Life and Remains of John Clare Part 34

ENDNOTES

[1]

The Editor has pleasure in acknowledging the kindness of Miss James of Theddingworth, and Miss Powell, of Thame. The former lady obligingly sent him the ma.n.u.script of a lecture on "Dryden and Clare"

by her brother, the late Rev. T. James, of Theddingworth, and the latter several letters written by Clare to Mr. Octavius Gilchrist.

[2]

Among those who at this time or subsequently made Clare presents of books were Lord Radstock, Bishop Marsh, Mrs. Emmerson, Sir Walter Scott, Robert Bloomfield, Mr. Gilchrist, Lord Milton, Messrs. Taylor & Ilessey, Messrs. Smith, Elder, & Co, Charles Lamb, Henry Eehnes, Lady Sophia Pierrepoint, the Rev. H. P. Cary, E. V. Rippingille, Allan Cunningham, Geo. Barley, Sir Charles A. Elton, William Gifford, Mr. and Mrs. S. C. Hall, James Montgomery, E. Drury, Alaric A. Watts, William Hone &c.

Clare's little library, consisting of 500 volumes, was purchased from his widow after his death, and placed in the Northampton Museum.

[3]

Mr. S. C. Hall kindly informs me that Mrs. Emmerson "was a handsome, graceful, and accomplished lady." Her letters show that she was Clare's senior by eleven or twelve years.--ED.

[4]

Coleridge's definition of watchmen.

[5]

Mr. How's connection with the firm of Whittaker & Co. terminated before the appearance of the "Rural Muse," but he brought out the volume, through them, on his own account, and twenty years afterwards transferred the copyright to Mr. Taylor, who, in 1854, contemplated the re-issue of Clare's poems.

[6]

The oft-repeated statements are incorrect, that the Northampton County Lunatic Asylum is a "pauper asylum," that Clare was "a pauper lunatic," and that Earl Fitzwilliam expressed the wish that he should have "a pauper funeral." The Fitzwilliams have been kind and generous friends of Clare and his family for nearly fifty years, and it is not to be credited that any member of that house ever said anything of the kind. It may be added that Earl Spencer continued his annuity of L10 to Mrs. Clare until her death on Feb. 5th, 1871. In this connection it should also be noted that the Rev. Charles Mossop, of Etton, and Mr. and Mrs. Bellars, of Helpstone, took a lively interest in the welfare of Mrs. Clare and her family, and in May, 1864, Mr.

Bellars purchased the poet's cottage at Helpstone and has set it apart for charitable uses. Lastly, Mr. Joseph Whitaker, of London, in whom is vested the copyright in Clare's poems, paid Mrs. Clare a handsome annuity for the last six or seven years of her life.