“I have finished my ‘Last Saxon,’ and probably my last poem. It is sent to you for your candid perusal. If it should awaken any interest in the mind of the most accurate and most unprejudiced critic of the age, I shall be indeed gratified. What is said in the preface, I think, will be sufficient to show my design. The introductory canto alludes to the various foreign subjects for poetry, whilst our history is comparatively neglected; and this canto contains also the principal characters, as in shadowy view, presented at the funeral of Harold.
“I could not well introduce the Conqueror here, but enough is said to prepare for his appearance in the second canto.
“I trust you will think all the poetic and supernatural circumstances in the poem are in consonance (I should say ‘keeping’) with his character, as I have tried to sketch it.
“Some allowance must be made for the difficulty of
sustaining his dignity in the situation described, but I hope I have not
entirely failed. The circumstances and character of Editha are new, I believe, to English poetry, though it is
singular that such a fact as her finding the body of Harold, and this
interesting portion of our history, should never have found a poet. I wish it
had found one more able than
| PINDAR, HOGG, BOWLES. | 149 |
“P.S.—I think I may venture to say, that in the diction you will find all ‘Cockneyisms’ carefully avoided. William will have a better coat on Monday, but I was willing he should be introduced to you directly.”
