28 Nicholson, Hemans — Nicholson Correspondence. 



it is elegant and correct, but I am of your opinion, and should prefer it 

 if Mr. Roscoe had deviated from the original in the arrangement of his 

 Rhymes. I am now reading his Lorenzo for the first time, and of 

 course I am highly gratified. With the poetry I am delighted, and 

 we may frequently pause in suspense, whether the palm of merit is 

 most due to the Bard or his Translator. I cannot entirely coincide 

 with you in the idea, that the English language is as musical as the 

 Italian — the former may be polished into harmony, the latter can never 

 deviate from it. But to compensate for its superiority in this respect, 

 I think we have greatly the advantage in energy, which is surely a 

 more noble characteristic than sweetness. 



The late storms would have occasioned us much uneasiness on 

 George's account, if we had not had the satisfaction of a letter from 

 him dated Torbay, where the transports had been driven by the violence 

 of the weather. We are anxiously waiting to learn the arrival of our 

 gallant soldiers in Portugal. But ihe Spanish Campaign cured me of 

 my enthusiastic expectations, and I am not at all sanguine as to 

 the result of this. I hope you will favour me with a long letter by 

 !\Ir. Bainbridge whose return will then be highly welcome to 

 your much obliged 



affectionate young friend, 



Felicia Dorothea Browne." 



To this letter Mr. Nicholson replied : — 



"Liverpool, 13th April, 1811. 

 My Dear Felicia, — 



Your orders I have more cheerfully executed than ever Eastern 

 Slave obeyed the Command of a Tyrant — for the service was volun- 

 tary. Your arguments are irresistable. But the fact is that you, my 

 new acquaintance, and myself, thought much alike on the subject — the 

 difference between us only arising from the terms of the proposition. 

 He maintained that he should have not a minute's leisure for the next 

 seven years from the immediate studies of his new profession — thus 

 warmly has he entered it ! However, the result, I hope, will be the 

 active cultivation of all those good qualities which you so charmingly 

 pourtray. For I could not secrete the possible influence of such 

 powerful pleadings ! An immediate consequence has been that the 

 gentleman has requested me to present you with copies of two odes 

 written in June last, on His Majesty's Birthday, and on Friendship, 

 with his name annexed. This gentleman, Mr. Edwd. Ward, now in 

 the 4th of Foot, is son to Mr. & Mrs. Robt. Ward of St. Ann St. here. 

 Mrs. Ward's name was Miss Eliza Chadwick whom possibly your 

 Mother and Aunt are acquainted with. She enjoys but delicate health, 

 and I lament, in spite of your heroism, any circumstance that must add 

 cither to her or your solicitude. To teaze you with expectation would 

 have been inconsistent with this sentiment, and I hope you acquit me 

 of such design. 



