“You will be a little surprised to hear that Canning has expressed a wish to serve me, and that in consequence Walter Scott has been asked to communicate this to me, and find out in what manner it can be done conformably to my own inclinations. There was a situation of 300l. a year in his own department, which he would have offered; but that was rightly judged by himself, Scott, and Ellis to be inadequate to the expense of time and attendance which it required. So Scott wrote to mention to me professorships at the Universities, diplomatic situations, or any other thing which could be pointed out.
“Professorships in England are fenced about with
subscription, and therefore unattainable by me. In Scotland I would accept one,
if nothing more suitable could be found. The secretaryship in Portugal is now
no longer desirable. My uncle has left
that country, and the salary would not support me there. I am too old to begin
the pursuit of fortune in that line, and nothing but the desire of becoming
independent ever made me desirous of a situation for which I know myself in
many points to be exceedingly unfit. The truth is, that I have found my way in
the world, and am in that state of life to which it has pleased God to call me,
and for which it has pleased him to qualify me. At the same time my means are
certainly so straitened that I should very gladly
| 244 | LIFE AND CORRESPONDENCE | Ætat. 35. |
“Now Sharp has told me that the Stewardship to Greenwich Hospital for the Derwentwater estates is expected soon to be vacated by the death of a Mr. Walton, and has advised me to apply for it. I have therefore written to Scott to tell him this; and I now write to you, well knowing that if you can be of use to me in this application, you will. What the value of this appointment is I do not know; Sharp fancies from 600l. to 800l. a year. If this be thought ‘too good a thing for me,’ as I dare say it will, the Cumberland estates might be divided from the Northumberland ones. Certes I should rather have the whole than half,—but better half a loaf than no bread. And now I have done all that is in my power to do; having thus found out a specific thing, asked for it, and written to you for your assistance, if you can give me any. Having done this, I dismiss the subject altogether from my thoughts. In this respect I have been truly a philosopher, that no hopes or fears, with respect to worldly fortune, have ever given me an hour’s anxiety. God bless you!
