LORD  BYRON  and  his  TIMES
Byron
Documents Biography Criticism
William Godwin: his Friends and Contemporaries
Ch. II. 1800
Thomas Holcroft to William Godwin, 24 January 1800
INTRODUCTION & INDEXES
DOCUMENT INFORMATION
GO TO PAGE NUMBER:
Preface
Contents Vol. I
Ch. I. 1756-1785
Ch. II. 1785-1788
Ch. III. 1788-1792
Ch. IV. 1793
Ch. V. 1783-1794
Ch. VI. 1794-1796
Ch. VII. 1759-1791
Ch. VII. 1791-1796
Ch. IX. 1797
Ch. X. 1797
Ch. XI. 1798
Ch. XII. 1799
Ch. XIII. 1800
Contents Vol. II
Ch. I. 1800
Ch. II. 1800
Ch. III. 1800
Ch. IV. 1801-1803
Ch. V. 1802-1803
Ch. VI. 1804-1806
Ch. VII. 1806-1811
Ch. VIII. 1811-1814
Ch. IX. 1812-1819
Ch. X. 1819-1824
Ch. XI. 1824-1832
Ch. XII. 1832-1836
Index
Creative Commons License

Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License.
Produced by CATH
 
“Hamburg, January 24th, 1800.

“On the 20th instant yours of the 24th of December arrived, and this day I received those of December 10th, Decr. 31st, and
18 WILLIAM GODWIN
Jan. 14th. The mixed sensations they have excited in me are such as never can be forgotten. The ardour, firmness, and activity of your friendship, the true and simple dignity with which you feel and act, the embarrassment under which you are at this moment, and the relief which you find in the confidence that on the receipt of yours I shall immediately do my duty,—in short that delightful mingling of souls which is never so intimately felt as on such extraordinary occasions as these, are now all in full force, and producing such emotions in me as you yourself cannot but both have desired and expected. . . .

“The first volume of ‘St Leon’ has been sent to Berlin, and whether it may there have found a publisher I cannot yet say, but I shall write this evening, and if it be not already in train, send for it back that it may be translated here, and if possible still some emolument derived for you. You say you will act for me as you would for yourself, and you have so acted. I will endeavour not to be far behind you. I feel there is even more pleasure in receiving than in performing such acts of kindness.

“You blame me for not saying more of Arnot. I imagined he had written to you his whole history. He went to Vienna, where he has been ill, and recovered, and where, I suppose, he still is. While he was here, I gave him a little of the little I had in my pocket, and Mr Cole paid for his lodging and some other trifles. Sophy conceived some prejudice against him, for which I am sorry, and at which, it seems, he was more angry than gratified by the kindness testified to him by all the rest, particularly by my dear Louisa, who, with Fanny, feels toward you and for you almost as much as I do. Not knowing you quite so well, they are still more struck at the decisive friendship with which you act, and love you for it most affectionately. . . .

“Farewell.

T. Holcroft.”

“My dearest father has done justice to the feelings your most excellent letter, and still more excellent—nay, noble—conduct, have excited. Yes, we love you most affectionately, and hope again to realise the exquisite pleasure of emulating while we witness the virtues and genius of yourself and those friends who
CORRESPONDENCE WITH HOLCROFT.19
make truth so lovely. You have not mentioned your sister, the dear children, and Louisa Jones. By that, we hope and infer they are all in health. Remember us all very affectionately to them, and tell Fanny and Mary that in two or three years we may perchance bring them a little visitor as amiable and lively as themselves. He really is a fine boy. I mean, my dear, dear brother, the infant of our dear, excellent Louisa, who, dear soul, has a bad cold, but in other respects she is very well. I hope you know me too well to doubt the sincerity of heart with which I sign myself—Your affectionate young friend,

Fanny Holcroft.”