I have abundant reason to be satisfied with the success of my publication, but have been a good deal mortified by finding that some of Park’s friends consider me as having been unjust towards his memory in my observations relative to his connection with Bryan Edwards. My defence is that I undertook to be the biographer of Park, and not to write his panegyric, and that I did not think his conduct
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I am afraid that we shall certainly have war; and there will as certainly be a schism between Lord Grenville and Lord Grey,2 if it has not already taken
1 Mr. Murray wrote to Mr. Whishaw about the reception of his book as follows:— 1815? Dear Sir,—I regret exceedingly that I shall be wholly without the means of satisfying you with the sort of intelligence respecting the Memoir which you appear to expect, as every criticism and opinion that has reached my anxious and interested ear has been most completely favourable. Gifford and Lord Byron—two persons of opposite tastes and neither of them particularly known to you—have expressed to me their entire satisfaction at its judiciousness and interest of the narrative and its attending remarks, and Sir James Mackintosh is no less pleased with these qualities in it, and is delighted with the ease and elegance of the style in which it is written. Others of less note I have heard speak of it with indiscriminate satisfaction; and as to the comments of Park’s friends, you have too much experience of mankind not to have anticipated the many chances against the possibility of harmonising with the warm but ill-regulated feelings of mere relations. If your visit be about four o’clock or later, you will probably be rewarded by meeting with Scott or Byron and most likely with both. I remain, dear Sir,
Your obliged and faithful
servant, 2 On the escape of Napoleon differences of opinion arose between Grenville and Grey on the war question. Grenville maintained that it was impossible to keep peace with Napoleon, and that vigorous hostilities should immediately be commenced; while Grey declared that it was the duty of the country and the Allies to do everything which they reasonably could to preserve the peace. A correspondence ensued which led to a division among their followers. |
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