"
Mlle. de Sommery also published, besides the 'Doutes' (1782), 'Lettres
de Madame la Comtesse de L. a M. le Comte de R'. (1785); 'Lettres de
Mlle. de Tourville a Madame la Comtesse de Lenoncourt' (1788);
'L'Oreille, conte Asiatique' (1789).]
* * * * *
374.--To John Galt [1].
Dec. 11, 1813.
My dear Galt,--There was no offence--there _could_ be none. I thought it
by no means impossible that we might have hit on something similar,
particularly as you are a dramatist, and was anxious to assure you of
the truth, viz., that I had not wittingly seized upon plot, sentiment,
or incident; and I am very glad that I have not in any respect trenched
upon your subjects. Something still more singular is, that the _first_
part, where you have found a coincidence in some events within your
observations on _life_, was _drawn_ from _observations_ of mine also,
and I meant to have gone on with the story, but on _second_ thoughts, I
thought myself _two centuries_ at least too late for the subject; which,
though admitting of very powerful feeling and description, yet is not
adapted for this age, at least this country, though the finest works of
the Greeks, one of Schiller's and Alfieri's in modern times, besides
several of our _old_ (and best) dramatists, have been grounded on
incidents of a similar cast. I therefore altered it as you perceive, and
in so doing have weakened the whole, by interrupting the train of
thought: and in composition I do not think _second_ thoughts are the
best, though _second_ expressions may improve the first ideas.
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