RICHARD CUMBERLAND,* Esq. to AMBROSE "MY DEAR FRIEND, Madrid, 23rd August, 1780. "In the course of four months, which have elapsed since I left England, a variety of adventures have befallen us, which would be much too long a recital for a letter, but will, I hope, some time or other, serve to pass a pleasant hour over a cheerful fire in your circle at Ecton. Thoughts like this are the chief support of my labours and my sufferings, of both which I have had an ample portion. The last month has been passed under the hands of my surgeons, with a fractured arm, accompanied with a bruise so considerable as to menace a mortification two several times (the last of which attacks I am just recovering from) owing to some hot fomentations which were injudiciously applied. These are serious symptoms in a climate where the heat has been greater than ever was remembered, the thermometer standing at above 900 through the night. My blow proceeded from a fall I got from my mule upon a very hard road, and I apprehend I shall never perfectly recover the use of my arm, but am well content to have it an appendage to my body at any rate. My writing convinces you it is fortunately it is fortunately on the left side, so that I am able to resume my function with my right hand, which truly has full employ. "The business I have engaged in owes its birth and concoction entirely to myself and the Abbé Hussey, who is in my house with me. If I am happy enough to bring it to a completion (which I by no means despair of), I shall be blest in the reflection of having served my country and conducted an undertaking to its issue, of which all mankind who knew it have been in absolute despair. "As for my life, if it serves this purpose, I shall resign it with gratitude to the Giver, and trust my family to the protection of the Government I have served. In the mean time I have never for a moment lost my spirits or my confidence, and am going, as soon as my surgeons give leave, to San Ildefonso, where the court now resides. "The dear women who are my companions have passed their time tolerably, and it has been my good fortune to lodge them most commodiously and at their ease. "Let me now hope for a good account of your health, *Of Mr. Cumberland see vol. VII. p. 525. +Mr. Isted died in May, 1781. and let me beg you will be assured on my part of the "Pray remember me to the good folks at Dallington Dr. EKINS* to Dr. PERCY. June 21, 1781. "SIR, *The Rev. Jeffery Ekins, D.D. died at Parsons Green, Fulham, Nov. 20, Dr. Ekins published, in 1771, a translation of the "Loves of Medea and Jason, from Apollonius Rhodius," in 4to. which possesses great merit. Mr. Cumberland, in his "Memoirs," thus mentions his intimacy with this family: "I was also, at this time, in habits of the most intimate friendship with two young men of my own age, sons of a worthy clergyman in our neighbourhood, the Rev. Mr. Ekins. Jeffery, the elder, now deceased, was Dean of Carlisle and Rector of Morpeth; John, the younger, is yet living, and Dean of Salisbury. Few men have been more fortunate in life than these brothers; fewer still have probably so well deserved their good success. With the elder of these my intimacy was the greatest; the same passion for poetry possessed us both, the same attachment to the drama: our respective families indulged us in our propensities, and were mutually amused with our domestic exhibition. My friend Jeffery was in my family, as I was in his, an inmate ever welcome; his genius was quick and brilliant, his temper sweet, and his nature mild and gentle in the extreme: I loved him as a brother; we never had the slightest jar; nor can I recollect the moment in our lives that ever gave occasion of offence to either. Our destinations separated us in the more advanced period of our time; his duties drew him to a distance from the scenes I was engaged in; his lot was prosperous and placid, and well for him it was, for he was not made to combat with the storms of life. In early youth, long before he took orders, he composed a drama of an allegorical cast, which he entitled, Florio; or, the Pursuit of Happiness.' There was a great deal of fancy in it; and I wrote a Comment upon it, almost as long as the Drama itself, which I sent to him as a mark of my admiration of his genius, and my affection for his person." confidence by the Bishop of Killaloe.* I have since received a letter from Mr. Hatsell, informing me that you are desirous of entering now into some conditional agreement with me for an exchange of preferment, if I can procure your recommendation to some bishoprick that may become vacant in Ireland. I have consulted Lord Carlisle upon this subject, and have the satisfaction of assuring you that, from the respectable opinion his Lordship entertains of your character, you could not fail of being very acceptable to him. I wish therefore, as you do, to be direct and explicit in this negotiation, and am willing to take your deanery in exchange, if either the bishopricks of Down, Waterford, Clonfert, Ferns, Dromore, Killaloe, Killala, or Ossory, should fall to my lot. This is a proposal which will make any future mediation between us unnecessary. If you wish to be informed of the value of any of the above-named bishopricks, I will send you the reputed and, as nearly as I am able, the real value of them, as I cannot have access to any official intelligence. But I believe I may venture to assert that none of them are under two thousand pounds per year. "The value of this preferment being so considerable, I presume you would not be unwilling, if it is in your power, to procure Lord Carlisle the presentation to any living or livings which you may now hold, and would resign upon your removal to Ireland. I suggest this in perfect ignorance of the value of any parochial perferment of which you may be at present possessed: but, whatever it is, it may be of service to Lord Carlisle when it can be no longer so to you. I hope therefore that this proposal will appear in no respect unreasonable to you. "I will beg the favour of your answer, whenever it suits your convenience, directed to me under cover to his Excellency the Earl of Carlisle, &c. &c. &c., The Castle, Dublin. The correspondence which passes between us upon this subject will be communicated to no other person. I will beg the favour of you to let me know the necessary residence required at Carlisle, and to give me any other intelligence that you think might be useful to me, if the exchange should take place. "I am, &c. &c. JEFF. EKINS." * Dr. Thomas Bernard, Bishop of Killaloe 1780; translated to Limerick 1794. Died June 7, 1806. See Gent. Mag. LXXVI. 588. Sir JOHN TALBOT DILLON* to Dr. PERCY. "REV. SIR, Birmingham, June 21, 1781. "I am greatly obliged to you for the favour of your kind letter, with the annexed notes on my quarto volume. Should you have done me the honour to have purchased that work, or if in the possession of any of the Percy family, do me the favour to make the following corrections, which accidentally escaped the press at the time. "Page 86, line 23, end of May read end of June. 66 Page 312, line 17, and 311, line 5; for Mediterranean read ocean: the same being properly laid down on the map. "Page 422, line 22, for brother read son. "I am preparing a new edition of the Spanish Poets, with a variety of anecdotes relating to those poets who graced the age of Charles the Fifth, and served to illustrate the historic page. Permit me, dear sir, to request the continuance of your protection and friendship. I hope this will find you safe arrived, and in good health, at the deanery, where I should be very happy in the pleasure of paying you my respects, but banished as I am to this dull place, les plaisirs, helas! ne font plus mon partage. "I have the honour to be, with great respect, rev. and dear Sir, your most obliged and obedient humble servant, "JOHN TALBOT DILLON." "REV. AND DEAR SIR, Birmingham, July 21, 1781. "Will you forgive me if I break in upon your time for a few minutes. I suppose you have received Mr. Bowle's Spanish Quixote, in which the ingenious editor has done me more honour than I deserve. I wish, however, in his notes he had been more diffuse in his historical anecdotes, and less so with respect to mere explanations of words, particularly the most common ones, such as desocupado, * Sir John Talbot Dillon. He was created a Baron of the Holy Roman Empire in 1782, by the Emperor Joseph; and a Baronet, July 31, 1801. He was a Member of the Royal Irish Academy. He died at Dublin about Nov. 1805 (See Gent. Mag. 1805, 878). He published: 1. "Travels in Spain, 1780," 4to. (Monthly Rev. lxiv. 45.)-2. "Letters from an English Traveller in Spain in 1778," 8vo. 1781. (M. R. lxvii. 71.)-3. "Sketches on the Art of Painting," 8vo. 1782. (M. R. lxvii. 393.)—4. "Political Survey of the Sacred Roman Empire," 8vo. 1782. (M. R. lxviii. 58.)-5. "History of the Reign of Peter the Cruel, King of Castile and Leon," 2 vols. 8vo. 1788. (M. R. j. 185.)-6. "Memoir of the Revolution in France in 1789," 4to. 1790. (M. R. x. 84.)-7. "Foreign Agriculture; or, an Essay on the advantages of Oxen for Tillage in competition with Horses;" translated from the French of Chev. de Monray, with notes, 8vo. 1786. VOL. VIII. and many others totally unnecessary in a living language. I have been reading over Barrington's "Miscellanies;" amongst the Spanish papers there are several words I think inaccurately translated. If you will give me leave, I will send you my remarks thereon, such as they are. "May I now, dear Sir, claim your indulgence and protection on a literary subject? I have just drawn out a Succinct View of the Sacred Roman Empire, and Historical Abridgment of the Germanic Body, collected from the best authorities, as well as the result of many years' inquiry and study, when I had the honour to be in the Imperial service, the whole reduced to a single volume, as much as an Englishman need to know or would wish to be informed of, supposing the illustrious chief of the empire should visit us. Now, sir, if through your patronage I could have the honour of inscribing it to his Grace the Duke of Northumberland, you would make me extremely happy in procuring me this opportunity of offering this small token of my profound respect for his Grace and his illustrious house, for which favour I shall ever retain the most grateful acknowledgements. This book will appear very soon, decorated with an elegant portrait of Joseph II.; the title, more or less, as at foot. Though in my commercial occupations I have very limited prospects, very much so at present, I endeavour to occupy my mind and time with literary pursuits. Sensible as I am of Lord Algernon Percy's kind promises to speak to the noble Duke his father in my behalf, my silence in not troubling his lordship with letters, as well as my behaviour and prudence on a late occasion, I hope will evince my spirit of retirement. The rest I shall treasure up in silence, if no opportunity offers of moving out of my humble track, and only break it to assure you of my most fervent thanks. When I reflect on the liberal mind of the Dean of Carlisle, the guardian of religion and virtue, and the protector of learning, I hope I need not renew my apologies for the present intrusion, and be permitted to subscribe myself, with the greatest respect, rev. and dear Sir, your most obedient and most humble servant, JOHN TALBOT DILLON." "Title intended.-A Succinct View of the Sacred Roman Empire, with the Names and Titles of the Electors, Princes, Counts, Free Cities, and other Members of the Germanic |