Old family; or, The Setons of Scotland and America

LETTER TO LADY CAYLEY. 271
for upwards of thirty years. From his earliest youth his time was occupied
by pursuits of commerce in which he soon acquired and invariably preserved
the fairest reputation — with the most persevering assiduity he combined the
most generous conduct. Never addicted to Vice of any kind nor to Pride
nor to Ostentation, his heart was replete with every Virtue, a real friend,
and a friend to mankind his whole life was marked uniformly by sincerity
of Heart, dignity of Manners, and Active Liberality of Mind. But alas he
is no more ! the destitute Orphan is deprived of its kindest Patron, the
helpless widow, and the unfortunate of their best friend — his afflicted
children of an indulgent & beloved Parent, and the Community of a citizen
who gained and never lost their confidence and approbation, their affection
& esteem, and one they will never cease to lament."
The following letter of his eldest son's wife to Lady Cayley,
in England, gives some account of his death and of the family
which I find nowhere else. Sir Digby Cavley showed me
this letter and other " Seton Papers " at High Hall in 1861,
but I am indebted for a copy of it to Mr. Cayley of Wydale.
(Elizabeth Seton to Lady Cayley.)
"New Vork, 6th July, 1798.
"My Dear Aunt Cayley, — We received your letter, number two, written
to our dear father, the third of April last, and happy should I be were it in
my power to offer you the kind, affectionate consolations contained in it.
But, alas ! we have every thing to lament and deplore, without one source
of comfort but that submission to the Disposer of all events, which we
know is our duty to make, even when our heart is rent with anguish. And
how shall I rend yours, and what can I say to prepare your mind for the
sad and distressing intelligence that our beloved, our best of parents is no
more. You have heard of the melancholy accident he met with on the 25th
of January, by a fall at his door, since which he has never been free from
pain, and almost constantly confined to his room, except now and then
riding to his country-seat for exercise, of which, unfortunately, he had never
been in the habit of taking enough. His complaint increased rapidly with
the warm season, and he so entirely lost his spirits as to think himself in
danger some weeks before the event took place. He died on the gth of
June, after several hours of severe pain, but possessing his senses to the
last ; and with him we have lost every hope of fortune, prosperity, and com-
fort, and shall feel his loss irreparably.
" Perhaps there never was an instance of any person being so universally
loved and lamented.
" Nearly five hundred people attended him to the grave, chiefly dressed in
black, with every mark of unaffected sorrow. Those in the higher station of