British Library Add. 18204 ff.273-274¹

William Gifford to an unidentified correspondent

20 August 1809

I never, in the long course of my acquaintance with literary people, had the slightest connection with a Review, and, I believe, never wrote for them altogether a dozen articles. I could undoubtedly get a judicious critique inserted into more than one of them; but my tyrant Lord Illness will not let me write them.

Within these few months, I have engaged in a recent periodical publication; but my influence [in the Quarterly] is little more than nominal, as you will easily believe when I sincerely assure you that an Article noticing the various publications on the last campaign of the brave and ever lamentable General was never seen by me till it appeared in print.

I remain

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Friday Morning