Irving, Edward

To Lady Olivia Sparrow, February 17 1815

I hope you are still enjoying the profitable and very pleasant Society [deletion]. He cribbed me sadly in the time he bestowed on us. If he has not left you be so good to tell him that I received his valuable present of Fenclon.^*It was indeed paying me for my Bristol Stones with Jewels of the first water. Pray tell him also that I was afraid, that thro the well meant folly of stupid he had not receved [sic] a copy both for himself and , but have at last the satisfaction to find that he did. I woud write to himself but from the fear that he has left you, and if not this will save him the trouble of a letter I hope to see him again. The loss of such friends as we have lost makes us cling still closer to those of the same class who remain to us – I am ready to exclaim with in his last letter – Who next Lord?

Hannah More to Thomas Cadell Junior, November 1823

I am so very unfashionable as to be extremely dissatisfied with that which the world is so captivated with. The hearers of Mr. Irving^* may be fascinated, but I think /some/ /of/ his readers will form another judgment. his style is inflated, verbose, and, to me at least, often unintelligible. There are here and there fine passages, but you pay for them by his laborious English. I believe he is a good and a zealous Man: but some of his sentiments are very censurable – yet I hope he is doing some good.