The Poetical Works of William Wordsworth — Volume 6 (of 8)Wordsworth, William
General
The Poetical Works of William Wordsworth — Volume 6 (of 8)
Wordsworth, William
English poetry -- 18th century; English poetry -- 19th century
"To Mr. C., of Lancaster."
About the time when this letter was written, the Bishop of Chester
recommended the scheme of joining the curacy of Ulpha to the contiguous
one of Seathwaite, and the nomination was offered to Mr. Walker; but an
unexpected difficulty arising, Mr. W., in a letter to the Bishop, (a
copy of which, in his own beautiful handwriting, now lies before me,)
thus expresses himself. "If he," meaning the person in whom the
difficulty originated, "had suggested any such objection before, I
should utterly have declined any attempt to the curacy of Ulpha: indeed,
I was always apprehensive it might be disagreeable to my auditory at
Seathwaite, as they have been always accustomed to double duty, and the
inhabitants of Ulpha despair of being able to support a schoolmaster who
is not curate there also; which suppressed all thoughts in me of serving
them both." And in a second letter to the Bishop he writes:--
"MY LORD,--I have the favour of yours of the 1st instant, and am
exceedingly obliged on account of the Ulpha affair: if that curacy
should lapse into your Lordship's hands, I would beg leave rather
to decline than embrace it; for the chapels of Seathwaite and
Ulpha, annexed together, would be apt to cause a general discontent
among the inhabitants of both places; by either thinking
themselves slighted, being only served alternately, or neglected in
the duty, or attributing it to covetousness in me; all which
occasions of murmuring I would willingly avoid." And in concluding
his former letter, he expresses a similar sentiment upon the same
occasion, "desiring, if it be possible, however, as much as in me
lieth, to live peaceably with all men."
The year following, the curacy of Seathwaite was again augmented; and,
to effect this augmentation, fifty pounds had been advanced by himself;
and, in 1760, lands were purchased with eight hundred pounds. Scanty as
was his income, the frequent offer of much better benefices could not
tempt Mr. W. to quit a situation where he had been so long happy, with a
consciousness of being useful. Among his papers I find the following
copy of a letter, dated 1775, twenty years after his refusal of the
curacy of Ulpha, which will show what exertions had been made for one of
his sons.
"MAY IT PLEASE YOUR GRACE,--Our remote situation here makes it
difficult to get the necessary information for transacting business
regularly; such is the reason of my giving your Grace the present
trouble.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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