Page:Life of Edmond Malone.djvu/33

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HIS FRIEND CHETWOOD.
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postponed a journey to London to wait the arrival of Lord Hertford from Paris, who was nominated to succeed Lord Northumberland in the viceroyalty.

Among the intimate and lasting friendships formed at college has been mentioned that of Chetwood, who soon afterwards took orders. His family, settled near Chester, were connected with Ireland, and had destined him for the church of that country. Imbued with taste and imagination, fond of poetry and music, with a lively sense of the advantages of polished and intellectual society, he felt and regretted the rudeness of the country in which his lot was cast, and occasionally could ill repress gentle repinings at his position. This was but natural to a sensitive mind. But to live among people mostly of an alien and exclusive creed—to labour with the certainty of few fruits to be reaped, no honours to be won—to have the motives of kindnesses towards poorer neighbours suspected, and charities almost repelled, or to find indifference forced upon him, and yet charged as negligence or barbarity—these are the conditions upon which a Protestant clergyman must often take his position in Ireland.

Letters to his friend under such circumstances formed one mode of relief. But he possessed the Irish faculty of hoping, or in other words, that the chances of life would eventually turn out in his favour; and thence with a light heart threw forth his thoughts in an agreeable strain. For Malone he had contracted a strong attachment, he loved his temper, thought highly of his capacity, applauded his tastes and pursuits, sought fre-