LORD  BYRON  and  his  TIMES
Byron
Documents Biography Criticism
A Memoir of the Reverend Sydney Smith
Letters 1813
Sydney Smith to Bobus Smith, 17 March 1813
INTRODUCTION & INDEXES
DOCUMENT INFORMATION
GO TO PAGE NUMBER:
Author's Preface
Contents
Chapter I
Chapter II
Chapter III
Chapter IV
Chapter V
Chapter VI
Chapter VII
Chapter VIII
Chapter IX
Chapter X
Chapter XI
Chapter XII
Index
Editor’s Preface
Letters 1801
Letters 1802
Letters 1803
Letters 1804
Letters 1805
Letters 1806
Letters 1807
Letters 1808
Letters 1809
Letters 1810
Letters 1811
Letters 1812
Letters 1813
Letters 1814
Letters 1815
Letters 1816
Letters 1817
Letters 1818
Letters 1819
Letters 1820
Letters 1821
Letters 1822
Letters 1823
Letters 1824
Letters 1825
Letters 1826
Letters 1827
Letters 1828
Letters 1829
Letters 1830
Letters 1831
Letters 1832
Letters 1833
Letters 1834
Letters 1835
Letters 1836
Letters 1837
Letters 1838
Letters 1839
Letters 1840
Letters 1841
Letters 1842
Letters 1843
Letters 1844
Creative Commons License

Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License.
Produced by CATH
 
March 17th, 1813.
My dear Bobus,

It seems to me a long time since I heard from you. Pray write to me, and if you are vexed, or uneasy, or dispirited, do not be too proud to say so.

I have heard about you from various good judges, all of whom concur in the statement made to me from Holland House; that the coach appeared to be made of admirable materials, and that its breaking down was a mere accident, for which it is impossible to account. I see you have spoken again, but your speech is only given in my three days’ paper, and that very concisely. If you said what you had to say without a fresh attack of nervousness, this is all I care about. If the body does not play you these tricks, I have no fear of the mind. By the bye, you will laugh at me, but I am convinced a working senator should lead a life like an athlete. I wish you would let me send you a horse, and that you would ride every morning ten or fifteen miles before breakfast, and fling yourself into a profuse perspiration. No man ever stopped in a speech, that had perspired copiously that day. Do you disdain the assistance of notes?

I am going on prosperously with my buildings, but I am not yet out of sight of land. We most earnestly hope nothing will prevent you this year from coming down into Yorkshire. I have learnt to ride backwards and forwards to my living since I saw you, by which means I do not sleep away from home;—and I have found so good a manager of my accounts, that one day a week is sufficient for me to give up to my buildings.

104 MEMOIR OF THE REV. SYDNEY SMITH.

When you have done anything that pleases yourself, write me word; it will give me the most unfeigned pleasure. Whether you turn out a consummate orator or not, will neither increase nor diminish my admiration for your talents or my respect for your character; —but when a man is strong, it is pleasant to make that strength respected;—and you will be happier for it, if you can do so (as I have no doubt you will soon).

My very kind love to Caroline and the children, and believe me ever your affectionate brother,

Sydney Smith.