will, as you say, and must, have its course; there is no wisdom in
attempting to check it under the circumstances which we are all of us in
here.

I condole with you, from my soul, on the melancholy account of your own
brother's situation; God grant you may not hear such tidings! Oh! it
makes the heart groan, that, with such a beautiful world as this to live
in, and such a soul as that of man's is by nature and gift of God, that
we should go about on such errands as we do, destroying and laying
waste; and ninety-nine of us in a hundred never easy in any road that
travels towards peace and quietness. And yet, what virtue and what
goodness, what heroism and courage, what triumphs of disinterested love
everywhere, and human life, after all, what is it! Surely, this is not
to be for ever, even on this perishable planet! Come to us to-morrow,
if you can; your conversation, I know, will do me good.

* * * * *

All send best remembrances to you all.

Your affectionate friend,
W. WORDSWORTH.

The following, to another friend, completes the sad tale:

Grasmere, March 16. 1805.

He wrote to us from Portsmouth, about twelve days before this disaster,
full of hopes, saying that he was to sail to-morrow. Of course, at the
time when we heard this deplorable news, we imagined that he was as far
on his voyage as Madeira. It was, indeed, a thunderstroke to us! The
language which he held was always so encouraging, saying that ships
were, in nine instances out of ten, lost by mismanagement: he had,
indeed, a great fear of pilots, and I have often heard him say, that no
situation could be imagined more distressing than that of being at the
mercy of these men. 'Oh!' said he, 'it is a joyful hour for us when we
get rid of them.' His fears, alas! were too well founded; his own ship
was lost while under the management of the pilot, whether mismanaged by
him or not, I do not know; but know for certain, which is, indeed, our
great consolation, that our dear brother did all that man could do, even
to the sacrifice of his own life. The newspaper accounts were grossly
inaccurate; indeed, that must have been obvious to any person who could
bear to think upon the subject, for they were absolutely unintelligible.
There are two pamphlets upon the subject; one a mere transcript from the
papers; the other may be considered, as