"Having many letters to write by this conveyance, I must defer writing to your Lordship at greater length: I have only to request your attention to the printed sheets of the new edition of my Life of Smollett, which I send for your inspection, particularly the passages relating to the controversy between Grainger and Smollett.

"In unavoidable haste I write this note of acknowledgment.

"I beg my very kindest respects to Mrs. Percy. "I am always, my dear Lord, your most affectionate, humble servant, RO. ANDERSON."

Dr. ANDERSON to Mr. THOMAS ROBINSON.* "MY DEAR SIR,

Heriot's Green, 30 Oct. 1806.

"I avail myself of the opportunity of Mr. Orr going through Belfast, on his way to Hillsborough, to send you my best compliments and cordial remembrances.

"I am obliged to write this note in unavoidable haste; but I obey the strong impulse of my mind in congratulating you on the splendid progress of my young friend Thomas, in Trinity College. If he be now with you, remember me very kindly to him; and if he is in college, assure him, when you write to him, of my affectionate regard and kindest wishes.

"Our amiable friend Armstrong sent me from Dublin, some time ago, a proof of the young poet's portrait, upon which I set a high value. The likeness is remarkably striking, and the figure finely expressive. I inclose a note for our friend, as I am uncertain concerning his motions.

"I have yet another subject for congratulation in the

* Mr. Robinson was born on the banks of Windermere. He was a pupil of Romney; and settled in Ireland, where, both at Belfast and at Dublin, he was much patronized by Bp. Percy and others. He died July 27, 1810. See an account of him in Gent. Mag. LXXX. ii. 288; and Lines to his memory by Hafiz, ibid. 462. His eldest son, Thomas Romney Robinson, was born at Laurence Town, near Gilford, co. Down, April 23, 1793. Several of his compositions (when only eight years old) are in the Gent. Mag. LXXI. 1124. LXXII. 61. 252. LXXIII. 454. LXXV. 63. 359. 653. He was educated at the academy of the Rev. Dr. Bruce at Belfast, where he gained the first premiums, not only in the Latin and Greek Classics, but in History, Mythology, and Logic. He was entered at Trinity College, Dublin, in 1806; and in 1810 was on that foundation, having then lately taken his bachelor's degree.

to us.

appearance of the young poet's extraordinary volume, accompanied by a well-filled and respectable subscription. "I sent over a list of a few names, and Mr. Anderson, bookseller, and others, sent over lists. The copies have been long expected here, yet none have been transmitted Will you have the goodness to inquire about this neglect of the poet's Edinburgh friends. The whole copies may be sent in one bale to Mr. Anderson, comprehending the separate parcels according to the lists; and you will please to inform Mr. Anderson or me how the money is to be sent safely, and with as little expense of commission, if any, as possible.

"I have to request the favour of you to forward the parcel which accompanies this to our excellent friend the Bishop of Dromore, and that for Mr. Boyd, when you have opportunities. Mr. Orr returns from Hillsborough in two or three days, and will take charge of any missives from my friends at Belfast.

"I beg my kindest respects to Dr. Bruce and family. "I am, with great regard, my dear Sir, "Yours truly,

"RO. ANDERSON."

Dr. ANDERSON to Bishop PERCY.

Heriot's Green, Nov. 18, 1806.

"MY DEAR LORD, "The sight of even the imperfect traces of your Lordship's handwriting in your kind notes to me, is a gratification which I cannot forego, without particular concern, at a time when I believed the failure of your sight was not sensibly increasing, and cordially hoped that your active literary life would not terminate in the total privation of so great a blessing. Yet there is consolation to me in the thought that your health continues firm, and the energies of your mind are still vigorous, and actively employed in the service of the republic of letters, to which you belong.

"Soon after my last to your Lordship, by Mr. Watson, I was drawn away into Lanarkshire to attend the deathbed of a near relation, where I was detained a long time, partly by civilities and partly by perplexities in settling some family concerns, and returned home only to make a more distant excursion, which had been concerted with a friend before.

"I have been quietly settled at home for some time, and have finished the new edition of my Life of Smollett, of which I sent your Lordship the printed sheet concerning Grainger. I have written a great part of the narrative over again; and the Massachusetts Historical Society, of which I am a foreign associate, have enabled me to subjoin a pretty long Appendix of original letters. By a Mr. Orr going to Hillsborough, I sent your Lordship a copy about a fortnight ago, with a copy of Mr. Preston's Epistle* to me, of which a very few copies have been printed, chiefly for my poetical friends, whose works he has characterised, and some extracts from Mr. Jamieson's Popular Ballads,'t containing a merited eulogy and defence of your Lordship against Ritson, to be left at Mr. Robinson's, Belfast. The parcel, I suspect, is yet on the road, as I hear Mr. Orr has been detained at Paisley by illness.

"I am glad to find your Lordship's correspondence with Mr. Graves on the Chattertonian controversy, is to be printed. In the introductory paragraphs of my account of Chatterton I have stated my authorities at length, and acknowledged that I chiefly followed Dr. Gregory's candid and comprehensive narrative. I had no original materials; but subsequent publications, particularly the Gentleman's Magazine, supplied some new facts and observations, which I put together hastily, yet carefully. I have, hitherto, found no reason to change my opinion. The Pseudo-Rowley probably wrote his poems in modern English, and then altered the spelling and looked into his Glossary for old words which would suit the measure and emphasis of the line, and when he found old words which would exactly supply the place of the modern, he adopted them. But the first outlines, which he carefully destroyed, cannot be produced in support of this opinion.

"I expect Grainger will be out before the end of the year, according to the reference in the Life of Smollett. The letter to Smollett, unfortunately, cannot be found.

"The corrections for the Key' will be highly acceptable to the printers. They are to proceed with the 'Antiquities' when they receive the corrected copy from Dromore House, or corrections referring to the pages, which may be easily followed.

"One of Dr. Bruce's assistants has just brought me a copy of little Robinson's Poems. With the subscription list I am delighted, and satisfied with the mechanical execution of the volume. The Dedication is, what it should be, delicately respectful. I wish the word to had been omitted in the second line. The biographical sketch is interesting, and the tissue of poetry in it skilfully introduced. In Miss Stewart's verses, p. xxiv. Affliction ' should be 'Affection; and p. xxv. sting' and 'string' in the plural. I think Juvenile should have been omitted in the title page. The Elegy on the death of Romney should have been inserted in the Collection; surely Mr. Hayley does not think it his property. The liberality of the public demanded from the young poet every literary return in his power.

"Mr. Boyd has sent me some squibs against Moore; but the humour is coarse and indelicate. Obscene poems cannot easily be ridiculed without writing obscenely. I have seen our friend Hafiz's battle piece; it is spirited, and finely descriptive. The word offspring in the 5th stanza is a strange mistake.

"With kindest respects to Mrs. Percy, I ever am your Lordship's affectionate servant,

"RO. ANDERSON."

"MY DEAR LORD,

Heriot's Green, 8 Dec. 1806. "A few days ago I received the pleasure of your Lordship's kind favour, inclosing two papers of corrections for the new editions of the Key to the New Testament' and the Northern Antiquities;" and this morning I have been favoured with a note from your Lordship, desiring me to return the paper of corrections for the 'Key.' I lose no time in complying with your Lordship's wishes; and I cannot suffer the paper to depart without filling the envelope with my acknowledgments for your Lordship's kindness, and my especial thanks for your remarks on my statement of the controversy between Grainger and Smollett. Your Lordship's opinion makes me regret exceedingly the loss of Grainger's Letter, which I cited chiefly on the authority of the Critical Review, a suspicious vehicle of information in this case. No diligence has hitherto discovered a copy in the collections of the fugitive pamphlets of

the day. I mean to be candid, and to do equal justice to both my ingenious countrymen.

"I am sorry the parcel I sent by Mr. Orr has not reached Dromore House, as that gentleman left Scotland about a fortnight ago, and was to leave it at Belfast.

*

"I forgot to say before, that if your Lordship wishes to have a copy of my friend Jamieson's book, I shall have a safe conveyance about the beginning of the year. It is elegantly printed by Ballantyne, in two 8vo volumes, one guinea, in boards. He made me a present of a copy. Scott superintended the printing in his absence, at Riga, pursuing some mercantile scheme, and collecting Northern ballads. The original Gil Morrice,' from the folio MS. is a great curiosity.

"Your Lordship's instructions relative to the new edition of the Northern Antiquities,' shall be carefully observed. In the curious additional note respecting the composition of words, you give Egglezveghan, in Cumberland, as an illustration: I was so struck with the resemblance it bears to the word Ecclefechan, the name of a village in Annandale, between Langholm and Moffat, that I suspect it is only a different mode of spelling the same word. It is remarkable that there should be a village of the same name on both sides of the Solway Firth.

"I have a letter from Hafod to-day. Mr. Johnes expects to finish the printing of Joinville about Christmas, and is proceeding vigorously in the translation of Monstrelet. His re-election was easy.

"Our elections are nearly over, and a greater proportion of returns in the ministerial interest than was expected. I was at the election of the Peers on Thursday, which was keenly contested. The issue shows the decline of Lord Melville's interest. Of seven anti-ministerial candidates, five of whom, Strathmore, Kelly, Dalhousie, Aboyne, and Napier, were in the last Parliament; only one, Aberdeen, Lord Abercorn's son-in-law, not in the last Parliament, was chosen. Haddington was the other unsuccessful candidate.

"Miss Bannerman's book is printing at Mundell's press, upon the encouragement of a moderate subscription list, of about 300 names.

"I beg my cordial respects to Mrs. Percy, whose indis

* "Popular Ballads and Songs, &c. by Robert Jamieson," 2 vols. 8vo. 1806.