuart. Dá mba rud é go ndéanfaí a cuid litreacha a idirghabháil ghlacfaí leis go raibh siad ciontach as comhcheilg agus tréas fiú. Ní hamháin go raibh a slí bheatha á cur i mbaol aici bhí a saol á chur i mbaol aici.
Dírítear sa litir seo ar chúrsaí teaghlaigh, go háirithe ar phósadh a eagrú dá mac is sine, Thomas, Iarla Árann. Bhí sé i ndiaidh titim i ngrá le Amelia van Nassau, iníon Ghobharnóir Sluys san Ísiltír. Bhí cúram áirithe léirithe ag an marcas nuair a bhí an cleamhnas á cheadú aige, ach b’éigean don bhanmharcas comhaontú leis chun na socruithe airgeadais a údarú, agus bhí sí go mór i gcoinne an phósta.
Bhain an banmharcas tairbhe as imthosca uathúla na cumarsáide rúnda idir an lánúin chun aird a tharraingt uirthi féin. Trí ‘JH’ a scríobh, bhí ar a cumas a cuid agóidí féin maidir leis an bpósadh a léiriú sa tríú pearsa: chiallaigh sé seo go raibh ar chumas an bhanmharcais a bheith níos oscailte ná mar a bheadh dá mbeadh a hainm féin in úsáid aici.
Cáineann sí ginealach theaghlach na mná óige, brainse neamhdhlisteanach d’áras ceannasach Oráisteach. Diúltaíonn sí do nasc níos ginearálta leis an Ísiltír, agus cuireann sí é seo i gcomparáid go neamhfhabhrach le naisc eile níos cóngaraí don bhaile. Chomh maith leis sin, bíonn sí ag gearán faoi impleachtaí airgeadais an phósta: bhí sí ag streachailt freastal ar a teaghlach ar eastát i bhfad níos lú, agus tarraingíonn sí aird a fhir chéile ar an morgáiste ar an eastát, an costas a bhain leis an morgáiste a íoc, agus an spré a bhí ag teastáil dá beirt iníonacha. Chuir sí in iúl go soiléir go raibh sí ag diúltú don phósadh a bhí beartaithe, ní raibh fonn uirthi deis plé a thabhairt do dhuine ar bith, agus rinne sí liosta de na cúiseanna a raibh sí ag cur i gcoinne an phósta gan chúis ar bith a lua leis na cúiseanna sin. Is cosúil gurb ionann a ról i ndáil le heastáit na hÉirinn a chosaint agus fianaise go raibh níos mó údaráis aici ná mar a bhí ag a fear céile neamhláithreach.