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A Memoir of the Reverend Sydney Smith
Letters 1821
Sydney Smith to Georgiana Meynell Ingram, 11 November 1821
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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Foston, Nov. 11th, 1821.
My dear Mrs. Meynell,

Mr. —— is a very gentlemanly, sensible man, and I was sure would tolerate me. My pretensions to do well with the world are threefold:—first, I am fond of talking nonsense; secondly, I am civil; thirdly, I am brief. I may be flattering myself; but if I am not, it is not easy to get very wrong with these habits.

The steady writing of Lord ——’s frank indicates a prolonged existence of ten years. If a stroke to the t or a dot to the i were wanting, little might have some chance; but I do not think a single Jew out of the Twelve Tribes would lend him a farthing upon post-obits, if he had seen my Lord’s writing.

Agriculture is bowed down to the ground she cultivates; the plough stands still, the steward’s bag is empty, corn sells for nothing, but benevolent people
MEMOIR OF THE REV. SYDNEY SMITH.221
will take it off your hands for a small premium. I do not abuse their good-nature; but leave it to the natural, and now the only, animals that show any avidity for grain—the rats and mice.

We are all anxious to hear something about you, and all recommend that it should be a girl. Kind regards to your husband and the baby.

Sydney Smith.