Memoir of Francis Hodgson
James Hodgson to Francis Hodgson, 5 March 1810
My dear Frank,—We had been for
some time expecting to hear from you, and therefore your letter by
yesterday’s post was received with much pleasure. Mr. Coke I should hope has some small chance of
getting Gladestry. But the Chancellor
1 I understand is notorious both for making promises
and breaking them.
I do not think the Walcheren inquiry will
![]()
![]()
| 126 | MEMOIR OF REV. F. HODGSON. | |
![]()
turn the ministry out. The expedition was set about too
late, as indeed all our military schemes always are; but, considering the
circumstances, as much was done as could be expected. The loss of so many men
by sickness is the only thing to be regretted. Lord
Chatham was not the fittest person to execute it; his subsequent
conduct is not to be defended. So I give him up. The epigram1 is excellent.
I read the ‘Monthly
Review’ some days ago, and immediately recognised your hand in
two of the articles—the Persius’2 and the ‘Chatterton.’ They both
are well done and do you credit. You will say I am growing fastidious, for I do
not admire Dr. Ireland’s learned
book on Paganism,
&c. At this time of day such stale objections ought not to be stirred. When
Rome existed and was heathen they might be proper, but not so now. They have
lost all their interest. The book, however, is a proof of the various research
and consummate judgment of the writer. The Westminster boys when they heard it
must have been amused if not edified
1 Sir Richard, longing to be at
’em, Stood waiting for the Earl of
Chatham.’ |
![]() 2 Stowes’s Translation of
Persius. |
![]()
![]()
| LETTER FROM HIS FATHER. | 127 |
![]()
by the lecturer. It was
impossible for them to understand what he was about. I read it through with
some attention, and admire very much the abstracts given from Austin and Cicero, and Varro,
cum multis aliis et Graecis et Latinis. His observations
on your note respecting Socrates
1 came from Mosheim and a sermon of Barrows; and they were well founded; but his expression that
Socrates did not teach a proper
creation, is a very improper one. Any writer less affected would have
said, Socrates did not teach a creation properly so
called; but ohe, jam satis.
My time has been much engaged2 of
late in pursuing a gang of villains who have long infested Leeds and this
neighbourhood. Eleven are already in York Castle, where I purpose going on
Monday to be present at their trials, and to give some of them a good word to
the judge; who I hope will be my old friend and schoolfellow, Sir Simon Le Blanc; we have not met since we
parted in the year 1766 at the Charter House. We all join in our love, and a
wish to hear from you soon.
Yours always,
Saint Augustine (354-430)
Bishop of Hippo (395), author of
Confessions and
The City of God.
Isaac Barrow (1630-1677)
Professor of Greek (1660) and Lucasian Professor of Mathematics (1663) at Cambridge;
author of
Exposition of the Creed, Decalogue, and Sacraments (1669).
His sermons were much admired.
Francis Coke (1763-1831)
Son of Richard Coke; he attended Balliol College, Oxford, and was rector of Gladestry in
Radnor (1810); in 1791 he married Anne Whitcombe.
James Hodgson (1749 c.-1810)
The father of Francis Hodgson; educated at Christ Church, Oxford, he was rector of Keston
in Kent and master of the school at Croydon; he was afterwards rector of Barwick in
Yorkshire and chaplain to Lords Liverpool and Dunmore.
John Ireland (1761-1842)
Dean of Westminster and a close friend of William Gifford; he published
Nuptiae sacrae, or, An Enquiry into the Scriptural Doctrine of Marriage and
Divorce (1801).
Sir Simon Le Blanc (1749-1816)
English jurist, counsel for the University of Cambridge (1791-1799); as justice of the
court of king's bench (1799) he worked toward the suppression of machine-breaking in the
midlands.
John Pitt, second earl of Chatham (1756-1835)
The eldest son of the elder Pitt and favourite of George III; as lieutenant-general he
led the Walcheren expedition (1809).
John Scott, first earl of Eldon (1751-1838)
Lord chancellor (1801-27); he was legal counsel to the Prince of Wales and an active
opponent of the Reform Bill.
Socrates (469 BC-399 BC)
Athenian philosopher whose teachings were recorded by Plato and Xenophon.
The Monthly Review. (1749-1844). The original editor was Ralph Griffiths; he was succeeded by his son George Edward who
edited the journal from 1803 to 1825, who was succeeded by Michael Joseph Quin
(1825–32).
