“Yours ever,

“W.S.L.”

* * * * *

The mention of Bishop Philpotts (though not by name) in the foregoing letter, reminds me of a story which used to be told of him, and which is too good to be lost, even though thus parenthetically told.  When at Torquay he used to frequent a small church, in which the service was at that time performed by a very young curate of the extra gentle butter-won’t-melt-in-his-mouth kind, who had much objection to the phrase in the Communion service, “eateth and drinketh his own damnation,” and ventured somewhat tremblingly to substitute “condemnation” for the word which offended him.  Whereupon the orthodox Bishop reared his head, as he knelt with the rest of the congregation and roared aloud “Damnation!” Whether the curate had to be carried out fainting, I don’t remember.

The next letter of Landor’s that I have is dated 13th April, St. James’s Square, Bath.  The postmark shows that it was written in 1838.

* * * * *

“MY DEAR SIR,—­I have had Kenyon here these last four days.  He tells me that he saw Bezzi in London, and that we may entertain some hopes that he will be induced to remain in England.  All he wants is some employment; and surely his powerful friends among the Whigs could easily procure him it.  But the Whigs of all scoundrelly factions, are, and have ever been, the most scoundrelly, the most ungenerous, the most ungrateful.  What have they done for Fonblanque, who could have kicked them overboard on his toe-nail?  Their abilities put together are less than a millionth of his; and his have been constantly and most zealously exerted in their favour.  My first conversation with Kenyon was about the publication of his poems, which are just come out.  They are in part extremely clever; particularly one on happiness and another on the shrine of the Virgin.  He was obliged to print them at his own expense; and his cousin, Miss Barrett, who also has written a few poems of no small merit, could not find a publisher.  These, however, bear no proportion to Miss Garrow’s.[1] Yet I doubt whether publishers and the folks they consult would find out that.

[Footnote 1:  To those who never knew Landor, and the habitual limitless exaggeration of his manner of speaking, it may be necessary to observe that he did not really hold any opinion so monstrous as might be supposed from the passage in the text.  And a letter given by Mr. Forster expresses earnestly and vigorously enough his high admiration for Miss Barrett’s poetry.  It must be remembered also, that at the time this was written, Mr. Landor could only have seen some of the earliest of Miss Barrett’s writings.]