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given noble gifts, use them for a new account in literary labour, for a better one than fashion, for the advantage of the country that gave you birth, and against those pernicious interests that have been so long inimical to its peace.

"By the influence of your opinions, the distinguished people you draw around you, may be made serviceable to Ireland; and pardon me, if I remind you that Ireland has a claim on your pen, and a controversy with it. Your country is now entitled to other services at your hands than the production of political novels, pleasing to her enemies and painful to her friends to read. Employ some portion of your leisure in the reprobation of a system of government which administered its powers against the great bulk of the people of our country on account of their religion, and with a special view to the promotion of selfish purposes, hypocritically pursued under the name and in the guise of zeal for the interests of religion.

"R. R. Maddes."

265

CHAPTER X.

MISCELLANEOUS LETTERS.

From Lady Blessington to Charles Bianconi, Esq.

"Gore House, Kensington, Dec. 2, 1846.

"Dear Sir, "Accept my best thanks for the statistical statement you have sent me. I have perused it with warm interest, and feel, as all must who have read it, that my native land has found in you her best benefactor. I thank you for discovering those noble qualities in my poor countrymen, which neglect and injustice may have concealed, but have not been able to destroy. While bettering their condition, you have elevated the moral character of those you employ. You have advanced civilization, while inculcating a practical code of morality that must ever prove the surest path to lead to an amelioration of Ireland. Wisdom and humanity, which ought ever to be inseparable, shine most luminously in the plan you have pursued, and its results must win for you the esteem, gratitude, and respect of all who love Ireland. The Irish are not an ungrateful people, as they have too often been represented. My own feelings satisfy me on this point. Six of the happiest years of my life have been passed in your country, where I learned to appreciate the high qualities of its natives, and consequently I am not surprised, though delighted, to find an Italian conferring so many benefits on mine.

"When you next come to England, it will give me great pleasure to see you, and to assure you in person how truly I am, dear Sir, Your obliged,

"Marguerite Blessington."

To Lady Blessington, from a Correspondent whose signature is F. W. T.

"November 24. "Your sister took me by surprise!! but what I blundered out was still the truth: I felt the necessity of withdrawing myself from the fascination of your society, and from motiva which I could not explain, but left you and her to guess. To your sister they were such as should rather flatter than offend.

"I have now nothing more to add but this, that no suspicion of your want of friendship has ever crossed my mind. I feel conscious that I have never deserved to forfeit your good opinion, and so far from believing you capable of saying or doing towards me ought that would lessen you in my opinion, I should not hesitate at this very moment to place my life or (what I value more) my honour in your hands. But still I must persist in the course I have marked out for myself, and avoid you.

"As a friend, I have never betrayed, as a foe should disdain to deceive any one, and I am confident these expressions do not refer to me.

"I shall only add, that in reflecting on our relative positions, my judgment and my feelings, my * head and my warm

heart, equally press on me the conviction, that he who has known you as I have done, and felt the influence of your attractions as I have done, cannot degenerate into an acquaintance. My philosophy knows but one way to escape the fascination of the Syren, and that is to avoid her.

." I am just setting out for B , to pay my Christmas visit

to your old friend. Adieu, may every blessing be yours,

"F. W. T."t

* Word illegible.

f This letter was addressed to Lady Blessington to Seamore Place, where she resided from 1831 to 1836. It has been erroneously ascribed to persons of the same initials, but certainly not of the saiM arms as the writer—a mailed arm holding a sword, with the motto— "Virtutis fortuna comes."

From Lady Blessington to a Contributor to the "Book of Beauty."

"Gore House, Saturday. "My Dearest Friend,

"I have this moment received the proof, which I send you. Are you not sorry for poor Prince Louis's madness? for I look on his attempt as nothing short of it. How are you?

"M. Blessington."

LETTERS SIGNED P. B. TO LADY BLESSINGTON.

"St. James's Place, February 24, 1829. "Dear Lady Blessington,

"I send you a line, though I have nothing to say, nor time to say anything in, even if I had wherewithal, as Burns says in his letter to a friend, ' though it may serve for neither, and but just a kind memento.'

"Now pray remember me kindly, yea, most kindly, to Madame Crawford, to your amiable ladies, Milord, and to all the family of D'Orsay, Faimable baronne, and pray make use of me on my return, if I can do anything, bring any thing I can. Should D'Orsay want a horse, Lord Blessington a house, or any one any thing; pray spare me not.

"I cannot omit expressing my wonder and gratification, at the astonishing change of the great Duke and Mr. Peel, converted into the Pacificator of Ireland! Let no man hereafter talk of the conversion of St. Paul as a miracle, nor woman either, not even Madame Krudner.

"Ever yours sincerely,

"F. B."

"April 1, 1832. "You are very kind, and I should be very happy could I profit by it, but you have no idea of my state: not quite so bad as Theseus, who was fixed for ever, and immoveably, to his seat, but able to move only, crab-like, with the aid of crutches. What is very provoking, too, I am as well in health as anybody, and could I creep to your presence, in a becoming posture, no one would be more capable, or disposed to enjoy it.

[No date] "You make me renew past griefs; I really had forgot the most important use of knees. As you say, there seems to be ■ marvellous sympathy between the hinges of the knee and valves of the heart; the one indeed seems the safety-valve of the other, rather than a hinge at all. Certain it is, they move in wonderful accordance. You ask whether your observation is a satire on our sex? Philosophers say everything receives its nature from that of the recipient: if so, he who so takes it may, but those who, like me, witness it, don't feel it. I cannot answer the question.

"F. B."

"May 5, 1832. "Solomon says, that' though you pound a fool in a mortar, yet will not his foolishness depart from him.'

"1 am making a sad confession; but my spirits getting the better of my prudence the other day—only the other day, mind— I, having one or two people to dine with me, brought back my gout, which I had flattered myself I had got rid of; so that, with a short interval of promise, I am now nearly as when last I wrote to you, with the addition of recent experience, which makes, they say, fools wise; but I am past that age when men are said to be either fools or physicians; and as I am feelingly convinced that I am not the last, I fear my share of the alternative condemns me to Solomon's mortar, and certainly deprive* me a second time of the pleasure you again so obligingly offer.

"F. B."

"July 19, 1832. "I trust nothing will, and nothing but death shall, prevent me from having the pleasure of coming to you on Friday.

"F. B."

"August 14, 1832.

"I am again confined to my own room, and this day, marked

with chalk, must be marked with carbon. This is very sad,

but such are the fickle terms on which we hold this tenement

of clay. My repeated attacks seem to amount almost to a notice

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