Page:Diary, reminiscences, and correspondence of Henry Crabb Robinson, Volume 1.djvu/327

 The London Review. moment." Combe was not in the least abashed, but answered, with the greatest nonchalance, " I am obliged to you for doing justice to the fidelity of my de- scription; I have no doubt it is your property, and I hope you will live long to enjoy it." The first occasion of my appearing in my own name as an author was about this time. Tipper, who esti- mated my talents as a writer by my reputation as a speaker, solicited me to become a collaborateur, under Cumberland, the well-known dramatist, in getting up a new Review, called the London Review, of which the distinguishing feature was to be that each writer should put his name to the article. I was flattered by the application, and readily consented. Four half-crown quarterly numbers were published. I dined once at Tipper's with Cumberland, and thought him a gentle- manly amiable man, but did not form a high opinion of his abilities; and I thought the less of him because he professed so much admiration of my single article as to direct it to be placed first in the number. This was a review of the great pamphlet on the "Convention of Cintra," by Wordsworth. The only valuable portion of the article was a translation of Arndt's "Geist der Zeit," which treated of the Spanish character, and predicted that the Spaniards would be the first to resist the tyranny of Buonaparte. In November I began keeping my terms at Middle Temple Hall, but was unable to make up my mind to study the Law seriously, as I ought at once to have done. One, of my severest self-reproaches is that I did not, without delay, immediately become the pupil of CHAP. xn. 1809. H. C. R. writes for the London Review. Keeping Terms.