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A Memoir of the Reverend Sydney Smith
Letters 1832
Sydney Smith to Lady Grey, 7 January 1832
INTRODUCTION & INDEXES
DOCUMENT INFORMATION
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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
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Combe Florey, Jan. 7th, 1832.
My dear Lady Grey,

I hope to see you in the middle of this month; in the meantime a few words.

The delay has had this good, that it will make the creation of Peers less surprising and alarming; everybody expects it, as a matter of course. I am for forty, to make things safe in committees. I liked Lord Grey’s letter to Lord Ebrington. I am a great friend to these indirect communications in a free Government. Pray beg of Lord Grey to keep well. He has the thing on hand, and I have no doubt of a favourable issue. I see an open sea beyond the icebergs. I am afraid the Muscovite meditates war. Perhaps he is only saying to the French, “Don’t go too far; for my eye is upon you, and my paw shall be so also, if you run riot.” You may perhaps be forced to take O’Connell by the throat.

I cannot get the Bishop of —— to pay me my dilapidations. He keeps on saying he will pay, but the money does not appear; I shall seize his mitre, robes, sermons, and charges to his clergy, and put them up to auction.

We have had the mildest weather possible. A great part of the vegetable world is deceived, and beginning to blossom,—not merely foolish young plants without experience, but old plants that have been deceived before by premature springs; and for such, one has no pity. It is as if Lady —— were to complain of being seduced and betrayed.

I cannot tell what has happened to our Church of St. Paul. I have belonged to him for four months;
MEMOIR OF THE REV. SYDNEY SMITH.335
he has cost me two or three hundred pounds, and I have not received a shilling from him. I hope to find him in a more munificent mood the ensuing quarter.

Yours most respectfully and affectionately,
Sydney Smith.