126
To ROBERTSON 7 M A R C H
1769
forbid truth to speak its mind, merely because flattery has stolen
truth's expressions? W h y should you be deprived of the satisfaction of
hearing the impression your merit has made? Y o u have sense enough
to be conscious that you deserve what I have said—and though modesty
will forbid your subscribing to it, justice to m e and to m y character,
which never was that of aflatterer,will oblige you silently to feel that
I can have no motive but that of paying homage to superior abilities,
w h e n I assure you h o w sincerely I have told you m y thoughts, and h o w
m u c h I am, Sir,
Your obedient humble servant,
HORACE WALPOLE
From
DALRYMPLE,
ca Friday 11 August 1769
Missing. See preliminary note to following letter.
To
DALRYMPLE,
Tuesday 15 August 1769
Printed for thefirsttime from M S n o w W S L , bought from the Brick R o w Book
Shop, M a y 1933. T h e early history of the M S is untraced; sold at the American Art
Association Galleries 14 March 1928, lot 592. T h e recipient's n a m e does not
appear, but that the letter belongs to the Dalrymple correspondence seems certain: see post 14 Dec. 1769 and 1 Jan. 1770.
Arlington Street, Aug. 15, 1769
I T is very unlucky, Sir, that I did not receive the favour of your letter
a little sooner, that I might have prevented your having the trouble
of sending the picture,1 which I shall not be in the way to see, at least
for some time, as I a m to set out tomorrow morning for Paris, and
shall [not] be in England again till some time in October.21 a m sorry
for this disappointment, Sir, to you and myself, as I have always great
pleasure in contributing the very small share I k n o w of anything
towards your satisfaction. I am, Sir,
Your most obedient humble servant,
HOR. W A L P O L E
H W to Lady Ossory 4 March 1796), al- as a whole, see H W to Mason 10 June 1777
though Pinkerton reports his saying that and PApril 1778.
it 'abounds with gross mistakes,' and add1. See post 14 Dec. 1769.
ing that 'Dr Robertson's reading is not extensive: he only reads what may conduce to
2. H W set out for Paris 16 Aug., and
the purpose in hand; but he uses admir- arrived back in London 11 Oct. ('Short
ably what he does read' (Walpoliana ii. 50). Notes' 1769, G R A Y i. 46).
For his unflattering opinion of Charles V