I am sincerely sorry to hear of the protracted sufferings of Lord Morley; at the same time, my opinion always was, that the gout, entering upon a Peer of the realm, had too good a thing of it to be easily dispossessed.

I continue to be delighted with the country. My parsonage will be perfection. The only visitor I have had here is Mr. Jeffrey, who, I believe (though he richly deserves that good fortune), is scarcely known to Lord Grey and yourself. A man of rare talent and unbending integrity, who has been honest even in

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Scotland; which is as if he were temperate and active at Capua.

Talking of honest men, I beg to be remembered to Lord Howick, on whom I lay great stress; from his understanding, rank, and courage, he will be an important personage in the days to come. Pat him on the back, and tell him that the safety and welfare of a country depend in a great measure on men like himself. Pray tell us of some good books to send for from the Subscription Library. I would tell you, if I had looked at any other book than the ‘Builders’ Price Book.’ They are opposing poor Sir Thomas Lethbridge for the county of Somerset. I mean to vote and do everything I can for him: it is right to encourage converts.

Eternal rain here. Mr. Jeffrey wanted to persuade me that myrtles grew out-of-doors in Scotland, as here. Upon cross-examination, it turned out they were prickly, and that many had been destroyed by the family donkey.

I am going to Lord Morley’s, where I was first bound to meet the Chancellor and Lady Lyndhurst. Nothing can be more insane than to make such engagements in my present state. I consider that every

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day’s absence from home costs me £10 in the villany of carpenters and bricklayers; for as I am my own architect and clerk of the works, you may easily imagine what is done when I am absent. I continue to be delighted with my house and place.

The Duke of Wellington has given, I think, the first signs I ever remarked of weakness, in prosecuting for libels; not for libels which regard a particular fact, as that for which the Chancellor has prosecuted, but for general abuse. I am sorry for the King, and for all his subjects upon whom the evils of age are falling.

I told —— if he would have patience he would have a little girl at last. I might have said, he might have twenty little girls. What is there to prevent him from having a family sufficient to exasperate the placid Malthus? I met your neighbours Mr. and Mrs. Calcott at Bowood. Reasonable, enlightened people. I was also much pleased with Lady Louisa, Lord Lansdowne’s daughter; very clever and very amiable. Luttrell came over for a day, from whence I know not, but I thought not from good pastures; at least, he had not his usual soup-and-pattie look. There was a forced smile upon his countenance, which seemed to indicate plain roast and boiled; and a sort of apple-pudding depression, as if he had been staying with a clergyman.

God bless you, dear Lady Holland! Kindest regards to all.

Nobody can more sincerely wish the prosperity of

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the road from York to Oswaldkirk than I do. I wish to you hard materials, diligent trustees, gentle convexity, fruitful tolls, cleanly gutters, obedient parishes, favouring justices, and every combination of fortunate circumstances which can fall to the lot of any human highway. These are my wishes, but I can only wish. I cannot, from the bottom of Somersetshire, attend in person, as a letter (2s. 6d. postage) yesterday invited me to do. Perhaps you will have the goodness to scratch my name out of the list of trustees.

I don’t know anybody who would be less affronted at being called hare-brained than our friend who has so tardily conveyed my message, and I am afraid now he has only given you a part of it. The omission appears to be, that I had set up an hotel on the West-

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ern road,* that it would be opened next spring, and I hoped for the favour of yours and Mrs. Fazakerly’s patronage. ‘Well-aired beds, neat wines, careful drivers, etc. etc.’

I shall have very great pleasure in coming to see you, and I quite agree in the wisdom of postponing that event till the rural Palladios and Vitruvii are chased away; I have fourteen of them here every day. The country is perfectly beautiful, and my parsonage the prettiest place in it.

I was at Bowood last week: the only persons there were sea-shore Calcott and his wife,—two very sensible, agreeable people. Luttrell came over for the day; he was very agreeable, but spoke too lightly, I thought, of veal soup. I took him aside, and reasoned the matter with him, but in vain; to speak the truth, Luttrell is not steady in his judgments on dishes. Individual failures with him soon degenerate into generic objections, till, by some fortunate accident, he eats himself into better opinions. A person of more calm reflection thinks not only of what he is consuming at that moment, but of the soups of the same kind he has met with in a long course of dining, and which have gradually and justly elevated the species. I am perhaps making too much of this; but the failures of a man of sense are always painful.

I quite agree about Napier’s book. I did not think that any man would venture to write so true, bold, and honest a book; it gave me a high idea of his understanding, and makes me very anxious about his caractère. Ever yours,

My house is assuming the forms of maturity, and a very capital house it will be for a parsonage,—far better than that at Poston. Your threats of coming to see us give us great pleasure. When will you come? Let it be for a good long stay. Pray remember me kindly to Mrs. Murray, and tell her that the only fault I find in her is an excessive attachment to bishops and tithes; an amiable passion, but which may be pushed too far.

I cannot say the pleasure it gives me that my old and dear friend Jeffrey is in the road to preferment. I shall not be easy till he is fairly on the Bench. His robes, God knows, will cost him little: one buck rabbit will clothe him to the heels.

I have been paying some aristocratic visits to Lord Bath and Lord Bathurst. Lady Bath is a very agreeable, conversible woman. Lord and Lady Bathurst, and Lady Georgiana, are charming. Nothing can exceed the beauty of this country,—forty and fifty miles together of fertility and interesting scenery. I hardly think I have any news to tell you. The Duke of Bedford has given in his adhesion to the Duke of Wellington, as have all the Tories, except four. Read ‘Les Mémoires d’une Femme de Qualité sur Louis XVIII.’ It is by Madame du Cayla, and extremely interesting.

I was not at all pleased with the article in the Edinburgh Review on the Westminster Review, and thought the Scotchmen had the worst of it. How foolish and

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profligate, to show that the principle of general utility has no foundation, that it is often opposed to the interests of the individual! If this be not true, there is an end of all reasoning and all morals: and if any man asks, why am I to do what is generally useful? he should not be reasoned with, but called rogue, rascal, etc., and the mob should be excited to break his windows.

God bless you, dear Murray!

I should be glad to hear from you, and the more so, as I have heard lately that your little boy was not stout. This place is very beautiful, and in a most beautiful country. I need not say how my climate is improved. The neighbourhood much the same as all other neighbourhoods. Red wine and white, soup and fish, bad wit and good-nature. I am, after my manner, making my place perfect; and have twenty-eight people constantly at work.

Tell me some good books. Read Bourrienne’s ‘Memoirs;’ they are very curious and entertaining. I think I have made a very wise move in coming here, and am perfectly satisfied with myself. I wish you were as much satisfied with me.

I shall follow Vance’s plan, and am much obliged to you for reminding me of it. My attack was slight, but well for a beginning; it was of the gout family, but hardly gout itself. I will come and see you, for old friendship’s sake; but all countries will appear mean after this, and all houses comfortless after my parsonage, to which Poston House is as Sternhold and Hopkins to Lord Byron.

Read ‘Laurie Todd,’ by Galt. It is excellent; no surprising events, or very striking characters, but the humorous and entertaining parts of common life, brought forward in a tenour of probable circumstances. Read Raffles’s Life. A virtuous, active, high-minded man; placed at last where he ought to be: a round man, in a round hole.

I am going on most prosperously with my buildings. I hope to be in town by the beginning of May. Your great Duke seems, like my ankle, to be getting stronger every day. He is an excellent Minister, and bids fair to be as useful in peace as in war, and to show the utility of beating swords into pruning-hooks.

And now, Sir George, let me caution you against indulgence in that enormous appetite of yours. You eat every day as much as four men in holy orders,—yourself a layman!