22 Nicholson, Hejnans—Nic/ioisou Correspondence. 



wishes will be fulfilled, if these lines recall to your mind one whom 

 you have honoured with your friendship. You may bs assured, my 

 dear Sir, that if 1 do not hear from you in a very short time, I shall 

 set you down in the list of inconstant swains ; and I think if this 

 terrible anathema has no effect, I must give up all hopes of success, so 

 I will say no more upon this subject. 



I believe I must remind you of the eagle's quill you promised me ; 

 I have long expected it with impatience, and my Muse having been 

 rather languid for some time past, it would certainly be very a propos 

 at present, and I will send you the first poem I write with the/«^ Oi 

 Inspiration. I believe it is since your visit at Bronwhilfa, that I have 

 been delighted with the perusal of Scott's ' Lady of the Lake.' I have 

 the presumption to differ from many established critics in preferring it 

 to his former writings ; but it is, in my opinion, adorned with all the 

 striking beauties, as well as free from the leading faults, which dis- 

 tinguished those performances. It interests the heart, and appeals to 

 the feelings, much more forcibly, and its descriptive passages are less 

 obscured by those legendary allusions which fatigue the reader of 

 ' Marmion' and the ' Lay.' It is much to be regretted that a Bard so 

 endowed with all the characteristics of true genius, with enthusiasm, 

 fancy, and tenderness ; should so far pervert those exalted gifts, as to 

 employ them only in the decoration uf some fantastic legend, some 

 obsolete tale of 'Border chivalry,' which only answers the purpose of 

 an hour's amusement, and leaves no impression tending to excite a 

 virtuous wish, or a noble emulation. When I speak of his perverted 

 powers, I do not wish to confound him with the Anacreons of the day, 

 who employ all the fascinations of elegance and talent, to array Vice in 

 the most enchanting colours, but surely all gifts, when not devoted to 

 their true end, are perverted, and therefore he is negatively guilty. I 

 have also read Campbell's ' Gertrude of Wyoming,' and was much 

 pleased with its beautiful simplicity, though I should have admired it 

 more had it been by any other Author, for we are led to expect so 

 much from the Poet who could write the ' Pleasures of Hope,' that the 

 reality must ever fall below our sanguine ideas. I am beginning to 

 think it is a great misfortune to have a too vivid imagination, as when 

 compared with its brilliant illusions, life with all the sad truths of 

 experience, appears a scene of the most monotonous insipidity. I 

 have learned, in theory at least, that it is necessary to prune the wings 

 of fancy, if we would prevent her excursions m.aking what is only 

 tame and uninteresting, appear insupportable. How I shall practise 

 this lesson, I cannot decide, as it is one very repugnant to the feelings 

 of your 



much indebted and 



affectionate young friend, 



Felicia Browne." 



