nitely more open to criticism of all kinds, but I should not care to be the person that undertook it. If you don't like Athaliah, or Britannicus, there is no more to be said. I have done.

Ross bears, or dissembles his disappointment better than I expected of him: perhaps indeed it may not turn out to his disadvantage at the end. He is in London about something. Have you seen Bishop Hall's Satyres, called Virgidemic,1 republished lately, they are full of spirit and poetry; as much of the first, as Dr. Donne, and far more of the latter. They were wrote at this University, when he was about 23 years old, in Queen Elizabeth's time. Adieu [ Brown and Tuthill send their best compliments, with mine, to you and Mrs. Wharton.—I am ever very sincerely yours,

[Endorsed December 19, 1752.]

[Cambridge Post-mark.]

T. G.

],

XC. TO HORACE WALPOLE.

Stoke, January 1753. I AM at present at Stoke, to which place I came at half an hour's warning upon the news I received of my mother's illness, and did not expect to have found her alive; but when I arrived she was much better,

1 Joseph Hall (1574-1656), Bishop of Exeter and then of Norwich, published his Virgidemiarium Sixe Bookes in 1597. The edition which Gray mentions was very carelessly produced in 1753, by Dr. W. Thompson of Queen's, at Oxford.—[Ed.]

and continues so. I shall therefore be very glad to make you a visit at Strawberry-hill, whenever you give me notice of a convenient time. I am surprised at the print,1 which far surpasses my idea of London graving:2 the drawing itself was so finished, that I suppose it did not require all the art I had imagined to copy it tolerably. My aunts seeing me open your letter, took it to be a burying ticket, and asked whether anybody had left me a ring; and so they still conceive it to be, even with all their spectacles Heaven forbid they should suspect it to belong to any verses of mine, they would burn me for a poet. On my own part I am satisfied, if this design

on.

The

1 A proof print of the Cul de Lampe, which Mr. Bentley designed for the "Elegy in a Country Church-yard," and which represents a village funeral; this occasioned the pleasant mistake of his two aunts. The remainder of the letter relates entirely to the projected publication of Mr. Bentley's designs, which were printed after by Dodsley this same year. latter part of it, where he so vehemently declares against having his head prefixt to that work, will appear highly characteristical to those readers, who were personally acquainted with Mr. Gray. The print, which was taken from an original picture, painted by Eckardt, in Mr. Walpole's possession, was actually more than half engraved; but afterwards on this account suppressed. [Mason.]

2 The engravers were John Sebastian Müller (born 1720), who did the exquisite initial letters, and Charles Grignion (17161810), to whom the figure-pieces were entrusted. The original drawings by Bentley were for sale in London in 1882, and I can confirm Gray's statement of their high finish. It was difficult, at the first moment, to realise that they were hand-drawings. Among them was a little sketch of Stoke House, drawn by Gray to aid Bentley in realising the scene of “The Long Story.”—[Ed.]

of yours succeed so well as you intend it; and yet I know it will be accompanied with something not at all agreeable to me.-While I write this, I receive your second letter.—Sure, you are not out of your wits! This I know, if you suffer my head to be printed, you will infallibly put me out of mine. I conjure you immediately to put a stop to any such design. Who is at the expence of engraving it, I know not; but if it be Dodsley, I will make up the loss to him. The thing as it was, I know, will make me ridiculous enough; but to appear in proper person, at the head of my works, consisting of half a dozen ballads in thirty pages, would be worse than the pillory. I do assure you, if I had received such a book, with such a frontispiece, without any warning, I believe it would have given me a palsy: therefore I rejoice to have received this notice, and shall not be easy till you tell me all thoughts of it are laid aside. I am extremely in earnest, and cannot bear even the idea.

I had written to Dodsley if I had not received yours, to tell him how little I liked the title which he meant to prefix; but your letter has put all that out of my head. If you think it necessary to print these explanations for the use of people that have no eyes, I should be glad they were a little altered. I am to my shame in your debt for a long letter, but I cannot think of anything else, till you have set me at ease on this matter.

XCI.-TO ROBERT DODSLEY.

Cambridge, February 12 [1753].

SIR-I am not at all satisfied with the title. Το have it conceived that I publish a collection of Poems, and half a dozen little matters (four of which too have already been printed again and again) thus pompously adorned would make me appear very justly ridiculous. I desire it may be understood (which is the truth), that the verses are only subordinate and explanatory to the Drawings, and suffered by me to come out thus only for that reason: therefore if you yourself prefixed this title, I desire it may be altered. Or if Mr. Walpole] ordered

it so, that you would tell him why I wish it were changed in the manner I mentioned to you at first, or to that purpose. For the more I consider it, the less I can bear it, as it now stands. I even think there is an uncommon sort of simplicity that looks like affectation, in putting our plain Christian and surnames without a Mr. before them. But this (if it signifies anything) I easily give up, the other I cannot. You need not apprehend that this change in the title will be any prejudice to the sale of the book. A showy title-page may serve to sell a pamphlet of a shilling or two; but this is not of a price for chance customers, whose eye is caught in passing by a window, and could never sell but from the notion the town may entertain of the merit of the

drawings, which they will be instructed in by some that understand such things.

I thank you for the offer you make me, but I shall be contented with three copies, two of which you will send me, and keep the third till I acquaint you where to send it. If you will let me know the exact day they will come out a little time beforehand, I will give you a direction. You will re

member to send two copies to Dr. Thomas Wharton, M.D. at Durham. Perhaps you may have burnt my letter, so I will again put down the title-"Designs by Mr. R. Bentley for six poems of Mr. T. Gray.”—I am, Sir, your humble servant,

T. G.

XCII. TO THOMAS WHARTON.

Stoke, March 15.

MY DEAR WHARTON-I judge by this time you are in town: the reason that I thought would have deprived me of the pleasure of seeing you is now at an end. My poor mother, after a long and painful struggle for life, expired on Sunday morning. When I have seen her buried, I shall come to London, and it will be a particular satisfaction to me to find you there. If you can procure me a tolerable lodging near you, be so good (if you can conveniently) to let me know the night you receive this; if not, I shall go to my old landlord in Jermyn Street. I believe, I shall come on Tuesday, and stay a few days, for I must return hither to pay my aunt her arrears, which