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      <titleStmt>
        <title type="main">John Childs to William Hone, 15 March, 1819</title>
        <title type="sub">An Electronic Edition</title>
        <author>
          <name key="Childs, John Filby">John Childs</name>
        </author>
        <editor>
          <name xml:id="KG" key="Grimes, Kyle">Kyle Grimes</name>
        </editor>
      </titleStmt>
      <publicationStmt>
        <p>For publication in the Hone Correspondence section of the William Hone BioText,
          http://honearchive.org. The letter is published under a Creative Commons license, details
          of which are accessible from the BioText homepage.</p>
      </publicationStmt>
      <sourceDesc>
        <p>Transcribed and edited from the original in the British Library, Add. MS 40120, ff.
          118-19.</p>
      </sourceDesc>
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      <change when="2014-03-17" who="#KG">Edited and enriched the TEI; transformed using custom
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    <body>
      <div type="letter" n="1819-03-15">
        <head><ref type="person" target="whoswho.html#ChildsJohn">John Childs</ref> to William Hone, <date when="1819-03-15">15 March, 1819</date>.<anchor
            xml:id="citation"/><note resp="#KG" place="foot">British Library, Add. MS 40120, ff.
            118-19. For a detailed, contextual reading of this letter, see the <ref
              target="conversations/hone-childs-1.html">"Conversation"</ref> on the early friendship
            of Hone and Childs. <ref target="#citation">[return]</ref></note> &#8212; <ref
            type="tei-link" target="1819-03-15-frChilds.xml"> -TEI- </ref>
        </head>

        <div type="letterbox">
          <opener>
            <address><addrLine><ref type="place">Bungay</ref></addrLine></address><lb/>
            <date when="1819-01-08">15 Mar 1819</date><lb/>
            <salute>My Dear Sir,</salute>
          </opener>
          <div type="lettertext">
            <p> Having an opportunity of sending this by the hand of a friend I write to say that I
              shall be in <ref type="place">Manchester</ref> on Sunday next where I purpose staying
              for five or six days and request you will employ me if there is any thing whatever
              which I can do for you there. If you want to have any one <emph rend="underline"
                >Dunned</emph>, or any other matter give me the clue and I shall make the affair my
              own. </p>
            <p> A ticket directed to the Post Office there will fall into my hands. </p>
            <p> I sincerely hope my Dear Sir, the return of Spring will assist in dispelling some of
              the apprehensive matter from your mind--you are somehwat nervous and must press
              against the Current as much as possible. There can be no doubt however, that the
              trials have <milestone unit="folio" n="118v"/> given you a physical shake which
              renders it difficult for you to press against the stream, but you ought to know that
              it is absolutely necessary for you to [one word illegible] for several reasons, and
              especially that we may not lose sight of such a Champion against oppression, until a
              placid and cheerful evening of life shall have convinced your oppressors of their
              folly and wickedness -- and may their fate and yours be a warning to future ages. </p>
            <p> I had formed a very high opinion of <ref type="person"
                target="whoswho.html#HazlittWilliam">Hazlitt</ref>, as a man of Genius and
              independence of mind, and your character of him confirms me--the <ref
                type="publication"><title>Quarterly</title></ref> has reviewed his lectures in such
              an amiable spirit, that all who read it must be convinced as the cause they advocate
              become more &amp; more forlorn, those <emph rend="underline">Blackguards</emph> become
              more and more abusive, the last No. contains but scurrility and abuse <milestone
                unit="folio" n="119a"/> from end to end.</p>
            <p>What a set of fools the booksellers were not to shake the Universities independent
              privileges off, but you are right, they have no principle of honor, therefore no good
              can arise from their measures. </p>
            <p> The Westminster Election is over, and despotism has strengthened her hands by the
                measure.<anchor xml:id="a"/><note place="bottom" resp="#KG">In March of 1819, the
                influential Westminster seat in Parliament went to the conservative <ref
                  type="person">George Lamb</ref>, perhaps because <ref type="person"
                  target="whoswho.html#PlaceFrancis">Francis Place</ref>'s meddling split the
                radical vote. One year later, Westminster returned <ref type="person"
                  target="whoswho.html#HobhouseJC">John Cam Hobhouse</ref> who held the position
                until 1833. <ref target="#a">[return]</ref></note> What has got the reformers? and where is the cause which lately
              made so much noise fled? I have done a little toward the sale of the trials, and by
              degrees I hope to procure a few Subscribers. How do you get forward with them? </p>
            <p> Wishing you all manner of happiness in your family, and prosperity in business,
              together with a sound mind in a healthy Body, I remain </p>
          </div>
          <closer> My Dear Sir Yours Sincerely,<lb/>
            <signed>John Childs</signed>
          </closer>
          <postscript>
            <p> [Addressed:]<lb/> Mr. W. Hone<lb/> Bookseller<lb/> <ref type="place">Ludgate Hill</ref><lb/>
            </p>
          </postscript>
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