[copyist’s hand]

nd [wm 1818]

To Erskine

4.

in your Lordship’s band of patriots (p. 7. l. 9) in your Lordship’s “men of honour, manliness and wisdom” (p. 13. l. 29) in your Lordship’s “men of true wisdom” (p. 23. l. 11.) in your Lordship’s men who follow the dictates of a pure and honest sense of duty, envious of their talents and their honest disposition” (p. 24. l. 15) in your Lordship’s acknowledged profession of the highest sense of honor” (p. 24. l. 24.) in your Lordship’s enlightened and independent men” (p. 30. l. 12.) and so forth.

“Shade of Hampden! look down, and in a list of Tradesman and Shop-keepers, behold thy yet living and altogether worthy successors” Parl. Cat. Introd. p. cxxix. Such was the exclamation called forth by the contemplation of the Merits of these My fellow citizens of Westminster, of such of their merits as in the year 1817 had already manifested themselves. Now in 1819 do I see any reason for lowering this voice? No: I see encreased reason for raising it.

And was this mere froth? Was it an attempt at an anticipation of your Lordship’s eloquence? was it a substitute to reasoning? No, my Lord: it was the result of determinate facts brought together by reasoning: it was produced by a picture of the conduct of the persons in question, detached and correct to dulness, ranged under 12 heads. There it has been to be seen these two years: there it has been actually seen by purchasers in thousands: by readers in thousands more: by every body I had almost said but your Lordship and M r Perry:– seen even by M r Cobbett, who, with gnashing of teeth and unlocked jaw, unable to lock his eyes as your Lordship’s and M r Perry’s are locked, confesses in his agony his knowledge of the existence of the work, of which the merits of this real band of patriots form the most striking object

But your Lordship is a very slave to duty: and above all to professional duty: duty as towards clients – the first | | of the whole duty of man in learned eyes: and with an energy rising in proportion as he is convinced of his being unanswerable, whatever is advanced on the other side, it is the duty of the advocate to keep his eyes fast closed against: yes: fast closed against it: or if haply for any one purpose the object has been seen, yet if, for any other purpose, it requires to be forgotten, the last thing he forgets is to forget it.

But