“My dear Lockhart,—Nothing could meet my ideas and wishes so
perfectly as your conduct on the late proposal. It seems to me that C––r, having intrigued himself out
of the Duke’s favour, has now a mind
to play the necessary person and intrigue himself back again. Your connection
with any newspaper would be disgrace and degradation.
| 52 | LIFE OF J. G. LOCKHART. |
‘At Arthur’s hest the clarion sounds, With rapid clangour, hurried far; Each distant dell the note rebounds, But when return the sons of war? Offspring of stern necessity, Dull peace, the valley yields to thee, And owns thy melancholy sway.’ |
“Thus I have some doubt that the ancient Tories are too much scattered to be rallied even by King Arthur’s horn. If, however, national danger shall arise, which is not unlikely, they will rally round him as the flock does round the dogs when alarmed by the wolf.
|
1 His “Boswell’s Johnson.” |
| SCOTTISH CANNIBALS | 53 |
“We are much relieved by Johnnie’s amended health. I shall hope, if he gets tolerably well over this spring, that the tendency of the complaint will wear itself out.
“When the hurly-burly’s done, I hope that we shall have the Stuart papers, which would be a capital thing, or something else. I trust they do not intend, like Beau Tibbs, after talking of Ortolan and Burgundy, to fob us off with a slice of ox cheek passing hot, and a bottle of the smart small beer his Grace was so fond of.
“A thousand loves to Sophia and the children, and to the Morritts when you see him.
“I have quarrelled with ‘Anne of Geierstein’ for the present; besides, it would be insanity to bring out anything till ‘the battle’s fought and won.’”
