I believe I shall, in whole, L100 copyright included, clear about L400, some little odds; and even part of this depends upon what the gentleman has yet to settle with me. I give you this information, because you did me the honour to interest yourself much in my welfare. I give you this information, but I give it to yourself only, for I am still much in the gentleman's mercy. Perhaps I injure the man in the idea I am sometimes tempted to have of him--God forbid I should. A little time will try, for in a month I shall go to town to wind up the business, if possible. To give the rest of my story in brief, I have married "my Jean," and taken a farm; with the first step I have every day more and more reason to be satisfied; with the last, it is rather the reverse. I have a younger brother, who supports my aged mother, another still younger brother, and three sisters, in a farm. On my last return from Edinburgh it cost me about L180 to save them from ruin. Not that I have lost so much--I only interposed between my brother and his impending fate by the loan of so much. I give myself no airs on this, for it was mere selfishness on my part; I was conscious that the wrong scale of the balance was pretty heavily charged, and I thought that throwing a little filial piety and fraternal affection into the scale in my favour, might help to smooth matters at the _grand reckoning_. There is still one thing would make my circumstances quite easy--I have an excise officer's commission, and I live in the midst of a country division. My request to Mr. Graham, who is one of the commissioners of excise, was, if in his power, to procure me that division. If I were very sanguine, I might hope that some of my great patrons might procure me a treasury warrant for supervisor, surveyor-general, etc. Thus, secure of a livelihood, "to thee, sweet poetry, delightful maid,"[94] I would consecrate my future days. R. B. [Footnote 93: Creech; remarkable for his reluctance to settle accounts.] [Footnote 94: Goldsmith's "Deserted Village."] * * * * * CXV.--TO MR. ROBERT AINSLIE. ELLISLAND, _January_ 6_th_, 1789. Many happy returns of the season to you, my dear Sir! May you be comparatively happy, up to your comparative worth among the sons of men; which wish would, I am sure, make you one of the most blessed of the human race. I do not know if passing a "Writer to the Signet" be a trial of scientific merit, or a mere business of friends and interest. However it be, let me quote you my two favourite passages, which, though I have repeated them ten thousand times, still they rouse my manhood and steel my resolution like inspiration. On Reason build resolve. That column of true majesty in man. YOUNG. Hear, Alfred, hero of the slate, Thy genius heaven's high will declare; The triumph of the truly great, Is never, never to despair! Is never to despair! MASQUE OF ALFRED.