MancJiester Memoirs, Vol. liv. (1910), No. ?>. 27 



Felicia's reply to this letter, though missing from my 

 collection of letters, is fortunately not lost. It found its 

 way, no doubt after its recipient's death, into the papers 

 of my great-uncle, Dr. Shepherd, of Gateacre, and is now 

 the property of Manchester College, Oxford, 



" Bronwhilfa, 2nd March, l8ll. 

 My Dear Sir, — 



The certainty of a speedy private opportunity, has inciuced me to 

 delay my compliance with your request of writing immediately. You 

 will perhaps call me a little, or rather not a little, perfinacioiis, when I 

 reiterate my desire that the lines I last transcribed for you, should be 

 presented to the Author of the gratifying address to me. You have 

 yourself very kindly furnished me with an excellent excuse for my 

 inquisitiveness ; by saying that the desire of knowing to whom we are 

 under obligations, is very natural. Now, do you know, my dear Sir, 

 that I suspect you have delayed fulfilling my injunctions, ^.x\i\9.?i\.\s,iy'mg 

 my curiosity, to show yourself as great an Adept in the Art of teazing, 

 as we must all acknowledge you to be in that oi pleasing ! but let me 

 just give you a friendly hint, that the latter is so much more difficult 

 to attain, and affords a triumph so much nobler, when attained, that 

 those who have arrived at a certain degree of excellence in this 

 accomplishment, ought to look down upon the former with contempt. 

 This is not your case, I ninst say ; otherwise what occasion to inform 

 me the poetic Incognito was a Soldier; a circumstance, above all 

 others, calculated to increase my inquisitive spirit, as you know my 

 decided predilection for everything luilitary. But now, to be a little 

 serious, why should you he feaifiil that my lines might overpower his 

 resolution to desert the Muses? I by no means approve of his in- 

 gratititude, and as a Soldier must unavoidably have many leisure 

 moments, when not occupied by the duties of his profession, I 

 cannot imagine how they could be better employed than when devoted 

 tu the cultivation of a literary taste. This taste (setting aside the idea 

 that it improves the heart and meliorates the passions, whilst it refines 

 the understanding ;) may at least, preserve its votary from the 

 temptations which Dissipation offers to the vacant mind of Idleness. 

 You say to me ' that taste, and this ' Call,' how could they be resisted ? ' 

 Now, my dear, provoking Mentor, let me know but one good reason, 

 why they should be resisted, and I will silently acquiesce in the 

 decrees of your superior discretion. But if this is not the case, and you 

 are obliged to confess that I am the victor, I shall expect your next 

 letter to be satisfactory, and to inform me that my mandates have been 

 as punctually obeyed, as those of the Grand Signior, or the Great 

 Mogul ! I thank you for transcribing me the sonnet from Lorenzo ; 



