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will, I shall be very grateful; if you do not, I shall forgive you, and conclude that in the latter case you could not refuse to make that concession to your fears, which in the former, you could not refuse to make to me. For the matter is assuredly of the first importance. The right course is obvious; what is expedient is obscure, except indeed that if we are the men we ought to be, in other words, men worthy of our literary aspirations, we cannot doubt but that what is most right is also most profitable.

And for that reason, if you think it well to join me, please come at once. But if you so decide, and wish to join me anywhere, but cannot do so immediately, I shall see to it that you are kept informed of all that goes on. Whatever you make up your mind to do, I shall regard you as my friend, but as the best of friends, if it is to do what I desire.

¹ However I might have managed it, I should certainly have met you, had you been pleased to come to the place you had appointed; and therefore, though for the sake of convenience to yourself you were disinclined to trouble me I must beg you to believe that I should have attached more weight to your wishes, had you but sent me word of them, than to any convenience of mine.

In reply to what you wrote, I should indeed be able to write to you more conveniently on each