I thought you had entirely forgotten me, and was pleasing myself with the notion that you were rising in the world, that your income was tripling and quadrupling in value, and that you were going through the customary and concomitant process of shedding your old friends and the companions of your obscurity,—when, behold! your letter arrived, diminished your income, blunted your fame, and restored your character.
As for me, I am plagued to death with lectures, sermons, etc.; and am afraid I have rather overloaded myself. I got through my first course I think creditably; whether any better than creditably, others know better than myself. I have still ten to read, have written two upon wit and humour, and am proceeding to write three upon taste. What the subject of the others will be I know not. I wish I had your sanity and fertility at my elbow, to resort to in cases of dulness and difficulty.
I am extremely glad, however, upon the whole, that I have engaged in the thing, and think that it will do me good, and hereafter amuse me, when I have more leisure.
I have not seen much of your friend Bell,* but mean to see more of him. He is modest, amiable, and full of zeal and enterprise in his profession. I could not have conceived that anything could be so perfect and beautiful as his wax models. I saw one today, which was quite the Apollo Belvidere of morbid anatomy.
Horner is a very happy man; his worth and talents
* The late Sir Charles Bell. |
16 | MEMOIR OF THE REV. SYDNEY SMITH. |
God bless you, my dear Jeffrey!—is the prayer of your sincere friend,