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BL Add. MS 28268, ff. 421–23
For permission to publish the text of MSS in their possession, the editors wish to thank the Beinecke Rare Books and Manuscript Library, Yale University; Berg Collection of English and American Literature, The New York Public Library, Astor, Lenox and Tilden Foundations; the Bodleian Library Oxford University; the British Library; Boston Public Library; the Syndics of Cambridge University Library; the Syndics of the Fitzwilliam Museum Cambridge; Haverford College, Connecticut; the Historical Society of Pennsylvania; the Hornby Library, Liverpool Libraries and Information Services; the Houghton Library, Harvard University; the John Rylands Library, Manchester; the Kenneth Spencer Research Library, University of Kansas; Luton Museum (Bedfordshire County Council); Massachusetts Historical Society; McGill University Library; the National Library of Scotland; the Newberry Library, Chicago; the New York Public Library (Pforzheimer Collections); the Pierpont Morgan Library, New York; the Public Record Offices of Bedford, Suffolk (Bury St Edmunds) and Northumberland, the Master and Fellows of Trinity College, Cambridge; the Society of Antiquaries of Newcastle upon Tyne; the Trustees of the William Salt Library, Stafford, the Wisbech and Fenland Museum; the University of Virginia Library.
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I am glad that your remaining scruples have thus enabled me to
say a word on this important subject, for important it is and must be to me; but
you must let me have my own stile of writing or I can do
nothing. Put up with vulgarisms and take me as you find me.—I am realy glad that
you approve of my original plan to silence, or keep at a distance all party, but I shall have to recur to this subject
again—when I was first known in London I met, (without my seeking) a man related
to Capel Lofft, who, I soon found was
not only a deist but a writer in their cause. I soon found the shocking
inconsistency of keeping him company and others his betters
of different principles at the same time. I therefore dropd him, he thinking me
a silly young fool who wanted a ring in my nose and he to hold the string, and I
knowing him to be a boasting fellow whom I would not
trust three hours.—From that time came to me people of all descriptions—the
Unitarians were very busy. It is known that the late D of Grafton often attended
the chapple in Essex Street, and a busy friend of mine thought perhaps that I
too might make a pretty little Unitarian, He therefore wrote the D without my knowledge an
intimation that I would attend there, but feard that my attendance would look
like truckling to my great patron who sat in the gallery?—When I saw the D again he askd me if I
knew a man of the name of ——? For he had recieved a letter respecting me
&c. the good old man then said with an emphasis almost peculiar to
himself, ‘I never wish to exert either power of persuasion over the wills or
opinion of any one living, I have never done so with my own
children, nor ever will.’ Now the man who took this great liberty to write,
never to this days knows that I am acquainted with the affair!! What did he want
with me I wonder? It is not usual to get money out of poets! No, no it is not
the search after guineas, but proselites.—
You have lately been amused and perhaps grieved by a report. Now I will try to give you some of old date concerning myself.
1. The Morning Chronicle once said ‘Bloomfield has a lucrative place in the Temple,’ adding, ‘thus it seems he has not
courted the Muse unsuccessfully’place was not lucrative, and I never recieved but
twenty pounds. Twice to our knowledge I have been reported to be dead. I have
been advertised once to know if I was dead or alive!
2d Mr Cobbet has ventured to tell his readers that I have been ‘taken in tow’ by
government to prevent me from writing in favour of the people taken in tow, and was pensioned
for fear he should write for the people’. In a later work, Cobbett used
Bloomfield as an example of the personal dangers run by men who abandoned
their trades to depend on literature and, consequently, on the patronage of
the aristocracy. See William Cobbett,
3d—I once met with a painter in London who absolutely insisted that I had a place of three hundred a year in the Stamp Office! I thought then that I knew better, and my pocket has confirmd it since
See to what lengths party spirit will
go!!!
But to the point,—I say then there is not a man or woman living
who would or could say to my face that I have renounced the
doctrines of Christ or his Miracles.—There is not a soul upon earth to say ‘you
are an enemy to the government of your country’ Fools, cannot they see that the
form of government of a country is rather different to
the administration of it? Pray remember me to Mrs Baker and all who have
patience to hear of me. Yours dr Sir most respectfully
June 1st 1821
Dear Sir,
My eyes will let me say a few words more on the subject which I hope will afterwards sleep for ever.—
Cobbett and Huntnew establishd
countrys: not in those which have been govern’d by Kings for a thousand
years.—
It is the natural bent and practice of party to go to extreems. Thus they could not let me rest even on
the intermediate shelf of Scepticism but made me a Deist at once!!—I have
been in the presence of great and good men, the Bishops
Watson and Porteous,
*(on his visit to this County, where I was obliged to meet him, and from him came the report that ‘I was writing a poem on Southill and Whitbread.’