LORD  BYRON  and  his  TIMES
Byron
Documents Biography Criticism
A Memoir of the Reverend Sydney Smith
Letters 1829
Sydney Smith to Lady Holland, [19] September 1829
INTRODUCTION & INDEXES
DOCUMENT INFORMATION
GO TO PAGE NUMBER:
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
Creative Commons License

Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License.
Produced by CATH
 
Combe Florey, Sept. 29th, 1829.
My dear Lady Holland,

After thirty years of kindness, it was not necessary to apologize for not replying to my light and nonsensical effusions, which really required no answer.

I am going to Lord Morley’s, where I was first bound to meet the Chancellor and Lady Lyndhurst. Nothing can be more insane than to make such engagements in my present state. I consider that every
MEMOIR OF THE REV. SYDNEY SMITH.299
day’s absence from home costs me £10 in the villany of carpenters and bricklayers; for as I am my own architect and clerk of the works, you may easily imagine what is done when I am absent. I continue to be delighted with my house and place.

The Duke of Wellington has given, I think, the first signs I ever remarked of weakness, in prosecuting for libels; not for libels which regard a particular fact, as that for which the Chancellor has prosecuted, but for general abuse. I am sorry for the King, and for all his subjects upon whom the evils of age are falling.

I told —— if he would have patience he would have a little girl at last. I might have said, he might have twenty little girls. What is there to prevent him from having a family sufficient to exasperate the placid Malthus? I met your neighbours Mr. and Mrs. Calcott at Bowood. Reasonable, enlightened people. I was also much pleased with Lady Louisa, Lord Lansdowne’s daughter; very clever and very amiable. Luttrell came over for a day, from whence I know not, but I thought not from good pastures; at least, he had not his usual soup-and-pattie look. There was a forced smile upon his countenance, which seemed to indicate plain roast and boiled; and a sort of apple-pudding depression, as if he had been staying with a clergyman.

God bless you, dear Lady Holland! Kindest regards to all.

Sydney Smith.