The result of this communication has not been ascertained. Campbell, however, had now turned his thoughts to lecturing in some of the provincial cities; and the offers were too encouraging to be lost sight of. But it will probably occur to those who knew him, that, had he become identified with the University of Edinburgh, as his illustrious friend proposed, the colour of his fate would have been altered-new energies would have been called forth; and, in the use and application of his fine classical knowledge, some of those bright ideas might have been embodied in poetry, which were seldom afterwards drawn forth but in conversation. But to return to the narrative :

His American cousin, the new laird of Ascog, had arrived in Sydenham; and, writing to his sister, July 18, Campbell reverts to the progress of her "nephew" under his own special tutorship :-"I believe," he says, "you are right respecting the utility of Thomas's correspondence; at present, as he has begun Greek and French, he is really occupied fully, but I intend soon to drill him a little in correspondence, and by degrees to bring him into epistolary habits. Our relation, Frederick-Campbell-Stewart, of Ascog, has been for some seven weeks in the village, about three-quarters of a mile from us. I think he is a dying man, although his French physician assured him that, by persevering in the use of Iceland moss, and following the regimen he prescribed to him, he should get better. He left France for Mrs. Stewart's accouchement. She was delivered about ten days ago of a fine boy.

"This young man, before leaving America, made an agreement with an uncle, who thought that the present heir, being an alien, could not succeed, by which he gave up a fourth to the uncle, and another fourth to his own brother. Thus he succeeds to only 15007. a-year, and that is burthened with so many expenses of succession,

T. 38.] LETTER TO HIS SISTER-ORIGINAL LINES.

319

and debts on the estate, that he says it will be many years before his income is clear. . . He is an amiable man, but our idea of his taking an interest in our family proves a chimera! I have equal doubts of his ability and disposition; for, though he is mild in temper, I cannot but perceive that he is not a prodigal..

"I come now, my dear Mary, to a subject which it is painfully delicate for me to express, but which I feel it a duty to myself not to pass in silence. It is my inability at this moment to fulfil the intention I had of remitting you a token of my remembrance, and which I had laid aside for you, in distributing my expenditure for the year. But it is swept away from me; and I am left with only the painful consciousness of a sincere intention. A sum of money advanced by on my account, ten years ago,

**

to my mother, has been claimed; the interest ran it up to 927., but I have come to a compromise to pay 60%. You may guess what a slap this is in my finances.. I have written three or four occasional poems since winter, some of which you may have probably seen in the papers. hope in the course of a year to have as many as to form a volume. T. C."

I

Among the "occasional poems" to which he alludes, is one to a lady,* never published-"On being presented with a Sprig of Alexandrian Laurel :"

"This classic laurel! at the sight

What teeming thoughts suggested rise!
The patriot's and the poet's right,
The meed of semi-deities !-

Men who to death have tyrants hurled,
Or bards who may have swayed at will
And soothed that little troubled world-
The human heart, with sweeter skill.

* Miss Eleanor Wigram, now Mrs. Unwin Heathcote.

Ah! lady, little it beseems

My brow to wear these sacred leaves !
Yet-like a treasure found in dreams-
Thy gift most pleasantly deceives.
And where is poet on the earth

Whose self-love could the meed withstand,
Even though it far outstripp'd his worth,

Given by so beautiful a hand?" &c.-T. C.

The popularity of Campbell's Lectures had, to a certain amount, anticipated that of his Specimens. The consequence was, that the publication of the latter, which was to have taken place in April, was indefinitely postponed. The "remarks and selections" with which he had enriched the Lectures, it was alleged, belonged exclusively to the Specimens, and consequently to the publisher, who had agreed to pay handsomely for the work. The result was a momentary hesitation, on the part of Mr. Murray, to risk the publication; and the following very candid letter from Campbell, in answer to his objections, shows the grounds upon which he founded his hopes of success.

DEAR SIR,

SYDENHAM, July 17, 1816.

You may have objections to the plan of publishing my remarks and selections, on which it is not proper for me to enter. But such objections as relate to myself and the work, I think I can remove. My friends strongly represent to me that, so far from the publication of the remarks damping the public curiosity towards the Lectures, the postponing of their appearance is more likely

April 6.-He writes: "It has been announced that Mr. Murray wishes my 'Remarks on English Poetry' to form part of my 'Lectures on Ancient and Modern Poetry,' which he has purchased; and, therefore, the subordinate work [Specimens] will be deferred till the whole Lectures appear."-T. C.

ÆT. 38.] SELECTIONS-LECTURES-LETTER TO MR. MURRAY. 321

to be the damper. They say that my appearance at the Institution is still favourably remembered, but may be far gone from people's memories before the larger work can be got ready. The next query is, Can you have any unwillingness to print the Selections and Remarks from a fear of their not being worth publication? If this were really the case, it would be high time for us both to think more seriously how we embark in a more extensive work of this kind, if (after all the time and pains I have bestowed on it, and after all the encouragement respecting it, which I have received from my most judicious friends) the work on English Literature be of dubious value in the eyes of my publisher. I have myself a very different idea of the value of the Selections, and should expect them, if they were my own, to be a lucrative copyright. It is difficult for me to speak of my own compositions; I can only say that my friends have approved of them, and that, if they are mistaken, it is not fit that I should set my face to three volumes of Lectures on similar subjects. I mention it as a bare possibility (for I feel that my character should debar the probability) that my offer to release you, at your option, from the bargain of the Lectures,* may be misunderstood as a wish to unfix a thing settled, and to deprive you of the eventual advantage of them when finished. Once for all, let me convey, that I shall make any deduction from the price of the future Lectures, that can be demanded by reason or liberality, for whatever matter is taken out of the Remarks into the Lectures-if the Remarks are published before the Lectures :-that I only speak of releasing you in order to your convenience; and that I am willing to

It would appear from this that Mr. Murray had purchased the MS. Lectures; but of the fact, I have no positive evidence in the letters before me.-See Note, page 354.

make any arrangement to secure the Lectures being yours, as soon as finished, on terms which shall meet your own approbation. It is not possible for me to be fairer. I should have been most unwilling, indeed, to have suggested any new arrangement, if, upon full and close inspection, the materials of the Lectures did not appear such as my finances will require many years to bring together.* the mean time, I conceive it to be neither your interest nor mine, that the gleanings of past years should be wasted. I am, dear Sir, yours truly,

T. CAMPBELL.

In

To this letter, Mr. Murray returned the following answer-couched in such generous and friendly terms, that Campbell returned to the work with renewed energy, and never left it until the three volumes were before the public.

MY DEAR SIR,

Mr. Davison has had some Government work, which has engrossed him too much of late. He now promises to put all his force upon the "Specimens," and to make up for his recent delays. I take this opportunity of assuring you how much I feel obliged by the labour which you are now bestowing upon the "Lives," which have become very interesting, and cannot fail of doing you honour. I will send you Hayley's Cowper, it affords materials for a very long and a peculiarly interesting life-in which you can weave innumerable passages of great beauty, from his letters, and all the touching part of the life written by himself. I assure you, I think, when you have given scope to yourself, that your prose is not to be surpassed.

I expect very very great things in your life of Burns. Don't be afraid

of room.

In haste, I am, dear Sir,

Most truly yours,

THOMAS CAMPBELL, ESQ.

JOHN MURRAY.

* John Kemble had placed his whole dramatic library at his disposaland this, with Mr. Heber's rare collection, had afforded Campbell every possible facility for perfecting the work.