taste for elegant amusements; even the theatre is neglected, except when a celebrated player appears. My kind friend Walker would have introduced me to the Provost; but I did not like to owe my introduction to him after being at Dromore House. Mr. Beauford is so strangely shy of strangers that Mr. Ledwich could never bring him to see me. I have, however, got a publisher and a good price for his MS. and wrote Mr. Ledwich to that purpose a few days ago. I have a packet from Sir Richard Musgrave, containing some papers for publication in the Newspapers and Magazines, which I shall attend to. I desired Mr. Ramsay to send you a copy of the paper. I think you will be gratified with Mr. Hay Drummond's sonnet. I found it on my table at my return. Mr. Boyd has done himself and me honour in a poem addressed to me after I left Newry, which I suppose you have seen. Miss Stewart has praised the translator of Dante in strains equal to his own. I have heard from Dr. Trail; he is well. I gave Mr. Hay Drummond one of the prints, which he values highly. I request you would send one to Joe Walker. I promised to make the request for him. I have been much hurried, and have not yet taken up Grainger; but will do it immediately. I beg the favour of a line from you concerning your health, occupations, and amusements. "I am under obligations to the Dublin authors, editors, &c. for their publications, which filled two large boxes. Vallancey alone gave me nearly a score, Transactions of the Dublin Society, County Surveys, &c. Preston, a learned, ingenious, and classical poet, is printing a version of Apollonius Rhodius, with two volumes of Dissertations and Notes. "I am, with great respect, yours ever, LADY DALRYMPLE (widow of Lord Hailes) to Bp. PERCY. Newhailes, 10th Nov. 1802. "MY LORD, "Your Lordship's letter of so old a date as the 13th of September only came to my hands yesterday, owing to my having been from home, and to some mistakes in the method of transmitting it to me; this will account to your Lordship for my seeming neglect, and I shall not be quite easy till I know that you have received and accepted my apology. "I am no stranger to the friendship that subsisted between your Lordship and my husband. I have often heard him mention it with pleasure, and also your correspondence on the subject of Popular Scottish Poetry. There are, I know, a good many letters of yours to Lord Hailes preserved, which shall certainly be transmitted to Dr. Anderson, according to your Lordship's directions, as soon as the person who arranged the letters returns from England, where he now is, but will undoubtedly be in Edinburgh (in this neighbourhood) in a few days. "I believe it is the wish of many of Lord Hailes's friends, that a complete collection of his publications should be made,* as well as some account of his life given; the first I dare say will be accomplished, but with regard to the last I am more doubtful, as there are none of his family now alive who can afford any assistance as to dates or anecdotes of his early life, always looked for in such publications. I trust, however, that his literary labours, when put together, will prove fully to the world what were his grand objects in life, the cause of religion, virtue, and learning, consequently the happiness of all mankind. "If your Lordship has happened to preserve any of Lord Hailes's letters, that you think may be of use in assisting any attempt that may hereafter be made to give some account of his life, Miss Dalrymple and I will take it as a particular favour if you will transmit them to us at your leisure. I have the honour to be your Lordship's most obedient, humble servant, "HELEN DALRYMPLE." Dr. ANDERSON to Bp. PERCY. Heriot's Green, Dec. 16, 1802. "MY LORD, "I am much flattered and obliged by the last token I received of your Lordship's friendly remembrance. Forgive me for any appearance of inattention in my having delayed the acknowledgment of it. I have had much inclination, but little power for correspondence; for I have been often unwell, and much hampered by temporary business. I have even shamefully neglected to send your Lordship the inclosed letter from Lady Dalrymple. I avail myself of an envelope from one of your members, sojourning here, to forward it; and here transcribe the following sen * Lord Hailes's Works have never been published in a collected form. tence from Lady D.'s Letter to me for your Lordship's information. "Lady Dalrymple presumes Dr. Anderson is fully acquainted with the subject of the letter, and assures him, that, as soon as the gentleman who arranged Lord Hailes' papers returns from a jaunt in which he is at present, all Bishop Percy's letters that have been found shall be transmitted to Dr. Anderson.' Her Ladyship has not yet transmitted any letters to me. "With Lord Woodhouselie's letter before me, acknowledging the receipt of the present I sent him, I am tempted to transcribe the following passage: I return you many thanks for the portrait of our excellent and much valued friend the Bishop of Dromore; and for the Verses on the Death of Dr. Johnson, which, considering the early age at which they were composed, are very remarkable. It gives me high pleasure to know that am kindly remembered by a character so eminently respectable and deserving. I am proud of his esteem, and I annex the highest value to his friendship.' It is highly gratifying to me to have to transmit sentiments of reciprocal esteem between two friends I value so much as the Bishop of Dromore and Lord Woodhouselie. Your Lordship may be assured, that I did not miss the first opportunity of conveying to Lord Woodhouselie your invitation to Dromore House, to meet Lord Redesdale; but I have not seen him since, for this is session time. The last time I saw him he expressed a strong wish that your Lordship would take Edinburgh in your way to England, to give him and your friends here the pleasure of showing you their respect. In my friend's wish I do most cordially join, for myself and others. zeal I am "I have had no answer from Mr. Ledwich relative to Beauford's Essay. I hope he is not offended at my to bring it forward. I acquiesce in the justice of your Lordship's censure of my Scotticisms, and feel much flattered by your favourable opinion of my Preface. revising them with slow haste, and beg the favour of your Lordship's corrections and additions. The printers are busy, and do not begin Grainger till after Christmas. Where is your Lordship's Answer to the Account of Grainger in the Westminster Magazine to be found?* I In the Whitehall Evening Post, Thursday Jan. . . 1774. beg my best respects to Mrs. Percy and to Dr. Percy. I am afraid of over-weight, and must conclude. I shall write again soon. I am, my Lord, "Yours affectionately, "Ro. ANDERSON," "MY DEAR LORD, Heriot's Green, May 21st, 1803. "I am indebted to your Lordship for your very friendly letter to me, of a distant date, for which I owed you an acknowledgment at the time, but I deferred it till Í should have something new or important to communicate, which might be more acceptable than the repetition of my cordial thanks for your continued kindnesses, and for your friendly confidence in my attachment and attention to any thing that meets your regard. "I expected some literary occurrence would afford me an early opportunity of performing my duty to your Lordship in an acceptable manner. It is not necessary to remind one of your experience, how often, at almost every turn in life, we are disappointed of some pleasure, and dragged away from something agreeable, and chained down to something painful to our feelings. Such has been my situation. "I missed not an opportunity I owed to the kindness of Dr. Trail, of sending your Lordship some literary trifles for your amusement, by Mr. Macartney; and I designed you a letter by the post, to announce a larger parcel, which I had an opportunity of sending, soon after, in a bale for Mr. Gilbert, bookseller, in Dublin, to be forwarded by a safe conveyance to Dromore House. "At that time I caught, as I thought, a common cold, a disorder to which my flimsy constitution is extremely liable in the winter, which did not yield to the usual remedies, and was followed by a tedious, feverish indisposition, on which the influenza supervened, and laid me up severely, and debilitated and dispirited me so exceedingly as to render me incapable of attending to any kind of business, not even the indolent occupations of reading and writing. "I am now so far recovered as to be able to go into town, though I feel, at this moment, in some degree, the lassitude and languor which attend this disorder in every stage. "Never was anything more general than the influenza. It has brought into activity all our chronic complaints, but has not been fatal here, except in cases where it supervened on some previous infirmity. Such was the lamented case of Dr. Robert Kennedy, who died a few days ago; a young man of the highest reputation for physical science in this city. It has appeared, I hear, in Ireland, but less generally. I sincerely hope it has spared my highly respected friends at Dromore House. By a letter I had lately from Mr. Boyd, I find he has been very ill, and his complaints seem to resemble the characteristic symptoms of this disorder. But he is recovered again, and flirting, as usual, with the Muses. "I am sorry to give your Lordship any trouble that might be spared. The recurrence to the multiplied evils which the influenza has produced, is painful to myself. I have said enough. I only mention these, to show you that I have had my share, and that my long silence has not been voluntary. "From my friends in Dublin I have received many proofs of continued kindness, and experienced much indulgence. The memorials of my gratitude and esteem which I committed to the care of Mr. Gilbert, have, I learn, been duly forwarded; and among the rest, I doubt not, the parcel for Dromore House has come to your Lordship's hands. The Chronicle of Scottish Poetry,'* 3 vols. and Tales of Superstition,' are presents from Mr. George Paton and Miss Bannerman; the other books come from me as literary novelties, for your acceptance. "Our excellent friend Mr. Ledwich has, at length, transmitted to me Mr. Beauford's curious MS. and drawings, for which he has received 201. through the hands of our amiable and patriotic friend Sir Richard Musgrave. They will appear soon in an edition of Ossian, from Mundell's press. Dr. Smith thinks them sufficiently interesting to curiosity and to learning to deserve publication, and Mr. Laing is of the same opinion, so that they come abroad with the approbation of both parties, and valeant quantum valere possunt. The Doctor has abandoned Highland Antiquities' to his brother. He breakfasted here yesterday, and has laid on my table a voluminous MS. Commentary on the Bible, for publication. He speaks of your Key' in terms of high approbation. "Mr. Cooper Walker's Essay on the revival of the *The Chronicle of Scottish Poetry, by Mr. Sibbald, in 4 vols. |