CHAPTER IV.

1796-1800. UNSETTLED LIFE IN LONDON.

ON the 20th of April I went to London with the intention of entering an attorney's office in order to qualify myself for practice. This step was taken, not on account of my having less dislike to the law as a profession, but because friends urged me, and because I was unwilling to remain idle any longer. My lodgings were of a simple kind, in Drury Lane, and my expenses not more than about a guinea a week; but a first residence in London cannot be otherwise than a kind of epoch in life.

Among the new acquaintance which I formed there is one of whom I was proud, and to whom I feel considerable obligation-John Towill Rutt. He was the son of an affluent drug-grinder, and might possibly have himself died rich if he had not been a man of too much literary taste, public spirit, and religious zeal to be able to devote his best energies to business. He was brought up an orthodox dissenter, and married into a family of like sentiments. His wife was an elder sister of Mrs. Thomas Isaac, daughter of Mr. Pattisson of Malden and first cousin of my friend William Pattisson. I was therefore doubly introduced to him. I had the good fortune to please him, and he became my chief friend. He had become a Unitarian, and was a leading

London.

1796.

35

member of the Gravel-Pit congregation, Hackney, of CHAP. IV. which Belsham was the pastor. Mr. Rutt was the friend and biographer of Gilbert Wakefield and of Priestley. He also edited the entire works of the latter. He was proud of having been, with Lord Grey, an original member of the Society of the Friends of the People. The eldest daughter of his large family is the widow of the late Sir T. N. Talfourd.

My days were spent in attending the courts with very little profit. I heard Erskine frequently, and my admiration of him was confirmed; but I acquired no fresh impression concerning him.

I tried to procure a suitable situation but without success; and this, with an almost morbid feeling of my own ignorance, made me more unhappy than I had been before, or ever was afterwards. Thus discouraged, I returned to Bury in the summer. My brother's marriage, which took place soon afterwards, was the cause of my being introduced to an entirely new connection-the Fordhams and Nashes of Royston. The most prominent of the former for wealth and personal character was Edward King Fordham, a remarkable man, who retained his bodily and mental vigour to a great age. Of all these new friends the one to whom I became most indebted was Mr. William Nash, an eminent solicitor and a first-rate character in the sphere in which he moved. Both of these families were liberal in religious opinion and zealous for political reform. There had been established at Royston a book-club, and twice a year the members of it were invited to a tea-party

William

Nash..

Royston Book Club.

36

CHAP. IV.

1796.

Clerk in

at the largest room the little town supplied, and a regular debate was held. In former times this debate had been honoured by the participation of no less a man than Robert Hall. My friend J. T. Rutt and Benjamin Flower, the ultra-liberal proprietor and editor of the Cambridge Intelligencer, had also taken part. To one of these meetings my brother was invited and I as a sort of satellite to him. There was a company of forty-four gentlemen and forty-two ladies. The question discussed was, "Is private affection inconsistent with universal benevolence?" Not a disputable point, but it was meant to involve the merits of Godwin as a philosopher, and as I had thought, or rather talked much about him, I had an advantage over most of those who were present. I have no doubt that what I said was, in truth, poor stuff, but I was very young, had great vivacity and an abundance of words. Among the speakers were Benjamin Flower, Mr. Rutt, and four or five ministers of the best reputation in the place; yet I obtained credit, and the solid benefit of the good opinion and kindness of Mr. Nash. He was told of my unsettled state and my want of an introduction in London. He did not offer to be of any practical use, perhaps had not the means, but his advice was emphatically given in the words, "Fag, fag, fag." By laborious fagging he had raised himself to wealth and distinction.

On my return to my old London quarters in October I entered a solicitor's office on the condition of nothing being paid on either side. This was Mr. White's office in Chancery Lane. My occupation was almost entirely

London.

mechanical, and therefore of no great advantage to me. My leisure was devoted partly to legal and miscellaneous reading, from which I derived little profit, and partly to attending debating societies, which afforded me practice in public speaking, and thus materially contributed to my moderate success in life. At the meetings of one of these societies I frequently had, as an adversary, John Gale Jones. At those of another, to which Mr. Rutt introduced me, and which was presided over by Belsham, I formed a life-long friendship with Mr. Anthony Robinson, whose powers of conversation were far greater than those of any other of my acquaintance.

37

CHAP. IV.

1796.

Anthony Robinson.

1797.

The Servile Year.

I have spent several days in deciphering a short-hand journal, and looking over a collection of letters belonging to this year; an employment that must have humiliated me, if after half a century it were possible to have a strong sense of personal identity. Thus much I must say that if "the child" (in this instance the youth) be "father of the man," I must plead guilty to the impiety of despising my parent.

How long I should have gone on in my mechanical work there is no guessing had not an accident relieved

me.

There came to the office one day a clerk who was going to leave his situation at Mr. Hoper's (Boyle Street, Saville Row), and he advised me to apply for it, which I did, and was accepted as a conveyancing clerk at a

Clerk at Mr.

Hoper's.

38

CHAP. IV.

1797.

Clerk at

Mr. Joseph
Hill's.

Occupations in

guinea a week. I went on the 5th of April. At the end of three weeks, however, my employer told me he should no longer need my services, but had recommended me to a better place than his. This was in the office of Mr. Joseph Hill, of Saville Row, with whom I remained from the 28th of April till my uncle's death at the close of the year. Mr. Hill's name appears in the Life of Cowper, whose particular friend he was. He had no general law practice, but was steward to several noblemen. All I had to do was to copy letters, make schedules of deeds and keep accounts. My service was light but by no means favourable to my advancement in legal knowledge. I attended from half-past nine or ten till five, and had therefore leisure for reading. The treatment I received was kind, though I was kept at a distance. Mr. Hill seemed to have an interest in my welfare, and gave me good counsel. He had a country house at Wargrave, on the Thames, and was frequently absent for weeks together in the summer. When he was in London he sent me very nice meat luncheons, which usually served me for dinner. On the whole I was not at all uncomfortable, and should have been even happy if I could have kept out of my thoughts the consideration that I was, after all, it was to be hoped, fit for something better than to be a writing-clerk at a guinea a week.

On going to Mr. Hoper's I removed from Drury Lane to small and neat rooms on the second floor at 20 Sherrard Street. One of my principal amusements was the theatre. I had great pleasure in the acting of Mrs. Jordan and others, but my admiration for Mrs.