great malady, but several little ones, that seem brewing no good to me. It will be a particular pleasure to me to hear whether Content dwells in Leicestershire,1 and how she entertains herself there; only do not be too happy, nor forget entirely the quiet ugliness of Cambridge. I am, dear sir, Your friend and obliged humble servant. If Mr. Brown falls in your way, be so good to shew him the beginning of this letter, and it will save me the labour of writing the same thing twice. His first letter, I believe, was in the mail that was robbed, for it was delayed many days; his second I have just received. CXXXI.-TO THE REV. WILLIAM MASON. DEAR MASON-You are welcome to the land of the living, to the sunshine of a court, to the dirt of a chaplain's table,2 to the society of Dr. Squire and Dr. 1 Mr. Hurd was settled in Leicestershire February 16, 1757, on the College living of Thurcaston.-[Mit.] 2 Mason was appointed, by the Duke of Devonshire, Chaplain in ordinary to George II. 1757.—[Mit.] 3 "And leave Church and State to Charles Townshend and Squire," is a line which concludes Gray's sketch of his own character. Dr. Samuel Squire, of St. John's, made an abortive attempt to encourage the study of Anglo-Saxon at Cambridge. He was Chaplain to the Duke, and was successively made Rector of St. Chapman. Have you set out, as Dr. Cobden ended, with a sermon against adultery or do you, with deep mortification and a Christian sense of your own nothingness, read prayers to Princess Emily while she is putting on her dress? Pray acquaint me with the whole ceremonial, and how your first preachment succeeded; whether you have heard of anybody that renounced their election, or made restitution to the Exchequer; whether you saw any woman trample her pompons under foot, or spit upon her hankerchief to wipe off the rouge. I would not have put another note to save the souls of all the owls in London. It is extremely well as it is—nobody understands me, and I am perfectly satisfied. Even the Critical Review1 (Mr. Franklin, I am told), that is rapt and surprised and shudders at me, yet mistakes the Eolian lyre for the harp of Æolus, which, indeed, as he observes, is a very bad instrument to dance to. If you hear anything (though it is not very likely, for I know my day is over), you will tell me. Lord Lyttleton and Mr. Shenstone2 Anne's, Soho, afterwards Dean of Bristol, and then Bishop of St. David's in 1761; he died 7th May 1766. Warburton told Tucker, Dean of Gloucester, that never Bishopric was so bedeaned, for that one (Squire) made religion his trade, and that he (Tucker) made trade his religion. Squire was so swarthy that he was nicknamed "The Man of Angola."—[Ed.] "Such an instrument 1 See Critical Review, vol. iv. p. 167. as the Eolian harp, which is altogether uncertain and irregular, must be very ill adapted to the dance, which is one continued, regular movement," etc.-[Mit.] 2 “Mr. Gray, of manners very delicate, yet possessed of a admire me, but wish I had been a little clearer. Mr. (Palmyra) Wood1 owns himself disappointed in his expectations. Your enemy, Dr. Brown,2 says I am the best thing in the language. Mr. Fox, supposing the Bard sung his song but once over, does not wonder if Edward the First did not understand him. This last criticism is rather unhappy, for though it had been sung a hundred times under his window, it was absolutely impossible King Edward should understand him; but that is no reason for Mr. Fox, who lives almost 500 years after him. It is very well; the next thing I print shall be in Welch,—that's all. I delight in your Epigram, but dare not show it anybody, for your sake; but I more delight to hear from Mr. Hurd that Caractacus advances. Am I not to see Mador's song? Could not we meet some day, -at Hounslow, for example, after your waiting is over? Do tell me time and place. I am most truly yours, T. G. P.S.-If you write to Lord Jersey, commend me to him. I was so civil to send a book to Lord Nuneham, but hear nothing of him. Where is Stonhewer? I am grown a stranger to him. You will oblige me by sending to Dodsley's, to say I wonder poetical vein fraught with the noblest and sublimest images, and a mind fraught with the more masculine parts of learning. [Shenstone.] 1 Mr. Palmyra Wood accompanied the Duke of Bridgewater in his travels through Italy.-[Mit.] 2 The author of The Estimate. the third and fourth volumes of the Encyclopedie are not come. If you chance to call yourself, you might enquire if many of my 2000 remain upon his hands. He told me a fortnight ago about 12 or 1300 were gone. You talk of writing a comment. I do not desire you should be employed in any such office; but what if Delap (inspired by a little of your intelligence) should do such a matter; it will get him a shilling; but it must bear no name, nor must he know I mentioned it. CXXXII. TO HORACE WALPOLE. I HAVE been very ill this week with a great cold and a fever, and though now in a way to be well, am like to be confined some days longer: whatever you will send me that is new, or old, and long, will be received as a charity. Rousseau's people do not interest me; there is but one character and one style in them all, I do not know their faces asunder. I have no esteem for their persons or conduct, am not touched with their passions; and as to their story, I do not believe a word of it-not because it is improbable, but because it is absurd. If I had any little propensity, it was to Julie; but now she has gone and (so hand over head) married that Monsieur de Wolmar, I take her for a vraie Suissesse, and do not doubt but she had taken a cup too much like her lover. All this does not imply that I will not read it out, when you can spare the rest of it. CXXXIII. TO THOMAS WHARTON. Stoke, September 7, 1757. DEAR DOCTOR-I am greatly obliged to your care and kindness for considering with more attention, than it deserves, the article of my health. At present I am far better, and take long walks again, have better spirits, and am more capable of amusement. The offer you make me of your lodgings for a time I should gladly embrace, both for the sake of seeing you, and for variety, and because it will answer another end by furnishing me with a reason for not going into the country to a place, where I am invited. (I think, you understand me.) But the truth, is I cannot afford to hurry about from place to place; so I shall continue, where I am, and trust to illness, or some other cause for an excuse, since to that place I am positive, I will not go. It hurts me beyond measure, that I am forced to make these excuses, but go I cannot, and something must be said. These are cruel things! The family you mention near me are full as civil as ever; Miss Sp[eed] seems to understand; and to all such, as do not, she says-pwvávta σvvetoîoɩ-in so many words. And this is both my motto and comment. I am afraid, you mistake Mr. Roper's complaisance for approbation. Dr. Brown (I hear) says, they are the best odes1 in our language. Mr. Garrick, 1 From a note communicated to me by my friend Mr. James Boswell, I find that on the 29th June 1757, Gray received forty guineas for his two Odes.-[Mit.] |