LITERARY AND DOMESTIC LIFE. 287 



spect most religiously the feelings which I cannot but honor in you 

 as to that matter. I hope I maybe as brief in my words about 

 Mtb. Wilson. I trust the cool weather, and cmiet of a few weeks, 

 will have all the good effects you look forward to, and that I shall 

 have the pleasure of seeing you all well and gladsome, in spite of 

 all that hath been in the month of November. As for you, I do 

 think it is likely we may meet earlier. All I know of Canning's 

 motions is, that Sir W. Scott expects him at Abbotsford very early 

 in October ; the day not fixed that I know of. I cannot help think- 

 ing that you would be much out of your duty, both to others and 

 to yourself, if you did not come down ; for there is to be at least 

 one public dinner in C.'s offer — I mean from the Pitt Club — and I 

 think he can't refuse. You must come down and show that we 

 have one speaker among us — for certes we have but one — unless 

 the President himself should come forth on the occasion, which I 

 take to be rather out of the dice. I know Sir TV. also will be pai-- 

 ticularly gratified in seeing you come out on such a field-day. I 

 wish you would just put yourself into the mail and come to me 

 here when C. leaves Storrs, and then you would see him at Abbots- 

 ford, and at Edinburgh also, without trouble of any kind. The 

 little trip would shake your spirits up, and do you service every 

 way. I assure you it would do me a vast deal of good too. I have 

 been far from well either in health or spirits for some time back, 

 and indeed exist merely by dint of forcing myself to do something. 

 I have spent five or six hours on Shakspere regularly, and have 

 found that sort of work of great use to me, it being one that can 

 be grappled with without that full flow of vigor necessary for any 

 thing like writing / and I wish you had some similar job by you to 

 take up when the spirit is not exactly in its highest status. I heard 

 grand accounts of you the other day from the young Duke of Buc- 

 cleuch and his governor, Blakeney — a very superior man, by the 

 way. It would make me happy indeed to see you here, and 1 may 

 say the same of not a few round about me. 



" I shall not fail to write you again, if I hear any thing worth 

 telling as to C. ; but I think it more likely you should than I, and I 

 hope you will write me if that be the case. 



" One word as to Ebony.* It is clear he must go down now. 

 Maginn, you have heard, I suppose, is universally considered as the 



* The soubriquet by which Mr. Blackwood was known by his contributors. 



