Samuel Rogers and his Contemporaries
Francis Jeffrey to Samuel Rogers, 30 July 1819
‘Edinburgh: 30 July, 1819.
‘My dear Sir,—I have been very much shocked and
distressed by observing in the newspaper the great pecuniary calamity which has
fallen on our excellent friend Moore,
and not being able to get any distinct information either as to its extent, or
its probable consequences, from anybody here, I have thought it best to relieve
my anxiety by applying to you, whose kind concern in him must both have made
you acquainted with all the particulars, and willing, I hope, to satisfy the
enquiries of one who sincerely shares in that concern. I do not know, however,
that I should have troubled you merely to answer an useless enquiry; but in
wishing to know whether any steps have been taken to mitigate this disaster, I
am desirous of knowing also whether I can be of any use on the occasion. I
have, unfortunately, not a great deal of money to spare. But if it should be
found practicable to relieve him from this unmerited distress by any
contribution, I beg leave to say that I shall think it an honour to be allowed
to take share in it to the extent of 300l. or 500l., and that I could advance more
than double the sum named above upon any reasonable security of ultimate
repayment, however long postponed.
‘I am quite aware of the difficulty of carrying
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any such arrangement with a man of Moore’s high feelings and character, and
had he been unmarried and without children he might have been less reluctantly
left to the guidance and support of that character. But as it is, I think his
friends are bound to make an effort to prevent such lasting and extended misery
as, from what I have heard, seems now to be impending, and in hands at once so
kind and so delicate as yours I flatter myself that this may be found
practicable. I need not add, I am sure, that I am most anxious that, whether
ultimately acted upon or not, this communication should never be mentioned to
Moore himself. If you please, you may tell him that I
have been deeply distressed by his misfortunes, and should be most happy to do
him any service. But as I have no right to speak to him of money, I do not
think he should know that I have spoken of it to you. If my offer is accepted,
I shall consider you and not him as the acceptor, and he ought not to be
burdened with the knowledge of any other benefactor.
‘Is there no chance of seeing you in Scotland again?
We have had a sad loss in Playfair1—and one quite irreparable to our society here.
It is a comfort to think that we cannot possibly have such another. We had a
great fright about Scott too, but fortunately he is quite recovered.
‘I have a sort of project of running over to Paris
again
1 John
Playfair, F.R.S., the eminent mathematician and
physicist, died on the 19th of July 1819, in his seventy-second year.
He was an Edinburgh Reviewer, and Professor of Mathematics, and
afterwards of Natural Philosophy, in the University of Edinburgh. His
cousin, the Principal of St.
Andrews University, was grandfather of the Right Hon. Sir Lyon Playfair, K.C.B., F.R.S., &c.
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| CRABBE ON 'HUMAN LIFE' | 293 |
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this autumn. If I had a chance
of finding you in the Rue de Rivoli, I should not hesitate a moment. I am not
quite so insensible to the advantages of that encounter as I appeared to
be,—and yet I have a thousand times since reproached myself for having
made too little use of them. Believe me always,
‘Your obliged and very faithful servant, &c.,
Francis Jeffrey, Lord Jeffrey (1773-1850)
Scottish barrister, Whig MP, and co-founder and editor of the
Edinburgh
Review (1802-29). As a reviewer he was the implacable foe of the Lake School of
poetry.
Thomas Moore (1779-1852)
Irish poet and biographer, author of the
Irish Melodies (1807-34),
The Fudge Family in Paris (1818), and
Lalla
Rookh (1817); he was Byron's close friend and designated biographer.
Sir Hugh Lyon Playfair (1786-1861)
The son of Dr James Playfair, principal of St Andrews (1738-1819); he served as an
officer in India (1804-34) and was provost of St. Andrews University (1842-61).
John Playfair (1748-1819)
Professor of Mathematics at Edinburgh University and Whig man of letters who contributed
to the
Edinburgh Review.
