“My Dear Sir.—It is seven years—I am afraid I might say nine—since I had the pleasure to see you. In that period I have gone through many vicissitudes. In the spring of 1825 I was a bankrupt. That event was three years in concoction before it came to maturity, and I passed through considerable wretchedness. In the interval I heard of your being in London, and wished much for the pleasure of seeing you. But I said:
‘He, like the world, his ready visit pays Where fortunes smiles: the wretched he forsakes.’ |
“I was, however, wrong. Your visit to the capital of
England was, I believe, remarkably short. Since my bankruptcy my life has been
comparatively tranquil. I reside here in an obscure nook, and preserve my
health and, I believe, my intellects entire.
| WASHINGTON IRVING. | 301 |
