The Life of William Roscoe
Chapter VI. 1796-1799
William Roscoe to Samuel Parr, [1799]
“Having now been called upon by Messrs. Cadell and Davies for a corrected copy of the ‘Life of Lorenzo de’ Medici,’
which I promised to prepare for the octavo edition, I have again gone over all
the remarks with which you so obligingly furnished me some ![]()
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time since, and have finally incorporated your emendations into my work. At the
same time I have made minutes of these alterations in the text corresponding to
your remarks, in which I have at times stated the manner in which such
alterations have been made; and in the very few cases in which I have not
strictly complied with your suggestions, I have endeavoured to give my reasons
for such variation. These minutes I have not extended through the Latin
corrections, because they have been adopted without a single exception, and in
all cases with evident improvement to the sense. I now send you the minutes,
accompanied with such additional notes as I have found necessary, in
consequence of the documents with which you have furnished me. The former will
at least show, that I have not been insensible of the value of any remark with
which you have honoured my work; the latter, as I have taken the liberty of
acknowledging to whom I am indebted for them, I think it indispensably
necessary you should see, not only as they will serve to show what conclusions
I have been induced to make from them, but that my ignorance or carelessness
may not attach any blemish to a character to which it is impossible for me to
add the slightest celebrity.
“When I consider the immense trouble which you have taken
on my behalf, and the kind and friendly manner in which you communicated ![]()
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your remarks, I feel a sense of obligation which I shall
not attempt to express, but which I am sure I shall retain unimpaired as long
as I live.
“With the octavo edition, I am under the necessity of
giving a translation of the Italian poems of ‘Lorenzo de’ Medici.’ Of the success of this attempt
I have great doubts; but I have engaged myself in the undertaking, and, indeed,
made some progress in it. I before hinted to you some of my objections to this
measure, and received your very judicious opinion with the respect it always
deserves. I now send you a few specimens, from which you will be better enabled
to say what you think of this business. My principal difficulty is, as to the
poem called ‘The Seven Delights of Love;’
the conclusion of which is greatly altered from the original,—but I know not
whether affected modesty be not worse than open indecency.
“I hope you will think the ‘Oraisia’ of Lorenzo
makes some amends for the levity of his other writings. It appears to great
advantage in the original, whatever it may do in the translation.
“And now let me thank you for your last very obliging and
welcome letter, which arrived and cheered me at a time when I was out of
health, out of spirits, and on the point of removing, with a large family, to
the house I am now in, about six miles from Liverpool. Yes, my dear sir, we
must meet; and I hope in the course of ![]()
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the present summer,
at this place, where, if you can compound for the turbulence of children of all
sizes, I can promise you a most hearty welcome and tolerable accommodation,
with the society of a few friendly neighbours. Our friend John Pearson may I hope be induced to
accompany you into this neighbourhood. If you take a journey this summer, and
have not yet fixed your route, I shall not be without hopes that my wishes in
this respect stand some chance of being gratified.”
Thomas Cadell the younger (1773-1836)
London bookseller, son of his better-known father; the younger Cadell entered into
partnership with William Davies in 1793. In 1802 he married Sophia Smith, sister of James
and Horace Smith of the
Rejected Addresses.
William Davies (d. 1820)
London bookseller who was assistant to the elder Thomas Cadell and partner of the
younger; he retired from the trade in 1813.
Lorenzo de' Medici (1449-1492)
The son of Cosimo; he was a Florentine oligarch, poet, and patron of the arts.
John Pearson (1771-1841)
Of Tettenhall, Staffordshire; educated at Christ Church, Oxford, and Lincoln's Inn, he
was a barrister and advocate-general in Bengal (1824-40).
