But my intrusion concerns a large debt of gratitude due to
your Lordship, and a much less important one of explanation, which I
think I owe to myself, as I dislike standing low in the opinion of any
person whose talents rank so highly in my own, as your Lordship's most
deservedly do.
"The first 'count', as our technical language expresses it, relates to
the high pleasure I have received from the 'Pilgrimage of Childe
Harold', and from its precursors; the former, with all its classical
associations, some of which are lost on so poor a scholar as I am,
possesses the additional charm of vivid and animated description,
mingled with original sentiment; but besides this debt, which I owe
your Lordship in common with the rest of the reading public, I have to
acknowledge my particular thanks for your having distinguished by
praise, in the work which your Lordship rather dedicated in general to
satire, some of my own literary attempts. And this leads me to put
your Lordship right in the circumstances respecting the sale of
'Marmion', which had reached you in a distorted and misrepresented
form, and which, perhaps, I have some reason to complain, were given
to the public without more particular inquiry. The poem, my Lord, was
_not_ written upon contract for a sum of money--though it is too true
that it was sold and published in a very unfinished state (which I
have since regretted), to enable me to extricate myself from some
engagements which fell suddenly upon me by the unexpected misfortunes
of a very near relation.
Pages:
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
196
197
198
199
200
201
202
203
204