"Nota bene—I am sure you will hear, with delight, That we're going, all three, to see Brunet to-night, A laugh will revive me—and kind Mr. Cox (Do you know him?) has got us the Governor's box." The Fudge Family was once amusing; but it is the natural fate of ephemeral satire to perish with the events which gave rise to it. This work was succeeded, in 1819, by the publication of Tom Crib's Memorial to Congress. On his return from his continental tour, he was urged by the Marquis of Lansdowne, his ever-constant friend, to come and live near him; and he, accordingly, took Sloperton Cottage, near Devizes and contiguous to his friend's beautiful demesne of Bowood, in Wiltshire. He took possession of it in November, 1817, and it was his only home in England till his death in 1852. From Sloperton he writes to Corry on December 8th, 1817,—“We have got a very snug little thatched cottage here, which Lord Lansdowne most friendlily volunteered to find out for us. I pay for it, furnished, but forty pounds a year, and yet I think it promises to be by far the most comfortable dwelling we have had. Lord Lansdowne's library is within a moderate walk of me, and as most of my London friends come down to visit him in the course of the year, I shall have just those glimpses of society which throw a light over one's solitude, and enliven it." Subsequently he became its tenant under a repairing lease at £18 annual rent. It was originally a labourer's dwelling standing in the midst of a delightful country half buried among the trees of a wooded lane; yet, from its upper windows, as well as from its garden, obtaining peeps, of retired slopes, woodland hollows, and lovely old English scenes, through between their branches. "It has a small garden and lawn in front, and a kitchen-garden behind; along two sides of this kitchen-garden is a raised bank." It ran the whole length, was bounded by a laurel hedge, and was called by the poet the "terrace walk.” There, a small deal table stood through all weathers; for it was his custom to compose as he walked; and, at this table, to pause and write down his thoughts; here, too, he delighted to watch the setting sun-a sight which, Mrs. Moore tells us, he very rarely missed. The poet's study was upstairs. "Views of Sloperton Cottage every one has seen; but it is only when you stand actually before it, see it covered with clematis, its two porches hung with roses, and the lawn and garden which sorrounded it kept in the most exquisite order, and fragrant with every flower of the season, that you are fully sensible of what a genuine poet's nest it is." So wrote William Howitt, of Moore's Cottage; and Moore himself described it as "That dear house, that saving ark Where Love's true light at last I found; And comfortless, and stormy round." The following letter affords a pleasing glimpse of life in his cottage home, and of Mrs. Moore, who was, as Moore said of her, "independent to the heart's core.' "Sloperton Cottage, Jan. 9, 1818. "We are getting on here as quietly and comfortably as possible; and the only thing I regret is the want of some near and plain neighbours for Bessy to make intimacy with, and enjoy a little tea-drinking now and then, as she used to do in Derbyshire. She continues, however, to employ herself very well without them; and her favourite task, of cutting out things for the poor people, is here even in greater requisition than we bargained for, as there never was such wretchedness in any place where we have been; and the better class of people (with but one or two exceptions) seem to consider their contributions to the poor-rates as abundantly sufficient, without making any further exertions towards the relief of the poor wretches. It is a pity Bessy has not more means, for she takes the true method of charity,—that of going herself into the cottages, and seeing what they are most in want of. . . . She is, however, very much pleased both with Lord and Lady Lansdowne; who have, indeed, been everything that is kind and amiable to her." CHAPTER VIII. BERMUDA TROUBLES-CONTINENTAL VISIT-SOJOURN AT PARIS. Moore had not been long settled in Sloperton Cottage when intelligence reached him that the deputy whom he had appointed at Bermuda had, by embezzlement, involved him in a debt of £6000 for which he was responsible. Friends at once offered Moore pecuniary aid. He had, unfortunately, neglected the common business precaution of requiring security from his deputy, and had only his pen by which to retrieve himself, so that, trusting to it, he resolved gratefully to decline many pressing offers of assistance, and endeavoured to work out his deliverance entirely by his own efforts. Of this period he writes:-"I was more than consoled for all such embarrassment, were it even ten times as much, by the cager kindness with which friends pressed forward to help to release me from my difficulties. I shall so far lift the veil in which such delicate generosity seeks to shroud itself, as to mention briefly the manner in which one of these kind friends-himself possessing but limited means-proposed to contribute to the object of relieving me from my embarrassments. After adverting in his letter to my misfortunes, and 'the noble way,' as he was pleased to say, 'in which I bore them,' he adds,— 'would it be ve. 7 impertinent to say that I have £500 entirely at your disposal, to be paid when you like; and as much more that I could advance upon any reasonable security, payable in seven years?' The writer concludes by apologizing anxiously and delicately for 'the liberty which he thus takes,' assuring me that he would not have made the offer if he did not feel that he would most readily accept the same assistance from me." The writer of this letter was Lord Jeffrey, whom Moore had formerly challenged, and the communication is altogether so creditable to both parties that we here present the whole : "Jordan's, St. James' Street, "Tuesday, May 30, 1818. "My Dear Moore,-What I inclose has been justly owing you, I am ashamed to say, ever since you were so kind as to send me that account of M. de J, I do not know how long ago; but I did not know your address, and I neglect everything. Will you let me hope for a contribution from you some day soon? "I cannot from my heart resist adding another word. I have heard of your misfortunes, and of the noble way you bear them. Is it very impertinent to say that I have £500 entirely at your service, which you may repay when you please; and as much more, which I can advance upon any reasonable security of repayment in seven years? "Perhaps it is very unpardonable in me to say this; but upon my honour I would not make you the offer if I did not feel that I would accept it without scruple from you. "At all events, pray don't be angry with me, and don't send me a letter beginning Sir. I shall ask your pardon with the truest submission if I have offended you; but I trust I have not. At all events, and however this ends, no living soul shall with ever know of my presumption but yourself. Believe me, great respect and esteem, very faithfully yours, "F. JEFFREY." Sir William Napier, the historian, also wrote:-"My Dear Moore,-Knowing your feelings about pecuniary affairs, I feel almost afraid to tell you that I have several hundred pounds at my bankers; that there is not the slightest chance of my wanting them, for a year at least; and until your affairs are arranged with Murray, I do hope that you will not be offended if I say they are at your service.—Wm. Napier." And this entry occurs in one of Moore's memorandum-books:-"Without entering into particulars on this subject, I will only say, that when my embarrassment wore its worst aspect, Lord Lansdowne came forward to take the whole weight of my loss, whatever it might be, on himself. Such are fine examples of the chivalry of friendship; and Moore's setting them aside, and resolving to help himself by his pen, was as chivalrous. About this period we find the following interesting memoranda in his diary: COMPOSING IN BED. "Feb. 21, 1819.-Breakfasted in bed for the purpose of hastening the remainder of my 'Crib' work. It is singular the difference that bed makes, not only in the facility, but the fancy of what I write. Whether it be the horizontal position (which Richeraud, the French physiologist, says is most favourable to thought), or more probably the removal of all those external objects that divert the attention, it is certain that the effect is always the same; and if I did not find that it relaxed me exceedingly, I should pass half my days in bed for the purpose of composition." A French author, M. de Valois, in a Latin poem asserts, although on what authority we know not, that Herodotus and Plato studied in bed. |