CINTRA:'

=VIZ=.

(_a_) LETTER TO MAJOR-GENERAL SIR CHARLES W. PASLEY, K.C.B., ON HIS
'MILITARY POLICY AND INSTITUTIONS OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE,' 1811.

(_b_) LETTER ENCLOSING THE PRECEDING TO A FRIEND UN-NAMED.

* * * * *

NOTE.

These two Letters--the latter for the first time printed--form a fitting
sequel to the 'Convention of Cintra.' See Preface in the present volume
for more on them. G.

* * * * *

TO CAPTAIN PASLEY, ROYAL ENGINEERS.

Grasmere, March 28, 1811.

MY DEAR SIR,

I address this to the publishers of your 'Essay,' not knowing where to
find you. Before I speak of the instruction and pleasure which I have
derived from your work, let me say a word or two in apology for my own
apparent _neglect_ of the letter with which you honoured me some time
ago. In fact, I was thoroughly sensible of the value of your
correspondence, and of your kindness in writing to me, and took up the
pen to tell you so. I wrote half of a pretty long letter to you, but I
was so disgusted with the imperfect and feeble expression which I had
given to some not uninteresting ideas, that I threw away the unfinished
sheet, and could not find resolution to resume what had been so
inauspiciously begun. I am ashamed to say, that I write so few letters,
and employ my pen so little in any way, that I feel both a lack of words
(such words I mean as I wish for) and of mechanical skill, extremely
discouraging to me. I do not plead these disabilities on my part as an
excuse, but I wish you to know that they have been the sole cause of my
silence, and not a want of sense of the honour done me by your
correspondence, or an ignorance of what good breeding required of me.
But enough of my trespasses! Let me only add, that I addressed a letter
of some length to you when you were lying ill at Middleburgh; this
probably you never received. Now for your book. I had expected it with
great impatience, and desired a friend to send it down to me immediately
on its appearance, which he neglected to do. On this account, I did not
see it till a few days ago. I have read it through twice, with great
care, and many parts three or four times over. From this, you will
conclude that I must have been much interested; and I assure you that I
deem myself also in a high degree instructed. It would be a most
pleasing employment to me to dwell, in this letter, upon those points in
which I agree wit