Devon 1149M/F82. 4pp. Date at top Feb. 17, 1811

James St.
Buckingham Gate

Feby 17th. 1811

My dear Sir

I am about to mention to you a matter some delicacy in which I rely on your kindness for an excuse. Heber gratified me with an acct that you would undertake Dugald Stuart;¹ at the same he said that you agreed with him that if a Scotch gentleman, whom he mentioned but whose name I do _^^not recollect, could be prevailed on to give a critique on him, it would be right to accept it.²

Now I have a letter from Drummond (which I enclose) with an offer of this very Article from a person who, I am firmly persuaded is the very person meant by you and Heber. What shall I do? Heber is flown as usual—but I will follow your advice implicitly, & feel infinitely obliged to you for bestowing it. I am sorry to trespass upon your time thus, but res dura, you know—and then a single line will be sufficient.

Roscoe I have not yet received³—that is, I sent it to the press immediately, & have not got it back. It will do, I think, excellently. We have but one article printed, but we shall do very well as I have most of my materials before me. The Strabo of our Bath friend is forcément long, and the last (1st) part slovenly in style.⁴ I have, however, put in a few connecting particles, & struck out a few disconnecting ones—and upon the whole, I hope that it will sound [Greek].⁵

I shall be extremely glad of Mr Davison's Edgeworth.⁶ I have a neat but feeble review of it, which, at any rate, I shall not use, after what has appeared in the Edin. Rev. where they have treated the subject of education à plusieurs reprises. With Mr Davison in my hand, I shall not fear to meet them "dareful, beard to beard."⁷

With the truest esteem, I

am, dear Sir, ever most

faithfully yours

Wm. Gifford

P.S. We have just reprinted our 4th No. and I could not help (though I believe it is rather unfair) to insert the delicious line which you pointed out in friend Northmore⁸

—supply to needy men

Who paid in forged paper! 

We get on well, & shall print 6,000 this time.

Monday morn.⁹

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address: Revd. Ed. Coplestone