268 MEMOIR OF JOHN WILSON. 



Well might you say that the ' Manifesto'* was very good. I shall 

 weary till I have a letter from you telling me all about the number, 

 and when you think you will be here. 



" I enclose you a copy of a letter I had from Mr. Blair a few days 

 ago, with two articles. The one on Language seems very curious, 

 but it is so interlined and corrected, that I must send him a proof 

 of it, and desire him to send me the conclusion, as it would be a 

 pity to divide it. The other article is an account of Raymond Lulli. 

 It is in his sister's handwriting, and is very amusing, but there was 

 not room for it, and it will answer equally well next month. 



" I do not know what on the face of the earth to do with the Old 

 Driveller's critique on ' Ringan Gilhaize.' Whenever I hear a car 

 riage stop, I am in perfect horrors, for I do not know what to say 

 to him. I sent the MS. to Mr. L., but he returned it to me, and 

 told me I ought to print it as it is, as it would please both author 

 and critic. 



" I send it to you in perfect despair, and I would most anxiously 

 entreat of you to read it, and advise me what I should do. It is as 

 wretched a piece of drivelling as ever I read, and I am sure it would 

 neither gratify Gait nor any one else, while it would most certainly 

 injure the Magazine. If you cannot be plagued with doing any thing 

 to it, you will at all events return it carefully to me by coach as 

 soon as possible. 



" I have at last settled with Hookf for Percy Mallory. I hope 

 it will do, though it contains not a little Balaam. There are many 

 inquiries about the ' Foresters.' I hope you are going on. It as- 

 tonishes even me, what you have done for ' Maga' this last week, 

 and if you are fairly begun to the ' Foresters,' Stark will soon be 

 driving on with it. 



" I enclose slips of Mr. St. Barbe's article, and an amusing one 

 by Titus. With these and Stark's article, besides several others, I 

 have a great deal already for next number. I am, my dear sir, 

 yours very truly, W. Blackwood." 



We come now to the spring of 1824. In the merry month of 



* A short article, chiefly addressed to Charles Lamb, on his exaggerated displeasure at a criti 

 cal observation by Southey. 



t Percy Mallory, 3 vols., 12mo., published in December, 1S23. It was written by Dr. James 

 Hook, Dean of Worcester, brother of Theodore Hook. He was also author of Pen Owen, &e. 

 Born 1773, died 1S28. 



