“I was duly favoured with your packet, containing
the play, as well as your very kind letter. I will endeavour (though extremely
unwilling to offer criticism on most occasions) to meet your confidence with
perfect frankness. I do not consider the Tragedy as likely to make that
favourable impression on the public which I would wish that the performance of
a friend should effect—and I by no means recommend to you to hazard it upon the
boards. In other compositions the neglect of the world takes nothing from the
merit of the author; but there is something ludicrous in being affiché as the author of an
unsuccessful play. Besides, you entail on yourself the great and eternal plague
of altering and retrenching to please the humours of performers, who are,
speaking generally, extremely ignorant, and capricious in proportion. These are
not vexations to be voluntarily undertaken; and the truth is, that in the
present day there is only one reason which seems to me adequate for the
| LETTER TO MR HARTSTONGE. | 317 |
“I am much obliged to you for your kind intentions towards my young Hussar. We have not heard from him for three weeks. I believe he is making out a meditated visit to Killarney. I am just leaving the country for Edinburgh, to attend my duty in the courts; but the badness of the weather in some measure reconciles me to the unpleasant change. I have the pleasure to continue the most satisfactory accounts of my health; it is to external appearance as strong as in my strongest days—indeed, after I took once more to Sancho’s favourite occupations of eating and sleeping, I recovered my losses wonderfully. Very truly yours,
