Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1821-06-15

oithe above named pamphlet, and shall present II
LETTER, &c.
RAvTsN,, Feb. 9TH, 1891
DEAR SIR I'm the different pamphlets which
YOU have had the goodness 10 send me. on the Pope
and Bowles controversy, perceive that my name
IS occasionally introduced BIZ both parties Mr.
Bowles refers more than once to what lac * pleased
TO consider &C remarkable circumstance not on
y in his letter to Mr. Campbell, but in his reply to
the Quarterly. The Quarterly also and Mr. Gil
christ have conferred on the dangerous honour
ola quotation and Mr. Rowlcs indirectly makes n
Kind OF appeal 10 me personally, by saving, Lord
Byron, u he remembers the circumstance, will iric-
IieSs"-(ritaess IN ITALICS, IN omiuous character
ior a testimony, ut presently
shall not avail myself of g non mi ricordo"
even after so long residence in Italy III do &c re-
member the circumstance, and have no reuc-
lance TO relate il sincc called upon so TO dol as cor
Iectly as the distance of time and the impression of
intervening events will permit In the year 1872
more than three years after the publication OF En-
glish Bards and Scotch Reviewers" had the ho-
nour of meeting Mr. Bowlcs in the house of our vc-
nelable host of {. Human Life, &c. the last Argo-
maui OF classic English poetry, and the Nestor of
our inferior race of living poets. MIR. Bowlcs calls
ms soon alter the publication but to ne three
years appear considerable segment of the immor-
taliiy OF modern poem. recollcct nothing of
the restof the company going into another ROOM
nor, though well remember the topography of our
hosts elegant and classcally furnished mansion
could swear to the very room where the conyersa-
uon occurred, though the 90 taking dozen the poem
seems to fix it in the library. Had il been taken
up would probably have been in the drawing
ROOM presume also that the " remarkable cir
cumstance" took place after dinner, as / conceive
that neither Mr.. Bowles' poli,eness nor appetite
would have allowed him to detain 90 the rest of The
company standing round their chairs in the other
room while we were discussing the Woods of
Madeira instead of circulating its vintage. OfNIr
bowles' good humour" have full and not UNI
grateful recollection as also of his gentlemanlv
manners and agreeable conversation speak of
nnf MI c,-
ana or Old not use the precise words printed in the
pamphlet, cannot say, could he with accura-
cy: vi " the tone OF seriousness" 1 certainly re-
collect nothin. the contrary I thouuht Mr.
6owles rather disposed TO treat the subject lightly
Tor he said q have objection TO be contradicted
IL incorrect,) that some of his good naturcd friends
had come to him and exclaimed, " Eth Bowlcs (!
how came you 10 make the Woods of Madeira ~
&c &c and that he had been at some pains and
pulling down of the poem TO convince them that he
had never made " the Woods do any thing of the
Kind. lie was right, and irrong, and have
been wrong still up 10 this Observation-Disclosures for 7
ough, TO have looked twice before wrote that
which involved an inaccurary capable of giving
pam The fact was, that although had certainly
before read " the Spirit of Discovery" took the
quotation from the review. But the mistake was
nine, and not the rerieirs which quoted the pas
sage correctly enough, / believe. blundcred-
God knows how-into aItributing the tremors of the
lovers to the =. Woods Of Madeira" by which they
were surrounded. And hereby do fully and freely
declare and asseyerate, that the Woods did not trem
bic to KISS and that the lovers did. quote from
memory
Stole on the listening silence, &c BE-
ney the lovers rembled, even il the power &c.
And II had been aware that this declaration would
have been IN the smallest degree satisfactory to Mr.
Bowles, should not have waited nine years 20
make II. notwithstanding that English Bards and
Scotch Reviewers" had been suppressed some time
previously TO my meeting him at Mr.. Rogers" Our
worthy host might indeed have told him as much.
as 1t was at his representation that suppressed it,
A new edition of that lampoon was preparing for
the press, when Mr.. Rogers represented to me- that
was n0'o acquainted with many of the persons
mentioned in il, and with some on terms of ntima-
cy and that he knew I" one family i'm particular
to whom its suppression would give pleasure" |
did not hesitate one moment, it was cancelled in
stantiy and 1t is no fault of mine that il has ever
been republished. When I left England, in April
1916, with no very violent intentions Of troubling
that country again, and amidst scenes of various
Kinds to distract my attcntion-amost my last act
believe, was TO sign power of attorney, 10 YOUR
sel to prevent or suppress any attempts (of which
several had been made in lrcand) at a Republican
uon II is proper that should state that the per-
sons with whom ! was subsequently acquainted,
whose names had occurred in that publication.
we're made my acquaintance nj their own desire
or through the unsought intervention of others.
never, to the best of my knowledge, sought a per-
sonai introduction TO any. Some of them TO this
day know only by correspondence and with one
OF those 1t was begun by myself, in consequence
however, OF a polite verbal communication from a
third person.
Ibave dwet for an instant on these circumstances
because II has sometimes been made a subject OF
bitter reproach TO me 10 have cndeayored TO sun
press that satire. L never shrunk, rs those who
Know me Know, from any personal consequences
winch could be attached TO its publication OF its
subsequent suppression, as ] possessed the copy
right, was the best judge and the sole master The
circumstances which occasoned the suppression
have now stated; of the motives, each must Judge
according 10 his candor or malignity Mr. Bowles
IN tall of IL
generous magnanmlty ); and all this because 90 the
circumstance would have been explained had not
the book been suppressed" l sec no 90 nobility of
mind IN an sci OF simple justice; and l hate the
word = 07dgndninity, because l have sometimes
seen II applied TO the grossest of mpostors by the
greatest Of fools but would have " explained the
circumstance, Notwithstanding " the suppression
of the book" if Mr Bowles had expressed any de-
sire that should AS the " gallant Galbraith'' saws
to " Baillie Jaryie,' GO Well, the devil take the
mistake and all that occasioned it," have had as
groatand greater mistakes made about ME personally
and POLITICALLY, once a month for these last ten
years, and never cared much about correcting one
or the other at least after the first EIGHT and forty
hours had gone them.
must now, however, say word or two about
rope, OF whom you have my opinion more AT LARGE
in the unpublished letters on or 10 flor Iorpet hic5
the editor of " Blackwoods Edinburgh Magazine :"
-snd here doubt that Mr.. Bowles will not approve
OF my sentiments.
q Although 1 regret having published " English
Bards and Scotch Reviewers" the part which re-
greet the least is that which regards Mr. Bo,yes with
reference TO Pope. Whilst was writing that pub.
lcaiion, IN 1907 and 1903, MIR. Hobhouse was desi-
rous that should express our mutual opinion NJ
rope, and OF MIR. Bowles' edition of his works AS
had completed my outline, and felt lazy, 1 request
ed that he would do So IIe did it, His fourteen
lines on Bowles' Pope in the first edition of
hnghsh Bards and Scotch Reviewers - and are
quite az severe and much more poetcal than nv
own IN the second. On reprinting the work, as /
put my name to il, omitted Mr. Hobhouse's lines.
and replaced them with my own, by which the work
the preface to the second edition 1t is many years
since have read that poem but the Quarterly
Review, MIR. Octavius GiIchrst, and Mr. Bowles
himself, have been so obliging to refresh my me-
mory, and that Of the public. am grieyed 10 saw.
mat ~ reading over those lines, repont Of their