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Document : 232

Title: Letter from Campbell to Murray, 29 Jan 1814

Author(s): Campbell, Thomas

Saty 29. Jany 1814.

Dear Murray


I will finish your work & never more trouble you
on the subject of money — What I sought was not as a matter
of right but of pure favour — I am sorry it has annoyed
you – You are bound to forgive me I think when I say that
I regret the application —


You have a right to refuse me on the
score of a legal claim but you do me some injustice in
stating the grounds of your right of refusal — It is because my
work is unfinished that this just denial must be admitted
by me — but you should not found it on a circumstance
which never existed that of my having used your library
for the purpose of other undertakings — Brewster whose
articles I agreed to write by your own express sanction be
=fore beginning our work gave me a full order upon his
bookseller Richardson for all books necessary for his
biographies [&] they were from the nature of the articles
very few & of slight importance — Again out





of eleven lectures delivered at the Royal Institution
only two were upon the subjects of our criticisms —
the other nine were upon the philosophy of poetry the
Spanish French & Greek Drama & even on our own
dramatic writers respecting whom I had not a single
volume to assist me among your books —


The lengthened delay of the work has been occasioned by
the nature of its materials which lie so diversely
scattered that with all your zeal & liberality & my
own exertions it has been physically impossible to collect
them into one mass at one time — The other things in which
I have been engaged have been resorted to as the mere sup=
=ports of my family at certain intervals when I  saw
my finances near a close & found that by  the utmost
progress I could make in our work I could not have
a  just claim on you in time enough for my necessities —
I write not to ask from you or to annoy you but




to vindicate myself — for past delays — Believe me they
have not been voluntary — Even now I believe I shall
be obliged to cast about for some scheme of lecturing
to make money wherewithall to finish the Criticisms
or at least to stand out the time when I shall be engaged
in correcting the proofs which I should not wish to be
put too hastily off — I do not by this mean
to insinuate the slightest wish again to trouble
you — I feel that your refusal is perfectly
just —


I thank you for expressing a wish that we should
continue friends — I meet it cordially — I trust that the
entire Ms will convince you that instead of the
lectures starving the criticisms they have enrichd them
much — The tone of our future intercourse will depend
on your  reception of this letter — I remain disposed as ever
to be sincerely &c yours T. Campbell