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The Life of William Roscoe
Chapter VI. 1796-1799
William Roscoe to James Currie, [January? 1797]
INTRODUCTION & INDEXES
DOCUMENT INFORMATION
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Preface
Vol I. Contents
Chapter I. 1753-1781
Chapter II. 1781-1787
Chapter III. 1787-1792
Chapter IV. 1788-1796
Chapter V. 1795
Chapter VI. 1796-1799
Chapter VII. 1799-1805
Chapter IX. 1806-1807
Chapter X. 1808
Chapter XI. 1809-1810
Vol II. Contents
Chapter XII. 1811-1812
Chapter XIII. 1812-1815
Chapter XIV. 1816
Chapter XV. 1817-1818
Chapter XVI. 1819
Chapter XVII. 1820-1823
Chapter XVIII. 1824
Chapter XIX. 1825-1827
Chapter XX. 1827-1831
Chapter XXI.
Appendix
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“Your introduction to Dr. Moore was re-
LIFE OF WILLIAM ROSCOE.211
ceived by him with great kindness, and has been the source of much satisfaction to me. My wife and I dined there on Thursday. The party were Dr., Mrs., and Miss Moore; the Doctor’s two sons, James, the surgeon, and Charles, the lawyer; Mr. Gifford, the poet; Fuseli; ma femme, and myself. I hope I need not say our time passed very pleasantly. The Doctor is full of anecdote; Fuseli is a hero in conversation; Charles gave us some good imitations of the oratory of Burke, Dundas, &c.; Gifford is a little, rather common looking man, but shrewd and intelligent, though not very talkative. I have paid the Doctor several morning visits, and he has called on me. At one of these he showed me the original of Burns’s life, and several other letters, papers, and poems; all of which, he says, are at your service, if you write the life. He will also consent, I doubt not, to his letters being printed, after having first perused them. Fuseli is an old acquaintance of the Doctor’s, whom he calls a good, unctious, sociable, family man.

“I have been frequently with the Marquis (of Lansdowne) at morning visits, and am to dine with him on Tuesday. At one of these morning calls I met with Mr. Grey, and had a good deal of interesting conversation with him and the Marquis; and yesterday I met Mr. Fox there, and had a long discussion on the face of
212LIFE OF WILLIAM ROSCOE.
affairs at home and abroad, &c. In these accidental rencontres I consider myself fortunate; but I shall not at present attempt to sketch the conversation that took place. All I shall say is, that opposition, to judge from its leading members, seems to have now no certain system or bond of union. Whether these visits to the Marquis were mere ceremony, or portend some new arrangement, I know not, but presume the former. I left Mr. Grey with the Marquis, but out-sate Mr. Fox, as he instantly left the room when I got up to go away. The people here begin to talk about the French preparations; but nobody seems to care. The fact is, they are too busy to attend to such matters. ‘Two shall be grinding at the mill,’ &c.: you are too well read in the sacred volumes to stand in need of an interpretation.”