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A Memoir of the Reverend Sydney Smith
Letters 1809
Sydney Smith to Francis Jeffrey, 20 February 1809
INTRODUCTION & INDEXES
DOCUMENT INFORMATION
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Author's Preface
Contents
Chapter I
Chapter II
Chapter III
Chapter IV
Chapter V
Chapter VI
Chapter VII
Chapter VIII
Chapter IX
Chapter X
Chapter XI
Chapter XII
Index
Editor’s Preface
Letters 1801
Letters 1802
Letters 1803
Letters 1804
Letters 1805
Letters 1806
Letters 1807
Letters 1808
Letters 1809
Letters 1810
Letters 1811
Letters 1812
Letters 1813
Letters 1814
Letters 1815
Letters 1816
Letters 1817
Letters 1818
Letters 1819
Letters 1820
Letters 1821
Letters 1822
Letters 1823
Letters 1824
Letters 1825
Letters 1826
Letters 1827
Letters 1828
Letters 1829
Letters 1830
Letters 1831
Letters 1832
Letters 1833
Letters 1834
Letters 1835
Letters 1836
Letters 1837
Letters 1838
Letters 1839
Letters 1840
Letters 1841
Letters 1842
Letters 1843
Letters 1844
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Orchard-street, Feb. 20th, 1809.
My dear Jeffrey,

Nothing can be better written than Burns. The Bishop’s Spanish America opens badly. We shall talk
50MEMOIR OF THE REV. SYDNEY SMITH.
over this subject much better than we can write upon it.

I by no means say I will not go on with the Edinburgh Review,—by no means say that I will not contribute more copiously, and articles of better stamp, than I yet have done; but whether I will do so or not, will depend upon the result of our conference. Meet we must, as I shall be either where you are coming to, or where you will pass through; in which of these two places, I do not know. My first object is to sell my house: if I do it before Lady-day, I will quit London at that period. It is very improbable however that I shall do so now; and I guess that I shall stay in London till the birthday.

I beg you very seriously to take a little pains with your handwriting: if you will be resolute about it for a month, you will improve immensely: at present your writing is, literally speaking, illegible, and I have not now read one-half of your letter. You talked of reviewing my sermons, now published: I should be obliged to you to lay aside the idea; I know very well my sermons are quite insignificant.

Spain is quite gone. In all probability the English army will be entirely destroyed; and though the struggle will be long, the greater chance surely is that this country will at length be involved in the general ruin.

Sydney Smith.