Memoir of Francis Hodgson
Thomas Moore to Francis Hodgson, 8 November 1827
Sloperton Cottage: November 8, 1827.
My dear Sir,—Our friend Mrs. Arkwright had already told me how kindly you were disposed
towards me, but I am rejoiced to have it also under your own hand. You may be
assured I shall have great pleasure in coming to you, when I next visit
Derbyshire.
I cannot help thinking that you take rather too fastidious
a view of Byron’s letters. Offensive
personalities are, of course, inadmissible; but the names of friends, kindly
mentioned, and allusions to some of the events in which he and those friends
were engaged, could not fail to interest, and to interest harmlessly. If you view his correspondence ![]()
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with you in this light, I am sure you will find
much of it that a biographer could turn to account. At all events, it is of
importance to me to see as much of his as I can, as the more I know of all the
bearings of his life, thoughts, and feelings the deeper, of course, I shall be
imbued with my subject, and the more chance there is of my being able to do
justice to it. In this way you can be of material service to me, particularly
with respect to the earlier part of his life, and the time of his first travels, which is the period I am most imperfectly
supplied with information on. You need not put yourself to the least
inconvenience in your kind task for me, as after Christmas will be abundantly
soon for my purpose. It will double the pleasure of my visit to you if I am
lucky enough to be able to accept Mrs.
Arkwright’s invitation to Mrs.
Moore, and thus avail myself of the opportunity of introducing
her to Mrs. Hodgson, to whom I beg my
best remembrances. As our common friend was not formal, I don’t see why
we should be so, and shall therefore say, my dear Hodgson,
I am yours very truly,
Francis Hodgson (1781-1852)
Provost of Eton College, translator of Juvenal (1807) and close friend of Byron. He wrote
for the
Monthly and
Critical Reviews, and was
author of (among other volumes of poetry)
Childe Harold's Monitor; or
Lines occasioned by the last Canto of Childe Harold (1818).
Susanna Matilda Hodgson [née Tayler] (1791-1833)
Daughter of Archdale Wilson Tayler (1759-1814) who married Francis Hodgson in 1815. Her
sister Ann Caroline married Henry Drury and her sister Elizabeth married Robert
Bland.
Thomas Moore (1779-1852)
Irish poet and biographer, author of the
Irish Melodies (1807-34),
The Fudge Family in Paris (1818), and
Lalla
Rookh (1817); he was Byron's close friend and designated biographer.
