hip was offered to me in the most flattering terms, by the
Lord Chamberlain, of course with the approbation of the Queen; but I
declined it on account of my advanced age. I then received a second
letter from his Lordship, urging my acceptance of it, and assuring me
that it was intended merely as an honorary distinction for the past,
without the smallest reference to any service to be attached to it.
From Sir R. Peel I had also a letter to the same effect, and the
substance and manner of both were such that if I had still rejected the
offer, I should have been little at peace with my own mind.

Thank you for your translations. The longer poem[195] would have given
me more pain than pleasure, but for your addition, which sets all right.

[195] Referring to a translation by Sir W.R.H. of _Die Ideale_ of
Schiller, to which a stanza was added by Sir W.--G.

The attack upon W.S.L. to which you allude was written by my son-in-law;
but without any sanction from me, much less encouragement; in fact I
knew nothing about it or the preceding article of Landor, that had
called it forth, till after Mr. Q.'s had appeared. He knew very well
that I should have disapproved of his condescending to notice anything
that a man so deplorably tormented by ungovernable passion as that
unhappy creature might eject. His character may be given in two or three
words: a mad-man, a bad-man, yet a man of genius, as many a mad-man is.
I have not eyesight to spare for Periodical Literature, so with
exception of a newspaper now and then, I never look into anything of the
kind, except some particular article may be recommended to me by a
friend upon whose judgment I can rely.

You are quite at liberty to print when and where you like any verses
which you may do me the honour of writing upon, or addressing to, me.

Your godson, his sister, and four brothers, are all doing well. He is a
very clever boy, and more than that, being of an original or rather
peculiar structure of intellect, and his heart appears to be not
inferior to his head, so that I trust he will as a man do you no
discredit.

134. _Alston the Painter: Home Occupations_.

LETTER TO PROFESSOR REED.

Rydal Mount, Aug. 2. 1843.

MY DEAR MR. REED,

A few days ago I received a letter from a countryman of yours, the Rev.
R.C. Waterston of Boston, communicating the intelligence of the death of
that admirable artist and amiable man, my old friend, Mr. Alston. Mr. W.