Hayley-XII-12

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Eartham
Feb 24 1782

My dear Sister Whenever my Silence begins to wear the appearance of Ingratitude (as in Truth it does at present) you will, I flatter myself, recollect, that it may probably be owing to the frequent Infirmities of my Head & Eyes, & not impute it to any Failure in a Heart, which, as long as it retains its vital Heat, will certainly retain its esteem & affection for you — I have now do much to thank you for, that I hardly know where to begin — your admirable letter to Colonel Gordon enchanted me; & tho it unluckily arrived just after the Fleet had set sail, it shall find its Way to the East – I was much obliged by yr inclosing to me the gallant & generous Letter of yr Friend, which returns to you in my Frank, & you will rejoice to hear that your little Heroic Nephew is become a Lieutenant.– a very rapid Promotion ! & owing to the active Generosity of a most valuable Friend of Mine whom I hope some day or other to introduce to you.— it seems I forgot

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to tell you, that I took a Trip to Portsmouth in a few days after my return from the north, & had a very pleasing Interview with our young soldier, whom, I persuade myself, we shall one day see among the most amiable & splendid characters of our military World. –

Apropos of amiable & splendid Characters I shall ever reckon a certain Muse, that I will not name, in that Number; & I must tell you, that the person, whom you supposed likely to speak ill of Her to Eliza, has indeed talked of Her, but in a very different Style; & even won the good opinion of the artless Eliza by the Warmth of her unexpected Encomium – How powerful are those Talents which oblige even a malignant Ennemy [sic] to flourish in your Praise!

Last night brought me your long-expected Elegy, for which I grew so impatient, that I began to execrate the tardy devils of the Press;

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But the Turbulence of my Anger is calmed by the soft magic of yr Verse —

The Poem delights me more than ever — your Partiality to me will raise Ennemies [sic] against us Both: but I trust their Emnity will never hurt you, & as to myself I shall hardly think any Price too high for the Coronet of Diamonds, which you have placed upon my Head —

A thousand circumstances have prevented my writing to you since I received yr last delightful Pacquet, & the daily expectation of your new Poem was one of the Thousand. But the chief cause of my Silence has been the state of my Eyes, & the load of literary Business, which they are obliged to struggle with, tho very unequally - some kind Friends however came in to the Assistance of the half-blind Hermit - Two excellent Females, the wife of Sandino & Fanny Heron, who are both known to you by name, absolutely took me Prisoner, & conveyed me for 5 days to Chichester, where they insisted on transcribing

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my two last Epistles for the revision of our dear Longinus — This has greatly forwarded my Work : yet Heaven only knows when it will be completed, as I am still far off the conclusion of my Notes, —and my Eyes are perpetually retarding my Progress by little teizing Inflammations -

Eliza pleads strongly for me engaging yr poor Friend Civean, as my Secretary; but I fear there are many stronger objections against the Measure — I wish however you would continue to converse with Him again on the Subject, Still as yr own Project, & discover on what Terms He would chuse to accept such an office.

adieu — yr petition for Franks is a most happy Squib, & I hope to partake of the Fruits, which I think it could not fail of producing –

If a member exists, whose cold nerves could refuse
The tender request of so touching a Muse,
To each Motion, He makes, may all voices cry–No.
& his Pen be quite dry, when He wants it to flow

Once more adieu — remember me most kindly to yr Father & believe me ever yr affectionate Brother

WH