“I called at Murray’s this morning, and found your kind letter there, with which I was not a little pleased.
“I am glad you find Hastings so restorative. Ryde, to which I went, did nothing for me, for I returned to town in a feebler state than I left it. Since that, however, I have picked up a degree of strength very unusual with me, and am, indeed, better than I have been for a considerable time.
“I saw a friend of yours last evening, of whom I think
very favourably indeed, Mr. Watts, the
miniature-painter.
| W. GIFFORD. | 119 |
“In the hope of seeing you from day to day, I delayed thanking you for a little volume of poetry. It was far, indeed, above the common stamp, and augurs well of the genius and talents of the young writer. His style is spirited and picturesque. I would recommend to him the perusal of my old acquaintance, Massinger, that will add sweetness and rhythmical powers to the verse that wants nothing else to be paramountly excellent.
“And now to business. I rejoice most at Mr. C.’s conversation with you, and shall feel extremely obliged to you, if you will immediately undertake the whole. I can add nothing to your plan, which embraces the topics most material to our purpose. Mr. Canning talked over the subject with me, and I understood that it was his wish you should undertake it. Unfortunately, my illness rendered me unable to see any person for some time, and when he left England he was so hurried, that though he sent Backhouse to say that he would call upon me, he could not find leisure. I heard not, therefore, what he had done.
“I am sorry to say, that I cannot find your proof. In my chaos nothing is where it should be. I hope, however, to procure a copy, and have desired Murray to examine our printer’s treasury, their papers are sometimes laid up for a long period. I hope, however, that you will be enabled to commence without it, and in the interim, every exertion shall be made to recover it. With great regard,
