Created by Hannah Taylor on Sat, 11/11/2023 - 13:24
Description:
In this letter, Willoughby tells Marianne that he no longer wishes to be romantically involved with her. He writes that he did not mean to make her believe that he loved her, and that he is sorry for leading her on in their relationship.
This letter from Willoughby to Marianne is an example of a letter that might be written in the Regency Period. I copied the letter by using an ink fountain pen, just as John Willoughby would have used in his composition to Marianne. The letter would have been folded and sealed with wax. Letter writing in the Regency Period followed different rules than we do today. Marianne would have had to pay to receive this letter. Had Willoughby's letter been longer, Marianne would have to pay per page upon reception. As far as general conduct goes, it was frowned upon for a man and a woman to correspond without an engagement. Had anyone found out about Willoughby and Marianne's postal communication, it might have been a scandal.
Willoughby's Letter to Marianne, crafted by Hannah Taylor, 2023