My Dear Sir,—I hope you will consider, when I venture on any request, that it is the reverse of a certain Dedication, and is addressed,
not
to "The Editor of the
Quarterly Review
" but to Mr. Gifford. You will understand this, and on that point I need trouble you no farther.
You have been good enough to look at a thing of mine in MS.—a Turkish story, and I should feel gratified if you would do it the same favour in its probationary state of printing. It was
, I cannot say for amusement, nor "obliged by hunger and request of friends,"
but in a state of mind, from circumstances which occasionally occur to "us youth," that rendered it necessary for me to apply my mind to something, any thing but reality; and under this not very brilliant inspiration it was composed. Being done, and having at least diverted me from myself, I thought you would not perhaps be offended if Mr. Murray forwarded it to you. He has done so, and to apologise for his doing so a second time is the object of my present letter.