Volume 1 - Electric Scotland

376 WILLIAM BLACKWOOD.
Mr Blackwood, as will be seen from the following-
letters, did all that was possible to draw his con-
tributor from dangerous paths, and to turn his special
attention to his own particular sphere, his own country,
then in the throes of one of its hottest battles, that on
the subject of Catholic Emancipation, which made the
true state of feeling in Ireland so full of the greatest
interest to every reader.
W. Blackwood to R T. S.
Edinburgh, 2ith July 1820.
I still think that you and your friends could give a great
deal which would interest Irishmen, while it would be entirely
new to us on this side of the Channel. What can be better
indeed than your last communication, " Daniel O'Eorke " ? The
poem itself is excellent, and you need not for a moment think
that we have enough here of such articles. I hope you will
urge all your friends, and do whatever you can in this poetical
way. The prose is admirable. Now nothing can be better
fitted for the Magazine than spirited letters of this kind, and
I am sure you could throw them off by the dozen. The letters
we have had of the Pringle Family have been much liked. I
am confident you and your friends could do something in-
finitely better. I merely throw out this hint, for you are the
best judge yourself, and whatever you choose to do in any
way or at any time, I shall always feel deeply indebted to
you for.
We have had so much on Jeffrey in the Magazine that we
are afraid people would not relish so much your witty article
from Davenant. It is a serious mortification to us not to insert
an article of yours, but we know it would be a greater one to
you, if we did not use the liberty you have so kindly given us.
It is a liberty, however, that we will, I am sure, very seldom
be obliged to take.
On Thursday I sent you a newspaper containing the account
of my friend Mr Wilson's election to the Moral Philosophy
Chair. This was a glorious triumph indeed. Never did the