_ “Tt makes her happy,’ 
_ knowing that it comes from my small means ; and, in the way she 
By the Rev. W. H. Hitchcock, 247 
loyal than the then Marquis and Marchioness of Lansdowne. 
And in 1817 Lord Lansdowne invited Moore to inspect three houses 
in the neighbourhood of Bowood, with a view to permanent residence 
in Wiltshire. According to Lord Byron, “Tommy, who dearly 
loves a lord,” was only too ready to oblige his lordship. ‘ Bessy ” 
was not only satisfied but delighted with one of the three, a 
small thatched cottage, furnished, and rented from Mrs. Goddard 
for £40 per annum. Many characteristic letters from both Mr. 
and Mrs. Moore on the subject of the house and rental are in the 
possession of Nelson Goddard, Esq., of Clyffe Manor. Accordingly 
from November 19th, 1817, the greater portion of Moore’s published 
correspondence is dated-from Sloperton. A description is given by 
Gerald Griffin, in the Irish Quarterly, of a visit to Sloperton. 
* Arrived at Devizes, we asked the waiter the distance to Sloperton 
Cottage. ‘Sloperton, Sir, that’s Mr Moore’s place, Sir. He isa 
poet, Sir. We do all Mr. Moore’s work, Sir.” What ought I to 
have done? To have flung my arms round his neck for knowing 
so much about Moore? Or to have knocked him down for knowing 
so little? Well, we found it—a cottage of gentility, with two 
gateways, and pretty grounds around it in a delightful country : 
the poet’s study upstairs, in which close and hard work was done : 
and in the garden a raised walk running its whole length, and bounded 
by a hedge of laurel—the favourite walk of the poet.” 
The Diary gives us an insight into the social condition of Bromham 
and its neighbourhood at that time :— 
“There never was such wretchedness in any place where we have been: and 
the better class of people, with but one or two exceptions, seem to consider their 
contribution to the poor rates as abundantly sufficient, without making any 
further exertions towards the relief of the poor wretches.” 
Moore himself was open-handed almost to recklessness; and on 
more than one occasion persuaded his friends to send to Bessy con- 
fidentially, as if from themselves, ‘‘ £5 for the poor of Bromham ” ! 
? is his comment, “ without the drawback of 
manages it, does a world of good!” 
