i6 Nicholson, Heuians — Nicholson Correspondence. 



unsold and unnoticed. Mrs. Browne thought the sale of 

 the copyright was the only way to induce the publishers 

 to push it, and Mr. Nicholson was requested to get an 

 offer from them. " I fear I am trespassing too much on 

 your time," she says, " by making you such a participatot* 

 in my concerns ; but it is natural for us to expatiate 

 where we find we are attended to." Mr. Nicholson's 

 health was then worse than usual, and he had just lost 

 two old friends, Mr. Kennion, the artist, and Mr. Rath- 

 bone. A letter of June 3 from Mrs. Browne enclosed a 

 copy of Felicia's stirring poem, " The Call of Liberty," 

 afterwards printed in " Domestic Affections." In the 

 next letter from Bronwhilfa, 25th July, 1809, Mrs. Browne 

 has much to say about Felicia. 



" Felicia would have availed herself of this opportunity to tell 

 you how much she admired the virtuous and grateful sentiments 

 expressed in the lines of Mr. Rushton, which you were so attentive as 

 to send her, but she is assiduously occupied in copying, or rather 

 writing oni fairly, a poem [' War and Peace ']she has lately composed, 

 and which I shall have the pleasure of sending to Mr. W. Roscoe, by 

 a private conveyance, the latter end of this week, when you may, 

 perhaps, take the trouble of perusing it. She was taken ill of the 

 scarlet fever (which has been very prevalent in this neighborhood) 

 about a month ago, and whilst she was confined by it, she planned and 

 executed this poem, which was but the work of thirteen days, though 

 I believe it contains more than eight hundred lines. It appears to me 

 a very spirited performance, but I will make no further comments 

 upon it, till I hear your sentiments and those of Mr. W. Roscoe. 

 When you read it, I am sure it will be with that candor which is due 

 to the work of a girl, who still wants two months to complete her 

 sixteenth year. She is every day more and more devoted to study, 

 and her mind certainly makes astonishing progress in the path of 

 literature ; so that I hope she may one day be an ornament to her 

 circle and have an influence in society in the cause of virtue and truth." 



A fortnight later Mr. Nicholson was desired to 

 enquire if Mr. Roscoe had received the poem. In her 

 next letter Mrs. Browne enclosed two others from one of 

 her soldier sons, which she wanted her mother and sisters 



