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> [!SUMMARY]
> [[Hester Thrale née Salusbury]]'s account of:
> - the song written by Herbert Lawrence in her praise;
> - her earlier admiration of him; and
> - their estrangement due to his behaviour after the sudden death of her 10-year-old son.
> [!QUOTE] [[Hester Thrale née Salusbury|Hester Thrale]]'s wrote in [[Thraliana]] Aug/Sep 1777:
> Herbert Lawrence[^1] is a Man of great good Sense, much Knowledge, sound Morality and rather agreeable Address: his Principles with regard to Religion are some what loose I fear, his Temper is peevish, and his Affections cold. I once had an extremely strong regard for him, but his Behaviour on the Illness and Death of my [[Henry Salusbury Thrale|Son]] in the fatal Year 1776. shut my heart against him suddenly, and I could never open it to him more. he wrote some pretty Verses and said some clever Things and I have a Loss of his Acquaintance.
>
> The following Song he wrote in my Praise forsooth is not a bad one.
>
> > If all that I lov’d were her Face,
> From looking I sure might refrain;
> In others her Likeness might trace
> Or her Absence might ease all my Pain:
>
> > Content from her Charms I retir’d
> Nor knew I till then how I lov’d;
> What present my Passion admir’d
> When absent my reason approv’d.
>
> > Then how should I hope for relief
> When all I can see is Disdain;
> No Pity in her for my Grief,
> No merit in me to complain;
>
> > Yet will I not Fortune upbraid,
> Though robb’d of my Freedom and Ease;
> Still proud of the Choice I have made
> Though hopeless it ever can please.
In August 1778, Hester Thrale wrote [verses in appreciative response](http://www.thrale.com/herbert_lawrence)to Herbert Lawrence.
## See also
![[hester-lynch-thrale-1741-1821🔎#^hester-lynch-thrale-infoblock]]
#history/person/SALUSBURY/hester-lynch-born-1741
#history/person/LAWRENCE/herbert-died-1797
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[^1]: A surgeon and apothecary (1722-1797).