“This morning, and at this hour, I was to have had the superlative honour of being introduced to the Duchess of Gordon; but recollecting that I could appear before her Grace in no other capacity than as one of those puppies,
‘who dangle up and down, To fetch and carry sing-song thro’ the town,’ |
LIFE OF WILLIAM ROSCOE. | 213 |
“How you will envy me, when I tell you, that last Saturday, I had an hour’s familiar conversation with Mr. Fox, at the Marquis of Lansdowne’s, where I before had accidentally met Mr. Grey. Of these rencontres, I put nothing on paper; not altogether because of the old proverbs, ‘Littera scripta manet,’ and ‘Nescit vox emissa reverti;’ nor yet because of the provisions of the two acts; but because it would occupy too much of my paper, and require more time than I can at present spare. I dine to-day with the Marquis; but think there will be no company. Should any thing interesting occur, either there or elsewhere, I will again take up my pen.
“The people here are of opinion the French will pay us a
visit; but they have no doubt that British courage will, with God’s
assistance, soon make them repent of their temerity. A shopkeeper in the Strand
told me, that as God had fought for us when the enemy appeared off Ireland, He
would not surely desert us when they attacked England. What can such a pious
people have to fear from a nation of infidels? When miracles are daily
performed in our favour, it seems absurd to have recourse to human means. A few
days since, I sent a short paper to ‘The Morning Chronicle,’ pointing out the
necessity
214 | LIFE OF WILLIAM ROSCOE. |