JET. 32.] LORD ROSSLYN. 493 



will say is denied to them by every party in England. 

 A refusal from Lord Grenville in particular would 

 come under a very suspicious colour, so immediately 

 after his election to the Chancellorship of Oxford. 



" I have written my opinion shortly, and in accord- 

 ance with your desire. Ever truly yours, 



"H. BROUGHAM." 



Among all the friends whom* I consulted on the, 

 to me, difficult question, whether I should give up the 

 profession of the law and take to politics, or attempt 

 to combine the two, there was no one who took a 

 greater interest in the subject, on whose judgment I 

 more entirely relied, or whose opinion I valued more 

 highly, than that of my esteemed friend Lord Ross- 

 lyn. Towards the end of 1809, I had an intimation 

 that a seat might be offered for my acceptance by the 

 Duke of Bedford. I stated this to Lord Eosslyn, with 

 all the pros and cons that had occurred to me, and I 

 received from him the following answer : 



FROM THE EAEL OF ROSSLYN. 



" EDINBURGH, January 7, 1810. 



" MY DEAR BROUGHAM, You impose upon me a 

 very difficult task, for it is almost impossible to offer 

 any advice or opinion without some preliminary ex- 

 planations. 



. " You must first settle with yourself to what ob- 

 jects your inclination leads you, and how far your 

 judgment will allow you to sacrifice solid advantage 



