I am very much obliged to you for the kind manner in which you express
yourself respecting the praise that has been so lavishly bestowed on me
by the reviewer of my book, in the Edinburgh Review[195]. Immediately on
reading it, I guessed that the writer of the article was Mr.
M'Culloch[196], for from the publication of my book he appears sincerely
to have embraced the views which I wished to impress on all my readers.
I cannot but feel highly gratified at his praise, which I should not
have been in anything like an equal degree if it had come from Mr. Mill,
because, though I should not have doubted his sincerity, I should have
imputed much to his friendship and good opinion. The praise indeed is
far beyond my merits, and would perhaps have really told more if the
writer had mixed with it an objection here and there.
I do not remember what the question was which I answered consistently
with my general principles in my last letter, and not having your letter
here I cannot refer to it. I admit that by improvements in agriculture
an enormous quantity of wealth may be created, and that in the natural
progress of society much of that wealth may ultimately go to landlords
in the shape of rent, but that does not alter the fact of rent being
always a transfer, and never a creation of wealth--for before it is paid
to the landlords as rent it must have constituted the profits of stock,
and a portion is made over to the landlord only because lands of a
poorer quality are taken into cultivation....
... You must have found your excursion to the Isle of Wight very
pleasant....
You will have seen by the newspapers that I have been through all the
parade and expense, which my office of sheriff imposes on me, when the
judges attend the Assizes, without any advantage. The judge came into
the town after midnight, by which his commission became void, and, after
sending to London, Jury, Witnesses, Counsel, and Sheriff were all
dismissed to their respective homes. It is expected that we shall have a
new commission in two or three weeks....
I am sorry that you have not made any great progress in the work that
you are about. After the reflection you have given to the subject I am
not surprised that my reviewer has not shaken your confidence in your
opinions. It would have been little flattering to me if he had, for I
have had many opportunities, and have taken a great deal of pains to
bring you round to my way of thinking without success. Why should he be
so fortunate on the first trial? The truth I begin to suspect is that we
do not differ so much as we have hitherto thought. I differed very
little from the opinions expressed in that part of your MS. which you
read to me, but I wish to h[ave an] opportunity of judging of your
system as a whole, and therefore shall be glad when it comes forth in
its printed form.
I am glad to hear that Sir J. Mackintosh and Mr. Whishaw are well, pray
remember me kindly to them. If either, or both of them, should go to
Bowood[197] this season, I shall take it very kind of them if they will
come for a few days to me. The Marquis of Lansdown has promised me a
visit, and it would be particularly agreeable if they would all come at
the same time. Should Mr. Whishaw be as near to me as Bowood he is
already under an engagement to come. I met the Marquis and Marchioness
of Lansdown at Gloucester; they entered the town on their way home from
a tour, just as I was about leaving it; and owing to the breaking up of
the courts were detained some time for want of horses. I suppose that
you will be confined at Hertford till the Xmas vacation. I very much
wish that Mrs. Malthus and you would pass a part of that vacation with
us.... Mr. Mill arrived here yesterday evening to pay me his long
promised visit. He brings me no news, excepting that he dined at Mr.
Bentham's with Mr. Brougham, Mr. Rush[198] the American Ambassador, and
Sir Samuel Romilly. The old gentleman is becoming gay. A party of four
must to him be a formidably large one[199]....
Ever truly yours,
D. RICARDO.
NOTE.--Between this letter and the next come probably the two quoted
by McCulloch (Ricardo, Works, p. XXVI), to whom (if not to Mill)
they were no doubt addressed: 7th April, 1819, 'You will have seen
that I have taken my seat in the House of Commons. I fear that I
shall be of little use there. I have twice attempted to speak; but I
proceeded in the most embarrassed manner; and I have no hope of
conquering the alarm with which I am assailed the moment I hear the
sound of my own voice.' 22nd June, 1819, 'I thank you for your
endeavours to inspire me with confidence on the occasion of my
addressing the House. Their indulgent reception of me has, in some
degree, made the task of speaking more easy to me; but there are yet
so many formidable obstacles to my success, and some, I fear, of a
nature nearly insurmountable, that I apprehend it will be wisdom and
sound discretion in me to content myself with giving silent votes.'
Happily he did not keep this resolution. It was at this time that
George Grote was introduced to Ricardo, breakfasting with him at
Brook Street (March 23 and 28, 1819), and walking with him and Mill
in St. James's Park and Kensington Gardens afterwards. Grote used to
submit his papers to Ricardo's judgment, and vied with Mill in
admiration of him (Personal Life of George Grote, p. 36). A letter
from Ricardo to Grote, dated March 1823, is given in Grote's Life
(p. 42); Ricardo thanks Grote for having expressed approbation of
his political conduct. One of Ricardo's last public appearances,
outside Parliament, was at a Reform dinner, where he proposed the
chief resolution of the evening in a speech which Grote helped him
to prepare (Bain's Life of J. Mill, p. 208).