From James Sinnett   Feb. 2nd, 1843

Kirby Lonsdale, Feb. 2^nd, 1843.

Dear John,

I received your letter¹ and George’s² this morning which occasioned me no small surprise. I wondered what the Postmaster’s daughter was looking at so – she kept my letters in her hand and looked at me so hard – to my utter astonishment two were directed to Sergt. S.,³ one was C’s⁴ the other was your amendment on George’s motion. Here’s a pretty affair, said I, some Preston gentlemen are quizzing me a bit. I looked at the L’pool (H.M.S.)⁵ there I figured as I have done for many a long year. However, I hurried out and managed to get open one of them, and believe me that I felt more at the kind manner and the friendly promptitude with which it was communicated than the news itself. I can also say that I thank you all and feel proud of the warm friendship of such men as you three: but what do you suppose I was about last night? No less than clearing poor Ginty of the foul stigma of inserting some ‘Verses on leaving Westmoreland’.⁶ (I wish I could see John Tyndall’s visage while he reads this. Surely, as he would say himself, it will be ‘incarnadined’⁷ up to the ears.) But pardon this digression; the v___n⁸ who penned those verses, anxious that ‘Mary’ should have the full benefit and fearful no doubt that the Preston Chronicle would not penetrate so far north as Kirby actually sent a copy here directed to Miss E.,⁹ and lest the said Miss E. should not notice the effusion of his muse, scored round poor Ginty’s name with his pen, by which her eye was at once attracted – and then there was a scene. I received a letter same post from poor maligned G.,¹⁰ in which, after a good deal of small news in G’s own peculiar style, I came to the pith of the epistle – and that was a request from poor G. that I would declare the said verse¹¹ to be a forgery. Thus the bane¹² and antidote came bobbing against one another in the same post bag. Unfortunately, the bane had sufficient time to operate before the antidote could be applied … and although G. may be cleared of actually writing and inserting the verses, yet how is he to get out of the scrape of letting the wicked wag at Preston¹³ know Miss E’s name, both Christian and surname? All the hope we have is the faint one that no other copy of the fatal P.C.¹⁴ will arrive in Kirby. If there comes one more the whole affair will be as common as the handle of the town pump, for the acquaintance between ‘M’ and W.G. is so well known that the affair will be out at once, and then picture to yourself the result. Now, poor G. has named the person whom he believes to be the perpetrator of this sad business, and sorry I am to say that I was forced to agree with him: and I came to this conclusion from the recollection of the following circumstances: When looking over various tyros¹⁵ in the offices at Cork and Kinsale, I would occasionally observe a nice bit of wood, again a good bit of bog, a nicely shaded lake, or a good capital letter. I used at first innocently to say – Well, that is nicely done. But the reply would invariably be, ‘Oh, Sir, it was John Tyndall done that’. This happened so often that at length I gave over remarking anything nice, being assured that I might as well at once give John the credit. Now, as poor G. asked my opinion as to the perpetrator of this nefarious business, I thought the best thing I could do in reply was to relate the above circumstances and express my opinion that if the Editor of the Preston Chronicle¹⁶ was asked who it was wrote those pretty verses, he would at once say ‘Oh! Sir, it was John Tyndall done that’. Now, John, I may be wrong but much I fear I am right. I would bid you make answer, but I see not how the mischief can be remedied; but you have occasioned no small stir in Kirby Lonsdale, I can assure you. I was applied to for G’s address, and as I could not refuse so reasonable a request I suppose poor G. is about to reap the benefit of your poetical labours. But, dear John, are you in earnest when you say ‘you are a reprobate’ and ‘were I a Christian’? I hope you will never be the former, and soon be the latter. It is something to be a Christian, but John, dear, you are an honest man and that is what a reprobate never was yet …Well, I have written a good deal to-day – a long letter to Baskin, one to G., one to C., and yourself last but not least: I am now thinking of Evans, who was to crush a tumbler to-night – at least, he promised to do so, he told me one day in Cork before he left.

May the Lord bless you all, says your | faithful friend, | J. Sinnett.

RI MS JT 1/11/3863

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