264 MEMOIR OF JOHN WILSON. 



" Edinburgh, September 6, 1823. 



" My dear Sir : — I hope you would receive the coach parcel yes- 

 terday or to day, and I expect I shall have the pleasure of receiving 

 a packet from you by Monday or Tuesday. Being so anxious to 

 make this a very strong number, I have put nothing up yet till I see 

 what you and Mr. Lockhart send me. He is to send me some- 

 thing on Monday, and if I receive Hayley* in time, I intend to 

 begin the number with it. I have time enough yet, as this is only 

 the 6th, but in the beginning of the week I must be getting on. I 

 rely so confidently upon you doing all that you can, that I feel quite 

 at ease, at least as much as ever I can be till I see the last form 

 fairly made up. I have not received the continuation of your 

 brother's article ; Mr. Robert promised to write him as he is still 

 in the West. Dr. Mylne told me to-day that he had met him a 

 few days ago at Lord John Campbell's, and that he was pretty 

 well. 



" Your friend, Mr. Lowndes from Paisley, was inquiring for you 

 here to-day. I had a letter this morning from Mr. Blair, in which 

 he apologizes for not having fulfilled his engagement, and says, 'It 

 has not been neglect of your claims, to which I have devoted both 

 time and labor, but a complete want of success in every thing I 

 have attempted. I should have written you some apology, but that 

 I had always hopes of completing something before another month, 

 and the only reason I had for sending nothing, seemed almost too 

 absurd to write. I know nothing else I can say till I have some- 

 thing else than excuses to send. I am at this moment engaged on 

 an essay on a question of language, which I shall be glad if I can 

 send for your number now going on, and I have been making re- 

 marks on " Hunter's Captivity among the Indians," with the inten- 

 tion of reviewing it, which I shall go on with if I hear nothing from 

 you to the contrary.' 



" He gives me no address, but merely dates his letter Dudley. 

 Perhaps you will write him, and tell him not to be over-fastidious, 

 and point out to him something he should do. I have sent Mr. 

 L[ockhart] to-day Alaric'sf paper, in which there is a grand puff 

 of ' Maga ;' he will forward it to you. 



" Maginn writes me in high glee about this number, and says he 



* A review of Hayley's Memoirs, Art. X., September, 1823. 

 t Alaric A. Watts, then editor of the Leeds Intelligencer. 



