The Life of William Roscoe
Chapter I. 1753-1781
Francis Holden to William Roscoe [1780 c.?]
“The day after I received your inexpressibly kind letter, I
waited upon Messrs. Lyons*, who received me with all the
marks of a sincere friendship, and promised to do all in their power for
me—particularly to recommend me to the gentleman you spoke of. I have heard no
more of that business as yet, but I cannot refrain from writing to you. My time
now goes on more pleasantly. I have met with one or two Glasgow friends, who
treat me with an affection something like yours, if they did but know how to
express it, or to entertain me as well. No, my dear Roscoe; it will never be my fate, it will never be my wish, to
meet with so faithful, so engaging a friend. I would not learn to do without
you, for fear of inconstancy. * * * I will make you my director in matters of
law, and will prepare myself in such a manner as to be of
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real service to him who will please to employ me; for
nothing is more oppressive to a generous heart, than to be in arrears for
favours received. Must I tell you, my friend, that this thought has given me no
small uneasiness? I know it is not in my power to repay your kindnesses to me,
nor to be of half the service to you which you can be to me; and you have
always done all you could. What I would desire is, not that you should waste
your time in reading law books with me, which you know already; but that you
would answer those questions, and explain those difficulties, which must occur
of course to a young beginner; and that you would furnish me with books, which
I cannot at this time afford to purchase. But above all, that you will not put
me upon the footing of one whom you think yourself obliged to entertain at the
expense of your time, &c., but use me as one whose duty and desire is to
render himself as useful to you as possible, and as little burdensome. If you
will promise me these things, I shall be happy if Mr. Lyon
succeeds with Mr. Crompton the special pleader; and if
not, I will console myself, conscious that want of merit, not of friends, was
my loss; and that want of merit is one of Epictetus’s “τα
έϕ ημιν,” or things in our own power; and consequently I
will take care not to be long without it, by your assistance, who are a part of
myself. Adieu, my dear Will.”
William Roscoe (1753-1831)
Historian, poet, and man of letters; author of
Life of Lorenzo di
Medici (1795) and
Life and Pontificate of Leo X (1805). He
was Whig MP for Liverpool (1806-1807) and edited the
Works of Pope,
10 vols (1824).
