"Cheltenham, Oct. 14. 1812.
"My dear Lord,
"I perceive that the papers, yea, even Perry's, are somewhat
ruffled at the injudicious preference of the Committee. My friend
Perry has, indeed, 'et tu Brute'-d me rather scurvily, for which I
will send him, for the M.C., the next epigram I scribble, as a
token of my full forgiveness.
"Do the Committee mean to enter into no explanation of their
proceedings? You must see there is a leaning towards a charge of
partiality. You will, at least, acquit me of any great anxiety to
push myself before so many elder and better anonymous, to whom the
twenty guineas (which I take to be about two thousand pounds _Bank_
currency) and the honour would have been equally welcome. 'Honour,'
I see, 'hath no skill in paragraph-writing.'
"I wish to know how it went off at the second reading, and whether
any one has had the grace to give it a glance of approbation. I
have seen no paper but Perry's and two Sunday ones. Perry is
severe, and the others silent. If, however, you and your Committee
are not now dissatisfied with your own judgments, I shall not much
embarrass myself about the brilliant remarks of the journals. My
own opinion upon it is what it always was, perhaps pretty near that
of the public.
"Believe me, my dear Lord, &c. &c.
"P.S.--My best respects to Lady H., whose smiles will be very
consolatory, even at this distance."
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