received the appeal, and (I suppose) will put in Brocket (Dr. Keene's man) by main force. Chapman is at present in town in waiting; he has just married a Miss Barnwell, niece to one Dr. Barnwell, who was minister of Trompington, with £2000, a plain woman, and about his own age. I hear, that when he went to Leicester-house to know when the Prince would be waited upon with the book of verses on the peace the Prince appointed no day at all; but ordered the verses to be sent, and left there. The design of receiving the University at Newcastle-house is said to be altered; the Duke intending to come hither (I imagine) after the Parliament is risen. Rosse's1 Epistles of Tully ad Familiares will come out in about a week. It is in two handsome 8vo volumes, with an Introduction and Notes in English, but no translation, dedicated to Lord Gower. Now I am come to books, there is a new edition of Montesquieu's Work (which I mentioned to you before) publishing in 2 vols. 8vo. Have you seen old Crebillon's Catilina, a Tragedy, which has had a prodigious run at Paris? historical truth is too much perverted in it, which is ridiculous in a story so generally known : but if you can get over this, the sentiments and versification are fine, and most of the characters

2

1 John Ross, afterwards Bishop of Exeter (died 1792), issued in 1749 an edition of the Ad Familiares of Cicero which roused an angry controversy among scholars.-[Ed.]

2 The Catalina of Prosper Jolyot de Crébillon (1674-1762), the tragic poet, was brought out in 1748 by the court-party as a form of annoyance to Voltaire.-[Ed.]

(particularly the principal one) painted with great spirit. Observe, if you chuse to send for it, not to have Brindley's edition, which is all false prints, but Vaillant's. There is a Work publishing in Denmark by subscription1 (4 guineas) Travels in Egypt by Captain Norden. He was once in England (as tutor to a young Count Daniskiold, hereditary Admiral of Denmark) and known to many persons for a man of sense, and that understood drawing extremely well; accordingly it is the plates, that raise it to such a price, and are said to be excellent. The author himself is dead, and his papers are published by the Academy at Copenhagen. Mr. Birch,2 the indefatigable, has just put out a thick 8vo. of original papers of Queen Elizabeth's time. There are many curious things in it, particularly Letters from Sir Robert Cecil (Salisbury) about his Negotiations with Henry IVth of France; the Earl of Monmouth's odd account of Queen Elizabeth's death, several peculiarities of James Ist, and Prince Henry, etc.; and above all an excellent account of the State of France with characters of the King, his Court and Ministry, by Sir G. Carew, ambassador there. This, I think, is all

1 This was a Voyage d'Égypte et de Nubie, translated from the Danish MS. of Frederik Ludvig Norden (1708-1742), by Des Roches de Parthenay, and edited in 1755, at Copenhagen, as a folio with plates, by the Kongelike Danske Videnskabers Selskab. In 1757 an English version of these famous travels appeared in London, translated from the French by Dr. Templemann of the British Museum. -[Ed.]

2 Thomas Birch, D.D. (1705-1766), the antiquary.—[Ed.]

new worth mentioning, that I have seen or heard of, except a Natural History of Peru in Spanish, printed at London by Don something, a man of learning, sent thither by that court on purpose.

I shall venture to accept of a part of that kind offer you once made me (for my finances are much disordered this year) by desiring you to lend me twenty guineas. The sooner you can do this, the more convenient it will be to me, and if you can find a method to pay it here; still more so. But if anything should happen, that may defer it, or make this method troublesome: then I will desire you to make it payable in town after the first week in June, when I shall be obliged to go thither.

I want to hear from you, to know of your health and that of your family. My best compliments to Mrs. Wharton, Mr. Brown comes and throws in his little compliments too, and we are both very truly yours, T. G., i.b.

LXXII. TO THOMAS WHARTON.

MY DEAR WHARTON-I promised Dr. Keene long since to give you an account of our magnificences here,1 but the newspapers and he himself in person have got the start of my indolence, so that by this time you are well acquainted with all the events, that adorned that week of wonders. Thus much I may

1 The Duke of Newcastle's installation as Chancellor of the University. [Mason.]

venture to tell you, because it is probable nobody else has done it, that our friend Chappy's zeal and eloquence surpassed all power of description. Vesuvio in an eruption was not more violent than his utterance, nor (since I am at my mountains) Pelion with all its pine-trees in a storm of wind more impetuous than his action. And yet the Senate-house still stands, and (I thank God) we are all safe and well at your service. I was ready to sink for him, and scarce dared to look about me, when I was sure it was all over: but soon found I might have spared my confusion, for all people joined to applaud him: everything was quite right; and I dare swear, not three people here but think him a model of oratory. For all the Duke's little court came with a resolution to be pleased; and when the tone was once given, the University, who ever wait for the judgment of their betters, struck into it with an admirable harmony. For the rest of the performances they were (as usual) very ordinary. Every one, while it lasted, was very gay and very busy in the morning, and very owlish and very tipsey at night. I make no exceptions from the Chancellour to Blew-coat. Mason's Ode was the only entertainment, that had any tolerable elegance; and for my own part, I think it (with some little abatements) uncommonly well on such an occasion. Pray let me know your sentiments, for doubtless you have seen it. The author of it grows apace into my good graces: as I know him more: he is very ingenious with great good nature and simplicity. A little

vain, but in so harmless and so comical a way, that it does not offend one at all; a little ambitious, but withal so ignorant in the world and its ways, that this does not hurt him in one's opinion. So sincere and so undisguised, that no mind with a spark of generosity would ever think of hurting him, he lies so open to injury. But so indolent, that if he cannot overcome this habit, all his good qualities will signify nothing at all. After all I like him so well, I could wish you knew him.

Tuthill, who was here at the installation and in high spirits, will come to settle in Cambridge at Michaelmas. And I have hopes, that these two, with Brown's assistance may bring Pembroke into some esteem: but then there is no making bricks without straw. They have no boys at all, and unless you can send us a hamper or two out of the north to begin with, they will be like a few rats straggling about an old deserted mansion-house.

I should be glad (as you will see Keene often) if you could throw in a word, as of your own head merely, about a Fellowship for Stonhewer; he has several times mentioned it himself, as a thing he would try to bring about either at Queen's or Christ's, where he has interest: but I know not how, it has gone off again, and we have heard no more lately about it. I know it is not practicable here at Peterhouse, because of his county; and though at Pembroke we might possibly get a majority, yet Roger is an animal, that might play over again all his old