Mandiester Memoirs, Vol.lh>.{\g\o),No.9. 25 



of its inspiration. You should know, it fell from the wing of a free 

 American Bird ; and you will perceive that it was the choicest feather 

 which it had to send you : and for anything I know to the contrary it 

 dropped on the 25th September, 1793. 1 leave it to you to trace that 

 association of my ideas which induces me to tell you I have this day 

 read in the American President's Message to Congress on the 5th 

 December his recommendation that there be instituted at its seat of 

 government a National Temple of Science. Whilst the old world is 

 quarrelling about shades of difference the new one seems studying to 

 allay 'jealousy and prejudice, to beautify the features of national 

 character and to extend social harmony.' " 



The remainder of Mr. Nicholson's letter relates to 



recent publications of Byron, Campbell, and others. 



Felicia was "much oppressed with a bad cold," and did 



not immediately reply to Mr. Nicholson. Her mother, 



in a letter to Mr. Nicholson on 26th January, 181 1, wrote 



of the effects of the criticism which he had copied for her, 



and which she had evidently communicated to the 



daughter. 



"An ill natured person might say it [the criticism] proceeded 

 from envy. It certainly has had the effect of checking Felicia's en- 

 thusiasm for poetry, which I rather regret, as 1 know her genius to be 

 equal to anything she might undertake. Mr. Heber, the author of 

 ' Palestine,' has read her poem of 'War and Peace' the last week and 

 bestowed much unqualified praise upon it, even comparing it with the 

 ' Pleasures of Hope ' of Campbell." 



Writing to Harriett, 30th January, 181 1, Mr. Nicholson 

 says : — 



"I have lately been honour'd by an addition to my poetical 

 acquaintances for which I am indebted to your sister. Her volume had 

 been ordered into our Lyceum circulating Library and merely from 

 similarity in size there was attached to it in order to save expence a 

 poem by the young Lord Byron and of a very different character 

 without his name to it. To gratify the zeal of my new friend for your 

 Sister's honour and to form a more appropriate connection I have 

 made interest to have the ' England and Spain ' put in the place of this 

 Lord's 'Epistle on Gas-lights'' ; which, however, is a witty production, 

 but calculated for a different class of readers." 



The "poetical acquaintance" was Edward Ward, and 

 Mr. Nicholson enclosed with his letter to Harriett, a 



