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BL Add. MS 28268, ff. 294–96; published in Hart, p. 49
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When sure of the goodwill and good wishes of a corispondent, even of a shamefully neglected and illused corispondent, how much easier becomes the necessary resumption of intercourse, and how genuine and how willingly comes forth the required apology? I am in every sense glad that your Cousin Catherine apprised you of my humours and my objects and my griefs as far as she knows them, for it has precluded the necessity of my doing it, and left me to speak of present and future things the more particularly.
Since you saw or heard any part of my Journal,how far I had then proceeded in my amusement, much
alteration has taken place in the plan and divisions &c. As I advanced I
began to conceive that it might even eventualy be renderd fit for publication,
and this perswasion set me about a thorough examination and revision. I
concieved that it was, owing to the careless and hasty manner of its early
composition, much too hudibrastic, and containd a vast deal of useless matter
which might give way to the superior graces of nature, or to unbridled fancy. I
had finished it, as I thought, according to this plan, last summer; and I had
the joint opinion of my then companions, Inskip, himself a poet, and a man of
strong mind, and my host, Mr.
Weston of Shefford, Beds, and
as he has read and thought more than any man I ever found in his station of
life, and his age, and is an enthusiast in poetry, with a memory truly
astonishing considering his mutifarious reading, I consider him highly capable
of detecting what were blemishes in a harum scarum story like mine,—We read it
for the purpose of criticizing closely, We all doubted the propriety of Giant
Scoop in the outset of the piece, yet all agreed that the ridiculous thought was
not without merit, only perhaps out of place.Stinchcombe trembled at the
sound.much to
be sore the work out-doneMendip, and the western
shore,Nympsfield, on the upland
plain,Owlpen, by the dark wood
side,the whole out again, still in the
mending way with additions and curtailments, and in this new dress, without the
personage above mentioned, Scoop, I submited the piece to the calm, judicious,
and candid Mr Park of Hampstead (He had seen the giant long
ago and said nothing in his praise, which I know how to understand) He was
decidedly of opinion that the thing would do me credit, and at the same time
pencil'd his doubts and remarks. With this encouragement I once
more wrote out the whole; gave the brat a name; and offer'd it to My
Bookseller. I know of nothing which can now retard its
ultimate appearance before the world. It will be devid'd into 4 Books, and it
now contains incidental Ballads, (a great relief to the sameness and length of
the tale) entitled 'The Gleaners Song' attatchd to that delicious scene,
Coldwell springs—'Morris of Persfield',—'The Maid of Landoga',—and 'a funeral
Song', at the Hay.—I wish, as you say, most sincerely that I could submit it
still to Mr Cooper, but it will be
out of my power. It is intended to engrave 4 plates only, for my Booksellers are
averse to the costly and fashionable stile of publishing; One or two of which
plates they seem allmost determin'd to take from my own
scetches on the spot, this, I fear may appear strange to you, but not surely if
you recollect that their object is to lay hold of every
thing which can interest or bias in the sale. Remembering what you have said as to your own drawings, I hope,
though it is a delicate point, to obtain from Mr Cooper two of his to be the
ornaments of my present venture; and, may, I tell you? that the Journal will
bear at least an ample record of pleasure, with some starts of fancy, and some
of tenderness, whatever may be thought of its general merit, or the merit of the
Theme!
my drawings will
escape the ordeal of publicity, and I accordingly apply to Mr Cooper for 4.
The letter written by you last summer, I sent down to
Bedfordshire to my Daughter.
Your remarks therein relative to 'Courtfield' were much approved by all, and not
less by him whose business it was to benifit by them. They
could not discover the inscription you mention'd in the enclosed area at Chicksands. The Country was charming,
but, after failing in my intention of meeting you in time at Clare Hall, I took it for granted that
I should have somthing to do in clearing myself; and this I could never find
spirits and happiness enough to attempt.
charming place, and I have in some
respects been interrupted and throng'd too, for we have lodged eleven in all, in
this splendid mansion of ours.!—
I have not heard from Clare Hall since my reply the substance of which you have of course been apprised of. And now after all this I must still talk of myself, and say that since the latter end of October I have constantly been unwell, and the suffering have arisen from a flatulent and dissorder'd Stomach, with all it accompaniments, such as loss of appitite; broken rest, Dreams, as anty-Wye-ish as even your fancy can picture; indeed I hope you will never have a true conception of them.—I have now resumed my strength in a great measure, and have just conquerd a bad cough which I am not accustom'd to have.
Health seems to stick by the Family as much as vicisitudes of weather will permit.
You percieve that as to myself I have only [words obscured]
evils, and taken your good natur'd [words obscured] to silence in what relates
to the mind.—You and Mr B. no
doubt feel a value attatchd to your Children, but I am strangely decieved if
other friends do not feel an equal interest in you;
Therefore your seclusion is the wisest way in the world to elbow off old Winter
and welcome back the sunshine of May. You need not be again assured that my
respects to Mr B. and Children
are regularly posted with this, And Adding to the ring your affectionate Mother.
I am, Dear Madam, yours at all times
Turn]
I direct this according to the information of Miss Ansted, given me so long ago that I ought to be ashamed to make use of it.—