_Kinnaird Cottage, Pitlochry [June 1881]._
MY DEAR S. C.,--Great and glorious news. Your friend, the bold unfearing
chap, Aims at a professorial cap, And now besieges, do and dare, The
Edinburgh History chair. Three months in summer only it Will bind him to
that windy bit; The other nine to arrange abroad, Untrammel'd in the eye
of God. Mark in particular one thing: He means to work that cursed
thing, and to the golden youth explain Scotland and England, France and
Spain.
In short, sir, I mean to try for this chair. I do believe I can make
something out of it. It will be a pulpit in a sense; for I am nothing if
not moral, as you know. My works are unfortunately so light and trifling
they may interfere. But if you think, as I think, I am fit to fight it,
send me the best kind of testimonial stating all you can in favour of me
and, with your best art, turning the difficulty of my never having done
anything in history, strictly speaking. Second, is there anybody else,
think you, from whom I could wring one--I mean, you could wring one for
me. Any party in London or Cambridge who thinks well enough of my little
books to back me up with a few heartfelt words? Jenkin approves highly;
but says, pile in _English_ testimonials. Now I only know Stephen,
Symonds, Lang, Gosse and you, and Meredith, to be sure. The chair is in
the gift of the Faculty of Advocates, where I believe I am more wondered
at than loved. I do not know the foundation; one or two hundred, I
suppose. But it would be a good thing for me, out and out good. Help me
to live, help me to _work_, for I am the better of pressure, and help me
to say what I want about God, man and life.