Chapter XLIX: Letter 203: To Mr. Moore

"October 7. 1814.

"Notwithstanding the contradictory paragraph in the Morning
Chronicle, which must have been sent by * *, or perhaps--I know not
why I should suspect Claughton of such a thing, and yet I partly
do, because it might interrupt his renewal of purchase, if so
disposed; in short it matters not, but we are all in the road to
matrimony--lawyers settling, relations congratulating, my intended
as kind as heart could wish, and every one, whose opinion I value,
very glad of it. All her relatives, and all mine too, seem equally
pleased.

"Perry was very sorry, and has _re_-contradicted, as you will
perceive by this day's paper. It was, to be sure, a devil of an
insertion, since the first paragraph came from Sir Ralph's own
County Journal, and this in the teeth of it would appear to him and
his as _my_ denial. But I have written to do away that, enclosing
Perry's letter, which was very polite and kind.

"Nobody hates bustle so much as I do; but there seems a fatality
over every scene of my drama, always a row of some sort or other.
No matter--Fortune is my best friend; and as I acknowledge my
obligations to her, I hope she will treat me better than she
treated the Athenian, who took some merit to _himself_ on some
occasion, but (after that) took no more towns. In fact, _she_, that
exquisite goddess, has hitherto carried me through every thing, and
will I hope, now; since I own it will be all _her_ doing.

"Well, now, for thee. Your article on * * is perfection itself. You
must not leave off reviewing. By Jove, I believe you can do any
thing. There is wit, and taste, and learning, and good humour
(though not a whit less severe for that), in every line of that
critique.

"Next to _your_ being an E. Reviewer, _my_ being of the same
kidney, and Jeffrey's being such a friend to both, are amongst the
events which I conceive were not calculated upon in Mr.--what's his
name?'s--'Essay on Probabilities.'

"But, Tom, I say--Oons! Scott menaces the 'Lord of the Isles." Do
you mean to compete? or lay by, till this wave has broke upon the
_shelves_? (of booksellers, not rocks--a _broken_ metaphor, by the
way.) You _ought_ to be afraid of nobody; but your modesty is
really as provoking and unnecessary as a * *'s. I am very merry,
and have just been writing some elegiac stanzas on the death of Sir
P. Parker. He was my first cousin, but never met since boyhood. Our
relations desired me, and I have scribbled and given it to Perry,
who will chronicle it to-morrow. I am as sorry for him as one could
be for one I never saw since I was a child; but should not have
wept melodiously, except 'at the request of friends.'

"I hope to get out of town and be married, but I shall take
Newstead in my way; and you must meet me at Nottingham and
accompany me to mine Abbey. I will tell you the day when I know it.

"Ever," &c.

"P.S. By the way my wife elect is perfection, and I hear of nothing
but her merits and her wonders, and that she is 'very pretty.' Her
expectations, I am told, are great; but _what_, I have not asked. I
have not seen her these ten months."

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