JET. 34.] LIVERPOOL. 41 



you say of your offer to go to America. If I had 

 been previously apprised of your intention, I should 

 have endeavoured to dissuade you from it. As it is, 

 it is not worth while to say more on the subject than 

 that I think you have had a lucky escape. Ever 

 yours truly, GREY." 



TO EARL GREY. 



" NEWCASTLE, August 18, 1812. 



" MY DEAR LORD GREY, I could convince you in 

 five minutes by the clock that I had no choice ; but I 

 quite agree with you, I have had a great escape : not 

 only so, but that it puts our attack on very high 

 grounds if the negotiation fails; which, however, I 

 think extremely unlikely. Yours ever, H. B." 



The following letter is to my friend Dr Shepherd : ~* 



TO DR SHEPHERD. 



"GATEACRE, LIVERPOOL, LANCASTER, 

 Tuesday, Aug. 25, 1812. 



" MY DEAR SIR, I have just received yours of the 

 21st, which went to Brougham, and followed me here. 

 I take it for granted Mr Eoscoe may have explained 

 to you my idea of the propriety of postponing the 

 dinner, in case bad news from America should arrive 

 before the beginning of September. My notion is 

 founded on the belief that the cause would suffer by 

 such an untoward coincidence that we might expose 

 ourselves to the ridicule of, not merely the enemy, but 

 the neutrals ; and that it would be more comfortable, 



* The Rev. William Shepherd, author of ' The Life of Poggio Erac- 

 ciolini.' 



