written to him to suppress his name as an authority in the second edition of his book.

"Although my health is better, my occupations for some time have been light and desultory. I am often languid and averse to writing. But Grainger is ready for the printers, who will bring it out, among other things, before the end of the year. They will be glad to receive the corrections for your Key,' to be going on with, under your inspection, by sending the proofs and those of the Northern Antiquities in the same way; both to be ready before the winter, the usual time of publication.

"About the beginning of April I was solicited by the Rev. Mr. Bourne, of Hollis Street, Dublin, a kinsman of Sir Richard Musgrave's, to admit as an inmate in my house his son Robert, for the re-establishment of his health and the reformation of his manners. I consented to give him that kind of care and protection which he needed, and I have observed the most beneficial effects of the change in his circumstances and manner of living. He is of Trinity College, and intended for the church.

"I have to mention the liberality and disinterestedness of Dr. Ryan,* as an author, towards me. On receiving £80 for the third edition of his History, he gave Mrs. Ryan one moiety, and the other to me, to purchase a piece of plate, to be a visible memorial of his friendship and esteem. The History, besides, is inscribed to me, very handsomely. It is well received here, and Lord Woodhouselie has written a long commendation of it, and many of the most respectable of the Scottish clergy speak highly of the design and the execution.

"Mr. Park has finished the Royal and Noble Authors, and is engaged by Lackington and Co. to give a new edition of Warton's History of English Poetry, with a continuation.†

I like

"Scott's Dryden is at the press, and will be out next winter, and his poem on the Battle of Flodden. our friend Hafiz's sonnet to Mrs. Meade very much. "Ro. ANDERSON."

The Rev. Edward Ryan, D.D. prebendary of St. Patrick's, Dublin; author of "The History of the Effects of Religion on Mankind, in countries ancient, modern, barbarous, and civilized," Lond. 2 vols. 8vo. 1788-93. See his other works in Watt's Bibliotheca, p. 823.

it.

† Mr. Park collected materials for this work, but subsequently relinquished Some Notes of his will be found in the last edition, 4 vols. 8vo. 1824.

"Dromore House, January 4, 1208. "The Bishop of Dromore presents his kind respects to Dr. Anderson. It is so long since he has heard from him that he cannot but entertain very serious apprehensions of his suffering under severe and continued illness, and he shall be happy to be relieved from his anxiety on this subject. If the Doctor's silence has been occasioned by the Bishop's strictures on the conduct of Mr. J. C. Walker, it is necessary he should be informed that the first person who pointed out the base malignity of Ritson to the Bishop was Mr. Walker himself, who being engaged by Ritson to assist him in some literary researches, had received a letter from him containing some of the vile insinuations he afterwards published in his Introduction to the Romances. This, Mr. Walker brought and showed to the Bishop, with all the appearance of indignation that such unprovoked malice could excite in the most zealous friend. He at the same time complained with how little civility that man had repaid his own services. Yet, when Mr. Ritson's book came out, Mr. Walker, in a letter to Mr. Boyd, affected to pity the Bishop, perhaps because the latter did not receive his kind commiseration with all the gratitude he ought. He soon after takes care to hold up to the attention of his readers this very mass of scurrility and abuse in his Letter to Mr. Preston, referring to the Old Metrical Romances, though he was well aware that all Ritson knew on the subject had been originally pointed out to him in the Dissertation in the Reliques,' &c. With regard to Ritson's Introduction, the torrent of gross and vulgar invective which is poured forth in it is too contemptible to merit attention, and every charge carries its own confutation with it, except in one place, where, having no direct accusation to bring forth, he endeavours to inflict a deeper wound by a mysterious insinuation, and there being no positive statement offered, it is impossible to answer; and it must only be submitted to candid reflection whether this wretch, who has given every possible vent to his malice, would have withheld any charge whatever if it could have been supported. Where Ritson dilates with so much parade, and marks by inverted commas how the attempts to supply the chasms in the Marriage of Sir Gawaine should have been pointed out to the reader, Mr. Walker, who is so conversant with the Italian Poets, should have vindicated the editor of the

'Reliques' for following their example in this rifaciamento, even if the original itself had not been given verbatim at the end of the book. But enough of this poor miserable maniac, and his admirer Mr. Joseph Cooper Walker! * Yet, before he is finally dismissed, it may deserve mention that one of the most criminal charges brought against the editor of the Reliques,' is his having printed, after the example of Allan Ramsay, some popular Scotch songs of known antiquity, with the ancient orthography of zou,' 'zouth,' for 'you' and youth,' &c. &c. while he himself prints in modern types the ancient romance of The Geste of Kyng Horn,' without noticing that the original is written in the old MS. in the Anglo-Saxon character; and, although it is evidently the most ancient in our language that has been discovered, he thrusts it into the middle of his second volume below many others of later date, and attacks the editor of the Reliques' with the most scurrilous abuse for supporting an opinion concerning_its antiquity, which he in vain attempts to confute. But innumerable other instances might be given of his wilful prevarication and gross departure from truth, in order to gratify his deep-rooted malice.

"In one of his letters Dr. Anderson expressed his approbation of the endeavours which had been used here to conciliate the different religionists in this country. Perhaps he will not think undeserving notice an attempt of this kind that was lately made at Dromore, where, besides the cathedral church, there are two dissenting meeting-houses belonging to what are called the Old and the New Lights, and also a mass chapel for the Roman Catholics. It having been deemed expedient to make a charitable collection for the poor at this severe season, to induce the inhabitants of all religions cordially to unite in this good work, the Bishop's Chaplain preached an excellent sermon in the principal meeting-house, and the money was collected by the two dissenting ministers and the Roman Catholic priest, who equally divided the among them, and are to distribute a very handsome collection impartially among the poor of their four congregations. The Honourable Mr. Meade also, who has married the Bishop's youngest daughter, and is rector of a parish.

pews

* Mr. J. C. Walker is an author whose works, from their learning and research, should be spoken of with the utmost respect.

in which are many wealthy inhabitants of the Presbyterian persuasion, to promote the same desirable object among his parishioners of all religions, preached on the same day a charity sermon in a large meeting-house in his parish, and obtained therein the greatest contribution ever known in a country congregation, which he and the dissenting minister, a very worthy man, will divide among all their poor without distinction. There is no Roman Catholic chapel in that parish, or their priest would have been invited to concur with them. In truth, there is no where less intolerant bigotry than in this part of Ireland, or more general harmony among all who differ in religious opinions.

"Before the Bishop concludes, he must beg to be informed what is intended concerning the publication of Dr. Grainger's Works, and what Dr. Anderson thinks of letting Messrs. Rivington, the late proprietors of the 'Key to the New Testament,' vend the new edition in London; at least be consulted about it. Is it also desired that the new edition of the Northern Antiquities should be undertaken? On the above, or any other subject, the Bishop will be glad to hear from Dr. Anderson, who is desired to accept his most cordial wishes of many new years, and of health and happiness to him and all his family.

"What did Dr. Anderson think of the Bishop of Dromore's statement of the treatment he received from Messrs. Cadell and Davies, in the publication of Goldsmith's Life, &c.?"

"MY DEAR LORD,

Heriot's Green, May 18, 1808. "I am greatly indebted to your Lordship's candour, and the distinguished good-will you bear towards me, in believing that I have been hindered from acknowledging the satisfaction I have received from your continued kindnesses, by no other cause than inability arising from almost perpetual bad health.

About the middle of last summer I was drawn away into Roxburghshire, to repair the severe shocks which my health had suffered during the winter, by the fine air, moderate exercise, and solitude of the country. From Tweedside I was soon able to make an excursion into the mountainous districts of Tiviotdale, Ewesdale, Eskdale, and Cumberland. I surveyed for the first time the scenery

of the Border ballads, and visited the ancient castles of the Border chiefs, the dens of thieves and robbers. I sat on the ruins of Hermitage, in a moralizing rather than a marvellous mood, so that I saw neither Redcap nor Shellycoat; and indeed the creatures of popular superstition live only in legends, and no longer haunt these peaceful valleys. Nothing could exceed the pleasure I had in viewing the romantic aspect of the country, except the satisfaction I experienced in the kindness of its inhabitants, who detained me a long time going here and there. I returned to Ednam with my friend Mr. Hutcheson (our Scottish Burns), who accompanied me from Edinburgh, and joined my daughters, towards the end of autumn, much recruited in strength and spirits by the fine air of the mountains. I lingered among my friends at Kelso and Dryburgh Abbey till the approach of the cold season warned me to return home.

"I found your Lordship's acceptable packet on my table, containing the statement of the transaction between you and Cadell and Davies, relative to the edition of Goldsmith's Works. The narrative, with the corrections which you supplied, is a valuable document, and furnishes a complete justification of the share you had in the transaction. It requires no addition, except, perhaps, an acknowledgment, which does not appear, that the publishers paid Goldsmith's family the stipulated price.

"After a long absence from home, I found myself overwhelmed with business of one kind or other, which prevented me from writing to you at the time; and soon after I was seized with a cholera morbus, so violent, that my life during two days was despaired of by my family. I recovered slowly, and the debility which followed, and a succession of relapses and recoveries from catarrhous and rheumatic complaints, confined me almost the whole winter to my chamber, and rendered me incapable of attending to any kind of business.

"The mild weather which is now come, after the most austere and variable winter ever remembered, has already been beneficial to me, and more regular opportunities of taking exercise may help to restore me to my usual tone of valetudinarian temperament.

"It was intended to bring out Grainger's works, so long delayed, early in the winter, and the last sheet of the second volume was proceeding at the press when I was