“I assure you that as far as my good opinion is at all
worth your having, I have never seen anything of you that does not fully
entitle you to it; and that opinion could
| 158 | AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY. |
“But I am particularly desirous to notice what you say respecting Mr. Arbuthnot. I firmly believe you are under a mistake respecting him; at least, I can truly say that upon those occasions on which I have heard him mention you, nothing has fallen from him which could be construed into the slightest prejudice against you; and if it does exist, I am persuaded it must have taken place since I last mentioned you to him. Upon that occasion I transmitted your letter to him, because it stated fully the grounds on which you made the application, and because I was totally ignorant of the sort of office you solicited; but nothing could be further from my intention than to bring into question any other point.
“I lament the disputes which have taken place between Mr. Taylor and yourself. I know no person more likely to conciliate, if conciliation is practicable, than my kind friend Mr. Freeling, because I know no man of a more just and honourable mind.
