225—to Francis Hodgson

London, February 21, 1812.

My Dear Hodgson,—

[There]

is a book entituled

Galt, his Travels in ye Archipelago

[1]

, daintily printed by Cadell and Davies, ye which I could desiderate might be criticised by you, inasmuch as ye author is a well-respected esquire of mine acquaintance, but I fear will meet with little mercy as a writer, unless a friend passeth judgment. Truth to say, ye boke is ye boke of a cock-brained man, and is full of devises crude and conceitede, but peradventure for my sake this grace may be vouchsafed unto him. Review him myself I can not, will not, and if you are likewize hard of heart, woe unto ye boke! ye which is a comely quarto.

[Now]

then! I have no objection to review, if it pleases Griffiths