"Newstead Abbey, Septembers. 1814.
"I am obliged by what you have sent, but would rather not see any
thing of the kind[47]; we have had enough of these things already,
good and bad, and next month you need not trouble yourself to
collect even the _higher_ generation--on my account. It gives me
much pleasure to hear of Mr. Hobhouse's and Mr. Merivale's good
entreatment by the journals you mention.
"I still think Mr. Hogg and yourself might make out an alliance.
_Dodsley's_ was, I believe, the last decent thing of the kind, and
_his_ had great success in its day, and lasted several years; but
then he had the double advantage of editing and publishing. The
Spleen, and several of _Gray's_ odes, much of _Shenstone_, and many
others of good repute, made their first appearance in his
collection. Now, with the support of Scott, Wordsworth, Southey,
&c., I see little reason why you should not do as well; and, if
once fairly established, you would have assistance from the
youngsters, I dare say. Stratford Canning (whose 'Buonaparte' is
excellent), and many others, and Moore, and Hobhouse, and I, would
try a fall now and then (if permitted), and you might coax
Campbell, too, into it. By the by, _he_ has an unpublished (though
printed) poem on a scene in Germany, (Bavaria, I think,) which I
saw last year, that is perfectly magnificent, and equal to himself.
I wonder he don't publish it.
"Oh!--do you recollect S * *, the engraver's, mad letter about not
engraving Phillips's picture of Lord _Foley_? (as he blundered it;)
well, I have traced it, I think. It seems, by the papers, a
preacher of Johanna Southcote's is named _Foley_; and I can no way
account for the said S * *'s confusion of words and ideas, but by
that of his head's running on Johanna and her apostles. It was a
mercy he did not say Lord _Tozer_. You know, of course, that S * *
is a believer in this new (old) virgin of spiritual impregnation.
"I long to know what she will produce[48]; her being with child at
sixty-five is indeed a miracle, but her getting any one to beget
it, a greater.
"If you were not going to Paris or Scotland, I could send you some
game: if you remain, let me know.
"P.S. A word or two of 'Lara,' which your enclosure brings before
me. It is of no great promise separately; but, as connected with
the other tales, it will do very well for the volumes you mean to
publish. I would recommend this arrangement--Childe Harold, the
smaller Poems, Giaour, Bride, Corsair, Lara; the last completes the
series, and its very likeness renders it necessary to the others.
Cawthorne writes that they are publishing _English Bards in
Ireland:_ pray enquire into this; because _it must_ be stopped."
[Footnote 47: The reviews and magazines of the month.]
[Footnote 48: The following characteristic note, in reference to this
passage, appears, in Mr. Gifford's hand-writing, on the copy of the
above letter:--"It is a pity that Lord B. was ignorant of Jonson. The
old poet has a Satire on the Court Pucelle that would have supplied him
with some pleasantry on Johanna's pregnancy."]
* * * * *