La Mancha has often been read here before, but as to those originals whom he so inimitably ridicules, some of them may have passed the Line with the first Spanish adventurers, but you might with the same probability of success look for Greek inscriptions as any of them among the inhabitants of this island. Reading, I assure you, is the least part of a Creole's consideration. It is even

happy if they can read at all; spell few of them can; and when they take up a book, modern romance, magazines, or newspapers are the extent of their lucubrations. How far the North Americans are greater proficients in literature than the West Indians I cannot determine: sure I am they are men of less probity, from the specimens I have had of that country, and I can safely add not better scholars. Hence you see the total inability I am under of not being able to gratify myself, in rendering those works, which I conceive must add to your literary reputation, more perfect in their kind. You therefore can only have my good wishes for their completion and success.

"Neither I nor Mrs. Grainger have been able to read the Chinese Romance* thoroughly through; for ten months past my house has been an hospital, and last month my worthy mother-in-law died here. We therefore reserve it for more easy leisure; at the same time I must acquaint you that Mr. Bourryau, who has critically perused it, thinks very differently of it from the learned Critics of the Annals of Literature.

"You may remember I some time ago mentioned my being engaged in a work of some length and difficulty. Lately I completed it, at least for the present, though no less than a Georgic, and in four books too. It is called the 'Cane Piece,'t and was composed mostly in my rides to the different parts of the island to visit my patients. I now send you the whole; only as I have seen no hurricane, and have not yet had time to arrange my remarks on a fire by night in a cane field, those parts in the second book are incomplete. When I can finish them to any sort of purpose, you shall have them. What I have to desire of you, my friend, is to peruse the MS. with the utmost attention, and, if you then sincerely think that its publication will establish my poetical fame, I must beg of you to polish it with the utmost exactness. would also request the same favour of Mr. Shenstone and

I

Hau Kiou Choan; or, a Pleasing History translated from the Chinese Language. 4 vols. 1761. By Dr. Percy.

† Afterwards printed under the name of "The Sugar Cane," four books.

Mr. Binnel; and this I flatter myself they will readily comply with, unless more important avocations employ their attention. The second book you will see is addressed to our friend at the Leasowes; and I must tell you it is my favourite one of the whole. Binnel knows already, and you will please to let Mr. Shenstone know, that I can bear to have my verses butchered, as Thomson used to call it, so that they need not stand upon ceremony with me. In short, I desire my work should be as perfect as possible; they therefore cannot be too critical in its perusal. Their remarks and sentiments please to send me by the packet which sails every month from Falmouth, for as the subject is foreign to any thing British, it is possible they may think alterations necessary where it would take away from the truth of the poem. The whole is contained in three letters, directed as usual. My design, in case they meet with your and your friends' approbation, is to have them printed by Baskerville in 4to. on the finest paper, with tailles douces, and, as I can have almost every gentleman in this island for a subscriber, I propose to publish it in that way. However, this is a distant affair, and I never will make it public unless I am assured my character cannot suffer thereby. I intend to address the whole to Mr. Pitt; this is uncourtly, but I desire no favours, indeed I stand in need of none. My business is enough for me. You cannot be more surprised at the rapidity of the conquest of Martinique than we are here. Art and nature had done their utmost to render it impregnable, and the day our people first landed at Cas des Navires there were 18,000 opponents to them in arms. But what cannot British spirit when conducted by prudent and gallant officers? One thing I must, however, inform you of: the soldiers and inferior officers actually took it; nor was it known to their generals, nor indeed believed, when they were told of their having reduced Morne Garnier. A drunken soldier occasioned the surrender of the fort. "Yours sincerely, JAS. GRAINGER. "Rev. Mr. Percy, Easton Mauduit."

"MY DEAR PERCY, Basseterre, July 25, 1762. "Although I have great reason to believe I shall not have time to fill up the half of this sheet, as the fleet sails to-morrow, and my house is as noisy as an inn, yet I have sat down to it, with a resolution of blotting as much of it as I can.

"By the June fleet, which must have got to England by this time, I sent you a book* instead of a letter, which I hope you have received. Every packet was addressed, as usual, to Lord Sussex, and therefore I flatter myself they came safe to hand.

"I now send you some additions; and must conjure you, by our friendship, to give the whole a serious and critical perusal. There can be no mediocrity in a Georgic. You must therefore tell me at once if you think mine of that stamp: it shall then be suppressed; for I mean to establish (not lose) the character of a poet.

"I know your regard for me inclines you to think well of every thing I write; I must, therefore, entreat you to communicate the whole to Mr. Shenstone, as he knows me less, and must be more dispassionate.

"I have made many verbal corrections of the whole; but these I shall not send till I receive your opinion of the piece, which I desire may be by the first opportunity; and you know the packet sails five or six times a-year from Falmouth for the West Indies.

"The Preface, Arguments to each Book, and Dedication, are also finished; but these it were needless to transmit to you, unless the work attracts your approbation.

"Pitt is my patron; you see by that I am no courtier. Thank God, I want no favour from that quarter, and would rather gain an honest livelihood by the sweat of my brow than enjoy any post his Majesty could give me, with the loss of freedom of speech and my integrity. Indeed I am astonished how men of independent estates can submit to the drudgery of court attendance. They may be ambitious, but are not philosophers; they may be fond of titles and distinction, but are quite out of the road to contentment and felicity. No doubt all courtiers are not vain or ambitious. Some may carry with them the virtues of the shade into the sunshine of the throne, yet they had better not continue too long in that climate; else they will as certainly assimilate all the courtly enormities, as the south wind, when it blows here for any time, burns up our cane lands. But peace to all such!

"Let me proceed to a more pleasing subject. You have been at great pains in collecting your notes to the Chinese History. They throw much light upon it; and, to deal

"The Sugar Cane," in MS.

frankly with you, I think they constitute the most valuable part of your book.

"I told you I could be of no service to you in promoting your intentional publications; we have no old books of knight-errantry in this island, and nobody can tell me any thing of the Charibbean poetry; indeed, from what I have seen of these savages, I have no curiosity to know ought of their compositions.

"I have, however, desired a nephew of mine (a gentleman of learning and genius), who goes to-morrow to North America for his pleasure, to make all imaginable inquiry after the poetry of the North Americans; and he has promised to do it. If he has any success, you may depend upon my transmitting the effects of it to you.

"I congratulate you on the increase of your family; but let me entreat you to have your children inoculated. You have no right to call them yours till they have had the measles and small pox. I inoculated (with my own hands) three times my Louise, before she took the infection. You will be pleased to hear that my little girl answers all my expectations. She has immense spirits, and is naturally very healthy. She grows vastly entertaining, and is a great favourite with everybody here. She has a pretty little Mulatto slave, about five years of age, whom she is very fond of; and what makes me love my child is her humanity; for she will immediately burst into tears if John (for so the Mulatto is called) is whipped, or falls a crying. This, however, is a bad country for inspiring children with tenderness. Wherever slavery obtains, tyranny, insolence, impetuosity (not to mention any other vices) must ever bear sway. But how repugnant these to the genius of our government; how repugnant, indeed, to the general welfare ! I am therefore at no small pains to counteract the moral tendencies of the island; and, if I do not deceive myself, my child promises to be pretty free from the Creole vices.

"I am lucky; this happens to be a ball night at, I assure you, a very great room,-no less than the Temple of Apollo is the place of rendezvous; so that I have got a little more time than I at first expected, and shall scrawl on now to the bottom of the page.

"We have good news from the Havannah. Our forces have opened their batteries against that strong place. They have met with no disasters hitherto, and we have

reason to believe that at this minute they have possessed themselves of that most valuable fortress. Is this a time to make an ignominious peace? But we never yet could cope with the French at negotiation. If we neglect this opportunity, adieu, adieu, to those glorious Islands! "I am, dear Percy, with my love to you and yours, "Most truly your friend,

"JAS. GRAINGER.

"Rev. Mr. Percy, Easton Mauduit."

"MY DEAR PERCY,

Basseterre, April 18, 1763. "It is now better than fourteen months since I had the pleasure of a line from you: this cessation of writing would at all times have given me pain, as you have ever been a punctual correspondent; but at present I own my uneasiness receives some increase from my having sent you the four books of my Georgic early last summer, in four letters directed as usual; and about six months ago I inclosed for you the description of a cane piece on fire in the night, with several corrections of the part formerly transmitted you. My four books you must have received, because they were entrusted to the care of a brother-inlaw of my wife's, who then went to England with his family; and the addition went by a Captain who got safe to Europe, and who put my letter in the Post Office.

"In all those letters I pressed you to write me by the earliest opportunity (and in particular by the packet) your undisguised sentiments of my poem; I have therefore been in expectation of hearing from you every quarter, and every quarter I have been disappointed.

"One packet was taken by the French about seven months ago; perhaps my letters from you were on board of her. This gives me some comfort, as you may still have had no accident happen to you; for I flatter myself, nothing but sickness or death could make you forget me.

"I have now completed the Cane Piece, such as I could wish to have it appear; but I shall not transcribe either my corrections or additions for England without first hearing from you.

"About five months ago I had like to have died; and in my will I left particular directions that all my poetical writings should be transmitted to you, and that you should be absolute master of their destiny. I know you would have allowed nothing of mine to have been pub