yship to Hamilton, shows how little
they were fitted for cordial association. A pension of L.300 a-year
was assigned to Burke as a remuneration for his services, which,
however, he evidently seemed to regard in the light of a retaining
fee. In consequence of this conception, and the fear of being fettered
for life, Burke wrote a letter, stating that it would be necessary to
give a portion of his time to publication on his own account.

"Whatever advantages," said he, "I have acquired, have been owing to
some small degree of literary reputation. It would be hard to persuade
me that any further services which your kindness may propose for me,
or any in which my friends may co-operate with you, will not be greatly
facilitated by doing something to cultivate and keep alive the same
reputation. I am fully sensible that this reputation may be as much
hazarded as forwarded by a new publication; but because a certain
oblivion is the consequence to writers of my inferior class of an
entire neglect of publication, I consider it such a risk as must
sometimes be run. For this purpose some short time, at convenient
intervals, and especially at the dead time of the year, it would be
requisite to study and consult proper books. The matter may be very
easily settled by a good understanding between ourselves, and by a
discreet liberty, which I think you would not wish to restrain, or I
to abuse."

However, it will be seen that Gerard Hamilton thought differently on
the subject. We break off this part of the correspondence, for the
purpose of introducing a fragment of that wisdom which formed so early
and so promising a portion of the mind of Burke. In writing of his
brother Richard to his Irish friend, he says--"Poor Dick sets off at
the beginning of next week for the Granadas, [in which he had obtained
a place under government.] He goes in good health and spirits, which
are all but little enough to battle with a bad climate and a bad
season. But it must be submitted to. Providence never intended, to
much the greater part, an entire life of ease and quiet. A peaceable,
honourable, and affluent decline of life must be purchased by a
laborious or hazardous youth; and every day, I think more and more
that it is well worth the purchase. Poverty and age suit very ill
together, and a course of struggling is miserable indeed, when
strength is decayed and hope gone. _Turpe senex miles!_"

Burke's quarrel with Hamilton ended in his resigning