The Press.
London, England, 1857-01-24 00:00:00

89

not to be consulted in an affair of this consequence, where
birth and seniority give me so just and natural a preten-
sion, I cannot conceive. It is so contemptuous and arro-
gant a treatment that it is not easily to be forgotten ; for
to be sensible yourself how very desirable a thing it is
either in a private view in regard to i friend or in the eye
of the world in respect to oneself, and to think that I either
did not desire it or did not know its advantages, is to de-
Anise me beyond measure. But your conduct to me has
always been of the same kind, and has made it the most
painful thing in the word to me to have any commerce
with you. You have, I must confess, showed a great dis-
position to me and to my children at all times which is
agreeable to the good nature that I shall ever do you the
justice to think and say you possess in a great degree ; but
it has been mixed with what I dare say you can't help and
never meant offence by, but still what I am not obliged to
bear—such a confidence and presumption of some kind of
superiority that, my sentiments not tallying with yours
upon that head, it has been very unpleasant. You have
assumed to yourself a preeminence, from an imaginary
disparity between us in point of abilities and character,
that, although you are a very great man, I oannot submit
to; and you have crowned the whole with this most
evident proof that I have not mistaken you ; therefore,
since the conditions of your friendship and kindness are
such that I must be subject to direct injuries, such as
this cruel wrong done me now, or those kinds of hurts
that a man feels most when they have the face of kind-
ness, 1 must be excused if I beg it of you as a favour
never to be kind to me again.--I am, your humble
servant,

ED. WALPOLL
Horace Walpole drew up an answer to that
letter which he did not send, but lie kept the
draft of it in his papers. It thus oom-
mences

Brother, I am sorry you won't let me say, Dear Bro-
ther, but till you have still farther proved how impos-
sible it is for you to have any affection for me, I will
never begin my letters as you do—" Sir,"
Before I enter upon your letter, I must be so imper-
Client even as to give my elder brother advice, and that
is, the next letter you write to consider whether the
person it is addressed to has any dependence upon you,
or which I am sure your heart will tell you T have not
cny obligation to you. if they have neither, they may
happen to laugh at your style.

- -
" Castle Rising is a family borough." This is your
first proposition, but not very definite. It is a borough
in our family, but I never heard that it was parliamen-
tarily entailed upon every branch of our family. If it
was, how came Mr. Churchill to be always chosen there!
However, before I ever undertake anything again I will
certainly examine our genealogical table, and be sure
that Lord Walpole. yourself, end all our eleven first
cousins have no mind to the same thing.

He then takes up seriati►n the points in Sir
Edward's letter, and answers them with ex-
cessive sharpness :

" I always thought he was bound to offer it to some one
of them." He does not seem to have been of your
opinion.
"T give myself an additional credit and weight in
Parliament." You might have left out " additional."
" How you came never to think of me." For your sake
I won't answer this.
" Or how you happened to imagine 1 was not to be con.
stilted." 1 will ask von another question, how you happen
to imagine that it was necessary for me to consult you ?
Have you ever given me any en'ouragement to consult
you in anything? How must I consult you? By letter?
You never would see me either at your own house or
here ! The authority you affect over me is ridiculous ;
and for consulting you, good God! do you think you ever
judge so dispassionately, as that any man living would con•
suit you!
" Whose birth and seniority give me so just and natural
a pretension." To my father's estate before me, to nothing
else that I know of.
"It is so contemptuous and arrogant a treatment."
Those words 1 return you, being full as proper and decent
from me to you, as from you to me, whose birth, though
thank God not my seniority, is as considerable as yours.
And again :
" The most painful thing in the world to have any corn•
merce with you." I believe it, for I have always seen it,
and in vain endeavoured to make it more tolerable to you.
" You have, I must confess, showed a great disposition
to me and to my children at all times." Thank you.
" Good nature, which I think and say you possess in a
great degree." Dear brother, I wish 1 could think the
same of you.

So on throughout. The composition is keen,
angry, and virulently severe. It was too
long, and would have made one of the pam-
phlets of the time. The answer really sent was
tame enough ;