Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: LIFE OF LORD JEFFREY. SELECTION FROM CORRESPONDENCE. 1.—To his sister Mary, afterwards Mrs. Napier. Glasgow, 1789. In case I forget, I wish you would bring with you a copy of Virgil, such as that John reads at school,—the one I have being rather troublesome to carry with me when I go to walk. I don't know what account I shall give of myself to Papa, for I have attended all my classes very ill, and am this moment under a summons of the Principal to com- pear before him and receive condign punishment for non-appearance in the Common Hall above three times this Session. Poor soul, how dost thou expect to escape! Art thou ignorant that the faculty have no moderation, or dost thou not know that tears avail not. Lightly as I talk of this matter (general matter I mean), I am somewhat uneasy with regard to the ideas my father may entertain of it. I hope, however, to shew him that I know as much of the matter as those who have paid a more regular attention. It looks ill however. Vol. n. B chapter{Section 42.— To his sister Mary. Oxford, October 25, 1791. My dear Mary— I would willingly apologise for my last letter; of the others I am not desirous of speaking. They only failed to give you pleasure. It may have given you pain. I am afraid it has, but this is all conjecture, for I have written so many letters since, that I cannot say I have any accurate recollection of its contents, only I am sure from the humour I was then in, it must have been very querulous and melancholy ; and I am now to bid adieu to that humour; I have already re-assumed that merriment of soul, that airiness of disposition, which has hitherto elevated me above the atmosphere of sorrow. Not yet;—though the clouds of that atmosphere no longer oppress me with that intolerable load under which I panted...