314 JOHN ARCHIBALD MURRAY. [1805. 



other, as I have some intentions of a pilgrimage to 

 the shrine of Jeffrey during the autumn, and you, I'm 

 told, have thoughts of looking towards the south. 

 Nevertheless, I highly approve of your London plan, 

 disinterestedly speaking; for there is always good 

 society at the empty period of the year, and you'll be 

 able to enjoy it in great style, besides seeing something 

 more of the country than birds on the spring flight 

 generally look at. 



" I entreat you to bear with me while I give you a 

 commission. Jeffrey seems to have thought I was out 

 of humour in my last letter to him, which he must 

 have entirely mistaken, for I never was less angry in 

 my life than when I wrote it. In fact, the whole 

 Lord L. business has not once made me feel sufficient 

 interest in it to feel any approach to passion. I have 

 only time to write this by the present post, and wish 

 much that Jeffrey should not for a day mistake me so 

 much as to suspect such a thing. 



" But chiefly, I want to explain my opinion about 

 the notice printed in No. IX. of the Eeview. It 

 tied me down to publish the answer, which I would 

 not otherwise have done, when I found there were so 

 many scruples about giving it the plural form. I also 

 thought that it was as much as possible committing 

 the Review against Lord Lauderdale to talk of our 

 rejoinder, and to cut Lauderdale by the very style of 

 the notice. But I feel much indebted to the notice 

 upon the whole from another consideration, which 

 I certainly only discovered upon reading Horner's 



