148 



Art. XXXIl. — History of the Gooseherry-Gruh. By Rusticus of 



GODALMING. 



Godalming, 27tli June, 1841. 

 My dear Newman, 



None but yourself could have drawn me from my lurking 

 hole. Many a pretty bait has been dropped just before my nose and 

 bobbed temptingly along the top of the water ; but I woukln't deign 

 to rise. There were reasons enow for my shyness ; and not the least 

 weighty of these were the piracies committed on my letters on blight. 

 My very blunders were copied, — without acknowledgment, to be 

 sure, that is some comfort, — yes, copied as servilely and solemnly 

 as they had been the most infallible oracles. And worse than this, 

 histories half worked out were constantly reprinted with imaginary 

 sequels. This annoyed me at the time, and now that it is blown over 

 another difficulty comes in the way. Suppose that an author who has 

 gained some little reputation, in a sudden fit of ill temper sticks his 

 quill behind his ear, and doggedly says "I'll write no more ;" suppose 

 that he has strength of mind to keep his resolution for half a dozen 

 years or thereaway ; suppose that he alters his mind, draws out his 

 quill, sits down to his table, his face all a-blaze with smiles and good 

 humour, and begins " Dear public, — 



*' Ille ego, qui quondam," (Sec. 



The chances are ten to one that the " dear public" has forgotten him 

 entirely, and like Rip Van Winkle after his nap in the Sleepy Hollow, 

 he will have to rub his eyes again and again, unwilling to believe their 

 testimony that he is in a world of strangers. It seems to me a hazard- 

 ous experiment this of making a second appearance, unless I were 

 blest with a genius sujfficiently inventive to indite that most imaginary 

 of all compositions, an auto-biography. Yet since you wish it, — 



" Sed si tantus amor, 



Quanquam animus mcmiuisse liorret, hictuque refugit: 

 Incipiam." 



I have never known the gooseberry-grub such a nuisance as it has 

 been this year. In April I saw the fly was very busy on the wing, and 

 it continued so to the middle of May. I prophesied the havoc it would 

 make, but I managed to save my own gooseberries by keeping the gar- 

 den in a cloud of smoke for the benefit of the apple-trees ; a practice 



