Yours ever, B.
P.S.--I wish you would see Corbet and talk to him about it, for she
plagues my soul out with her damned letters.
[Footnote 1: The lady in question seems to have been Lady Falkland (see
'Letters', vol. 1, p. 216, 'note' 1 [Footnote 1 of Letter 117], and the
letter dated March 5, 1813 [Letter 281 in this volume.])]
* * * * *
277.--To John Murray.
February 20, 1813.
Dear Sir,--In "_Horace in London_" [1] I perceive some stanzas on Lord
Elgin in which (waving the kind compliment to myself [2]) I heartily
concur. I wish I had the pleasure of Mr. Smith's acquaintance, as I
could communicate the curious anecdote you read in Mr. T.'s letter. If
he would like it, he can have the _substance_ for his second Edition; if
not, I shall add it to _our_ next, though I think we already have enough
of Lord Elgin.
What I have read of this work seems admirably done. My praise, however,
is not much worth the Author's having; but you may thank him in my name
for _his_. The idea is new--we have excellent imitations of the Satires,
etc. by Pope; but I remember but one imitative Ode in his works, and
_none_ any where else. I can hardly suppose that _they_ have lost any
fame by the fate of the Farce [3]; but even should this be the case, the
present publication will again place them on their pinnacle.
Yours truly,
B.
[Footnote 1: 'Horace in London; consisting of Imitations of the First
Two Books of the Odes of Horace', by James and Horace Smith (1813), was
a collection of imitations, the best of which are by James Smith,
republished from Hill's 'Monthly Mirror', where they originally
appeared.
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