Greenwood and Hodgson 30.8.1823

Greenwood and Hodgson 30.8.1823



	introduction


	previous item

	Westmorland Gazette, 30 August 1823:-
letter from C Greenwood
	(ADVERTISEMENT.) TO THE EDITOR OF THE KENDAL GAZETTE. SIR, - Mr. Hodgson appears to regret the necessity he feels himself laid under, to notice my letters; and I am equally sorry that he ever gave occasion for that necessity. The noticing of my letters serves no purpose of his; but, on the contrary, while it exhibits in him a littleness of mind, and contractedness of ideas, it gives me additional opportunities of exposing a transaction which liberal men would be ashamed to own. This gentleman appears to have invented a new style of demonstration, and says, upon my boasting of Diagrams, and of his knowing nothing of trigonometrical process, until I mentioned it, The public are enabled to form a right judgement. Now, I would ask him, what opportunity the public have had to know any thing at all about it? From him, he says, they are unworthy of the remark!! the manner of his survey is well known!!! And adds, So is that of C. Greenwood!! Now, with Mr. Hodgson's permission, I mean to deny this, so far as it relates to myself; and I will also tell him, that the Profession derives no great degree of honour from such representations. That every one is acquainted with the secrets of my practice, as a Surveyor, I will not admit; a valuable profession is not to be thus cheapened. If Mr. Hodgson has made up his mind to persevere in his attempts to injure us, he ought to have some consideration for the Profession at large; as by injuring it he would be injuring himself, if he intends to practice it. Our comparative merits, (as Surveyors,) he says, are fully understood!! May I ask him, how has that happened? Or how such a thing can be possible? Observations like these might be excused from such sort of folks as his Champion of a Subscriber; but from him who professes to have been respectably instructed, they will be scrutinised perhaps to his disadvantage. Can Mr. Hodgson be really serious, if he has one spark of common sense, when he charges me with unworthiness and meanness, because I will not place myself on an equality with, and reply to the vulgar and impertinent interrogatories of one who may, for any thing I know to the contrary, be Boots, or Hostler, at some of the Inns. I hold, and I ever shall hold, in the utmost contempt that man who will intrude his interference where he dares not honestly show his face. Such, indeed, are not Westmorland Men!! And with such, it may be habitual to tremble at the mention of the Great Author of their existence. Terror is excited by a consciousness of crime; and confusion belongs to the under-handed. Let him tremble who dreads the consequences of his deeds - let him, I say, hide his face. Has this Subscriber procured an Indulgence from the Pope? that he, who can appeal to me, in terms so solemnly reprehensive, for making mention of the Being whom I worship, could at another time talk of "cracking a bottle" with me; and represent the same as much more pleasant than attending to the pursuits of his avocations. And by the inspiration of which, most likely it was, he derived the elegant phrases he occasionally gives place to in his letters. If such are his habits, when the sun is up, will the bottle prepare him for the last duties of the day? Alarmed at the aspect of his friend's project, and in the absence of a capacity for the task he has imposed upon himself, this Subscriber labours hard with his companion in trouble to prop up a fabric, whose foundation was laid in the dark, and which cannot bear the shock of the light which is now thrown upon it - but is mouldering and shaking to its very base! They run in every direction, looking wildly about them for help; and, in the ardour of their anxiety, with earnestness they listen, and fancy they hear the voice of the people they have deluded; and desperately adopting the murmur of disapprobation to their advantage, they derive a momentary soothing, the uncertainty of which is a rack to their suspicions; from the consciousness they are doing wrong. The following rhapsody sufficiently exemplifies the quality of the intellect of its author:- "Mr. Greenwood calls me rustic. Now I do not exactly agree with him in the application of that term. I am a Westmorland Man!! Consequently in his eyes a rustic. I am a Subscriber to Hodgson's Map, therefore, in his opinion, a complete rustic." And concluding the next period with "Most consummate rustic," he once more closes in the same elegant style; and proceeds by enumerating a few badly chosen, ill-sorted, and misplaced scraps, from such old books as his friend may have procured him a sight of, on the whale-fishery, and other subjects. But with ideas ill at ease in such pursuits, and trembling with the far of exposure, faint and sickening with perplexity and vexation, he falls in with the words of old Shakespeare; and calls my attention to his last dying speech and confession. I have," he says, "touched the highest point of all my greatness, and from the full meridian of my glory, I haste now to my setting. I shall fall like a bright exhalation in the evening, and no man see me more. A Subscriber to Hodgson's Map of Westmorland." And, therefore, as the poor fellow is going, Mr. Hodgson will lose him. Poor good man; I fear his brain was affected. It would appear he meant well. I wish I could conscientiously thank him for all his kind services and very sincere friendship to me. But it is the fault of the age. We can see no value in the works of celebrated men bearing any comparison with their real merits, until, poor fellows, they are no more! It is, however, some satisfaction to me, having preserved his writings. He appears to have studied human nature well, with the exception indeed of some very inconsiderable blunders. But he himself being human, we must try to pass them over. No one can surely question his self-denial. Most writers have had the vanity to hand down with their works their names to posterity; but this kind-hearted good man, sends his down with no name at all. And surely he had a name! His Papa and Mama would Christen him something, when he began to be so learned; or was he born nothing but "A Subscriber to Hodgson's Map of Westmorland?" However the matter may be, I will not now disturb his quiet, but, wishing him a good journey, I shall bid him farewell; and shall subscribe myself, Sir, Your obedient Servant, C. GREENWOOD. August 28th, 1823. Also in the Kendal Chronicle 30 August 1823.
	Summary from - C Greenwood to - the Editor, replying to T Hodgson and A Subscriber

	SURVEYING METHODS	I'm keeping my professional secrets


	ANONYMITY	come out and be known; who do you think you are to criticise me


	next item

Lakes Guides menu.