irst Table and
second. So that you see, when I set foot on American land, it
will be on no Utopia; but on a _conditional_ piece of ground
where some things are to be expected and other things not. I may
say, on the other hand, that Lecturing (or I would rather it were
_speaking_) is a thing I have always had some hankering after:
it seems to me I could really _swim_ in that element, were I once
thrown into it; that in fact it would develop several things in
me which struggle violently for development. The great want I
have towards such an enterprise is one you may guess at: want of
a _rubric,_ of a title to name my speech by. Could any one but
appoint me Lecturing Professor of Teufelsdrockh's science,--
"Things in general"! To discourse of Poets and Poetry in the
Hazlitt style, or talk stuff about the Spirit of the Age, were
most unedifying: one knows not what to call himself. However,
there is no doubt that were the child born it _might_ be
christened; wherefore I will really request you to take the
business into your consideration, and give me in the most
rigorous sober manner you can some scheme of it. How many
Discourses; what Towns; the probable Expenses, the probable net
Income, the Time, &c., &c.: all that you can suppose a man
wholly ignorant might want to know about it. America I should
like well enough to visit, much as I should another part of my
native country: it is, as you see, distinctly possible that such
a thing might be; we will keep it hanging, to solace ourselves
with it, till the time decide.

Have I involved you in double postage by this loquacity? or What
is your American rule? I did not intend it when I began; but
today my confusion of head is very great and words must be
multiplied with only a given quantity of meaning.

My wife, who is just gone out to spend the day with a certain
"celebrated Mrs. Austin," (called also the "celebrated Translatress
of Puckler-Muskau,") charged me very specially to send you
her love, her good wishes and thanks: I assure you there
is no hypocrisy in that. She votes often for taking the
Transatlantic scheme into contemplation; declares farther that
my Book and Books must and will indisputably prosper (at some
future era), and takes the world beside me--as a good wife and
daughter of John Knox should. Speaking of "celebrated" persons
here, let me mention that I have learned by stern experience, as
children do with fire, to keep in genera