direction and acquaintance with the world which he would gain among men of talent and knowledge, and those his friends also. Therefore, as a person anxiously desirous for his welfare, since Providence has wonderfully favoured my poor endeavours to save him from the horrors of despair, and rescue him from wretchedness and want, I cannot but feel deeply interested in your judicious and important proposal. I shall lose no time in communicating it to him, and to his friends here. I shall earnestly press a compliance on his part, and be ready to do my utmost in procuring what subscriptions I can to aid a design likely to be of the most efficient service to him. I beg to offer my sincerest thanks to you for a kindness, and for such friendly interest towards a sufferer of no common class, and a highly deserving character, to whom every act of kindness through me I consider a personal obligation, &c. &c."

Now, my dear sir, you see what is likely to arise out of this, and what is thought of this particular circumstance. Weigh it well in your own mind; yet overlook none of the unspeakable advantages which must result from it. What an insight into men and things will it not give you! what opportunities will it afford for collecting information and books, and maturing your pieces

in hand and getting the best advice and correction of them. In the mean time, you can visit home occasionally; and at last return there, like your first literary friend, "a laden bee," to feast on what you have collected, to publish with confidence, and enjoy yourself, your home, and your labours, or turn to other matters. In such a case, the money I have in hand might either be applied to Mrs., if she should not accompany you, or put to interest as a stock to begin with on your return, or in such other way as you might deem best. But I add no more at present. Writing for the books, I thought I might as well order you Bowles's with the others, so that you need not trouble about it. I hope I shall hear something to your advantage from Mr. Bowles next Wednesday. I have desired Mr. Britton to promote the sale of the Tragedy in town, and also to see to the advertisements. And begging God to guide you in your art, and prosper you in your deeds,

I remain, much yours,

JOSIAH ALLport.

LETTER CI.

No 2, Buckingham Place, Fitzroy Square.

DEAR FRANK,

ONCE more in the metropolis. And why there again? I hear you ask. Since I wrote you last, in one of the letters which I received from my invaluable friend Mr. Allport, he says "Mr. Britton complains so much of the want of time, that his last letter to me seems like a complete relinquishment of any further exertions on your account. I immediately wrote him again saying, that no one else could manage the business on which your future welfare seemed now to hang, and that to abandon your cause amid such prospects as he had opened, would be ruin indeed." In his next letter my friend says, "I do most certainly think it would be advisable for you to visit town. There only appears to want some agent there, to accomplish the plan Mr. Britton named ; and if you were to go up, he certainly, at least, would direct you what to do, introduce you to Mr. Webb, and the business might be settled. At all events you would

:

now find a great many friends, and they would introduce you to others and were you to come this way, and take letters from two or three here, especially from one gentleman, to Sharon Turner, and put your new Tragedy into his hands, he might do something for you." Influenced by the impressions of such advice, and hearing nothing of my Tragedy's being either advertised or reviewed, I set off, via Chippenham, for London. On my arrival at the Vicarage in the former place, I was received with the most cordial and hospitable friendship by the Rev. and worthy clergyman, who had been my preserver and earthly saviour, and also by some of the most respectable families in the town and neighbourhood.

When I reached town, I found my former publishers had given up their whole business into the hands of Messrs. Whittaker, and with it my Tragedy and poems for youthful minds. This accounts in a great measure for the neglect which has been shown to my Tragedy. Scarce an advertisement of it has yet appeared, scarce a copy has been sold, and not one review or magazine has yet noticed it. I have seen Mr. Britton repeatedly, but Mr. Webb s at some distant watering-place; so there is no hope after all, that I can find, that this plan of his will ever

be brought to any thing. I have waited on the Bishop of St. David's respecting the new Literary Institution, the arrangement of which I understood was placed in his hauds: but it seems a Mr. Yates is at the head of the business. His Lordship received me with marked attention, kindness, and affability. He told me to send a copy of each of my works to the board of the new institution, and that then there would be no doubt of my being made a member, if I could procure two or three literary gentlemen to propose and second my wishes. Mr. Britton has promised me this favour at the council, and to get one of his friends to second him. I attended the evening before last, by his invitation and in his company, a grand dinner at the Albany Tavern in the city, it being the anniversary of the Wiltshire Society; the Duke of Somerset in the chair. This was the first dinner of the kind to which I had ever sat down; and the splendour and magnitude of the room, the multitude of the guests, and the magnificence of the banquet had to me a very imposing effect.

I am so far fortunate in coming to town, as to be engaged by the Messrs. Whittaker, or a very fair sum, to compile a new selection of poetry from the best modern authors: and they have