“Mr. Roscoe takes the liberty of presenting his sincere acknowledgments to the author of the ‘Pursuits of Literature,’ for the great pleasure and information he has derived from his very original, learned, and entertaining work; and is happy, at the same time, in an opportunity of expressing his grateful sense of the honour done him, in the very favourable notice taken in that poem of the ‘Life of Lorenzo de’ Medici;’ and which is the more estimable, inasmuch as the author of the ‘Pursuits of Liter-
“I must add one piece of information that will make you smile. ‘The vine-covered hills and gay valleys of France,’ and its sister, ‘Unfold Father Time,’ I ventured to show to the severe censor above alluded to, a day or two ago, who not only passes with unwonted toleration over ‘a few occasional sentiments of that tendency in the historian of a republic,’ but condescends to read these with delight, making every decent allowance for the poetical privilege.” |
| 172 | LIFE OF WILLIAM ROSCOE. |
“As Mr. Roscoe has just observed that a new and complete edition of the ‘Pursuits of Literature,’ with corrections and improvements, is now in the press, he thinks it incumbent on him to point out some inaccuracies respecting himself, which would have been of no moment, had not the author of the ‘Pursuits of Literature’ placed him before the public in so favourable a light. After having mentioned these particulars, he submits it to the author’s judgment, whether they are sufficiently important to merit correction in the edition now proposed.
“In the first place, Mr. Roscoe begs leave to assure the author of the ‘Pursuits of Literature’ that he is not the author of the letter published under the name of ‘Jasper Wilson,’ nor had any connection whatever with the writing or publication of that work. At the same time, he wishes it to be understood, that he makes this avowal only for the sake of truth, and not from the apprehension of any imputation which might arise from his being considered as the author of that performance, which he conceives to be not only strictly constitutional, but as deserving, in a high degree, the serious attention of every real friend to his country.
| LIFE OF WILLIAM ROSCOE. | 173 |
“Mr. Roscoe also
begs leave to notice another inaccuracy in the third part of the ‘Pursuits of
Literature;’ viz. that the materials for the ‘Life of Lorenzo de’
Medici’ were collected abroad by a commercial man in the
intervals of his employment. If this, indeed, were the fact, Mr.
Roscoe would think, with the author of the ‘Pursuits of Literature,’ that it would by no
means detract either from his book or himself, but this not being the case,
Mr. Roscoe thinks it incumbent on him to notice it.
The truth is, that Mr. Clarke, the
gentleman referred to, (and who, to an intimate acquaintance with most of the
European tongues, unites a thorough knowledge of the ancient languages,) was
absent from home for upwards of seven years, in Italy, and other parts of the
Continent; first, on account of his health, and afterwards for the same object
that forms the title of the excellent poem before referred to, without any
other business whatever. Mr. Roscoe observed, soon after
the publication of the ‘Life of Lorenzo,’
a paragraph in one of the public papers, stating, that the book was written by
a Liverpool merchant, with materials collected by an outrider, or to that
effect. He did not think it worth his while to contradict the report of the
day, though it was erroneous both as to him and his friend: but the
‘Pursuits of Literature’ will reach
posterity; and, as Mr. Roscoe now hopes, through the
partiality of the
| 174 | LIFE OF WILLIAM ROSCOE. |
“Mr. Roscoe would
not think that he acted on this occasion with that candour, which he hopes it
will always be his endeavour to maintain, did he not, in expressing his
admiration of the ‘Pursuits
of Literature,’ avow a difference of opinion with respect to
some of the political subjects there discussed; consequently, with respect to
the strictures on some distinguished characters, whose merits seem to have been
measured by a political rather than by a literary standard.
‘Politics,’ as the author of the ‘Pursuits of Literature’ observes, ‘are
temporary, but wit is eternal;’ but if these be the perishable
parts of his work, they are the only parts that will perish. It would, however,
be unpardonable in Mr. Roscoe to object to that freedom of
opinion which the author of the ‘Pursuits of
Literature’ has in so handsome a manner conceded to himself;
nor does he conceive that the difference, to which he has ventured to allude,
is a difference in principles. The sound learning, and extensive acquaintance,
of the author of the ‘Pursuits of
Literature,’ both with modern and ancient history, are an ample
pledge that he could not for a moment entertain sentiments adverse to the
rational liberty, improvement, and happiness of mankind; even if this
| LIFE OF WILLIAM ROSCOE. | 175 |
