LITEKAKY AND DOMESTIC LITE. 305 



written in the spring of 1828, it will be seen how fondly he clung 

 to the place, after having made up his mind as a matter of duty to 

 sacrifice the pleasure of spendiug his summers there. Referring in 

 this letter to the Magazine, he says : — 



" Of Blackwood's Magazine I am not the editor, although, I be- 

 lieve, I very generally get both the credit and discredit of being 

 Christopher North. I am one of the chief writers, perhaps the 

 chief, and have all along been so, but never received one shilling 

 from the proprietor, except for my own compositions. Being gen- 

 erally on the spot, I am always willing to give him my advice, and 

 to supply such articles as may be most wanted when I have leisure 

 to do so. But I hold myself answerable to the public only for my 

 own articles, although I have never chosen to say, nor shall I ever, 

 that I am not editor, as that might appear to be shying responsi- 

 bility, or disclaiming my real share in the work. To you, however, 

 I make the avowal, which is to the letter correct, of Christopher 

 North's ideal character. I am in a great measure the parent never- 

 theless, nor am I ashamed of the old gentleman, who is, though 

 rather perverse, a thriving bairn. 



" I shall be at Elleray, with my daughters Margaret and Mary, 

 about the 18th or 20th of April, and hope to stay a month. I in- 

 tend to let Elleray, if I can get a suitable tenant, for three years. 

 My children are all just growing up, and I cannot remove them 

 from Edinburgh, nor can I leave them, even if the expense of hav- 

 ing two houses were such as I could prudently encounter. I have 

 therefore brought my mind to make the sacrifice of my summers, 

 nowhere else so happy as on the banks of beautiful and beloved 

 Windermere. My visit is chiefly to make arrangements for letting 

 Elleray during the period now mentioned. 



" I feel great delicacy in asking any questions of a friend relative 

 to concerns of his friends. But I hope you will not think me 

 guilty of indelicacy in writing to know on what terms Bellfield was 

 let to Mr. Thomson. I am wholly at a loss to know what to ask 

 for Elleray, and Bellfield would be a rule to go by in fixing the 

 rent. I am anxious you will do me the justice to think that I am 

 one of the last men in the world to seek to know any thing of the 

 kind, except in the case like the present, where it would be of ad- 

 vantage to my interests and that of my family ; or if there be any 

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