tators: would you, Sir, inform us what pieces we owe to his pen ?* "Your acquaintance with that noble family makes me presume that you can resolve this question, which I hope is not an improper one, as I conceive it was by permission from the family that this intimation was given to the world. The present noble Lord condescended to favour me with some important information relating to the Duke of Buckingham, which I shall soon communicate to the world: might this present research be so honoured as to be thought worthy of his notice, I doubt not but his lordship could favour me with very valuable directions for the conduct of it, and either resolve my queries, or direct me where I might meet with solutions. "I need not here observe what obligations I am under for his procuring me those curious memoirs from Dr. Birch, which will add so much merit to that work. "At the end of the 7th vol. of the Spectator, Mr. Steele acknowledges his obligations to Mr. Henry Martyn, Mr. Pope, Mr. Hughes, Mr. Carey of New College, Mr. Tickel, Mr. Eusden, and Mr. Ince of Gray's Inn. The particular papers of some of these I have not been able to discover. Could you, Sir, point them out to me? These or any other hints for the improvement of the work would merit the most grateful acknowledgments of, Rev. Sir, your obliged and faithful servant, THOMAS PERCY. "P.S. The same kind of information for the Tatlers and Guardians will be equally obliging and important. Could you favour me with the perusal of any common newspapers of those times, or direct me where to borrow them? "I know not whether the inclosed little Essay will afford you any amusement: as some of the information was had out of your MS. Notes (by Oldys) on Langbaine, I ought to submit it to your inspection. Pardon my send ing so dirty a proof sheet." "REV. DOCTOR, Easton Mauduit, May 10, 1764. "I thank you for your obliging answer to my letter about the proposed new edition of the Spectator: the par * A Letter on Travelling, No. 364, is the only "Spectator" attributed to the Earl of Hardwicke, by Mr. Chalmers, in the British Essayists. †The numbers of the Spectator are appropriated to their respective authors in Chalmers's "British Essayists." Dr. Percy's Essay "On the Origin of the British Stage;" given in the first volume of his " Reliques of Antient English Poetry," first published in ticulars you are so kind as to communicate will have their Should any future matters occur to you, I flatter myself you will be so good as to transmit them to me. use. "I wish I could recover the numbers or titles of those papers in the 8th vol. which you say fell from the pen of the present Bishop of Rochester.* But I have no chance. of procuring them from his Lordship: you perhaps may. And kind offices in this respect would lay me under great obligations, as also that other writ by Lord Hardwicke. "I thank you for your kind offer to lend me the original papers of the Spectator: I have already got a complete set of all the Spectators, Tatlers, and Guardians. What I most want are some of the common newspapers and daily advertisers of those times. If you could procure me any of these, or direct me where to meet with them, I should acknowledge the favour. "I shall not fail to profit by the hint you give, that some of the original numbers have been retrenched, out of compliment to particular families. I shall not fail to discover every thing of that kind; and shall endeavour to revive such passages as appear deserving. "The sheet relating to the origin of the stage is entirely at your service: it is not worth returning; and so long as it remains in your hands I know it is safe. "I am, dear Sir, with the greatest respect, your most obliged and most faithful servant, THOS. PERCY." "REV. DOCTOR, London, June 12, 1764. "Herewith are sent the folio newspapers you so kindly lent me, for which my best thanks are due. I know not whether my request will not be improper, otherwise I should humbly intreat the favour of you to let me carry into the country for a short time both the Weekly Packet, 4to. and your own Life of Addison,' 12mo, together with Le Long's Bibliothèque,' which you were so good as to promise me. Mr. Tonson's people will take the utmost care in conveying them to me. 6 "The obliging manner in which you permit me to ask you questions, encourages me to subjoin two or three queries to this slight letter, viz. : "1. Can you inform who is the atheistical authors meant in the conclusion of No. 166, vol. ii. ? * Dr. Zachary Pearce was Bishop of Rochester in 1764. He died at Little Ealing, June 29, 1774. See Lit. Anecd. III. 107–111; VII. 313, 646. + Probably Mr. Toland. "2. Who is the flogging schoolmaster of Welsh extraction with a Spanish name,* in the first letter of No. 168, vol. ii.? "3. Who is the doctor of divinity who kept a school at Richmond, in the second letter of the same number and volume?t "4. Who was the clergyman who read prayers so well at St. James's Garlick Hill Church, in vol. ii. No. 147? "Will you, good Sir, pardon the impertinence of these queries, and if you can solve them, favour me with a line? I leave town on Saturday morning; and if I should be hurried away without paying those great respects which I owe to Dr. Birch, I rely upon his known goodness and candour in pardoning his most obliged and most humble servant, "THOMAS PERCY." Cecill Street, June 15, 1764. "REVD. DOCTOR, "I am extremely obliged to you for your kind favour of to-day. The information you are pleased to give me is curious and important. The books you were so kind as to lend me will be of great use. Will you pardon me if I venture to entreat a further favour of this sort. Can you lend me the little piece you mention in your Life of Addison, entitled 'The Spy on the Spectator?' It might possibly afford some illustrations. "This day, by a letter, Mr. Tonson was informed that many years since were published 'Critical Remarks on several Letters in the Spectators, Tatlers," &c., a book which, it is said, is now in the possession of Mr. Wray of the Exchequer, and which, perhaps, through your interest with that gentleman, we might procure a sight of. As a specimen of this writer's manner, the following instance is given us-Supper and friends expects me at the Rose.' 'It was wise,' says the Remarker, to make the * Dr. Charles Roderick, Master and Provost of Eton, and afterwards Master of King's College, Cambridge. "This was Dr. Nicholas Brady, who joined in the New Version of the Psalms. He was Rector of Clapham, Minister of Richmond in Surrey, and successively Chaplain to King William, Queen Anne, and George I. The Doctor was a very amiable, ingenious man, but no great economist; for which reason his circumstances obliged him to submit to the care of a school. He died May 20, 1726, aged 67. P." [in 1788.] "Or Garlick Hithe. The Rector of this parish at that time was Mr. Philip Stubbs, afterwards Archdeacon of St. Alban's, whose exemplary manner of performing the same is to this day remembered by the parishioners. P." [1788.] verb agree with the more worthy nominative, for such the supper is beyond the friends!! "From this specimen you will easily recollect the author, or discover the book; which, if we are indulged with the use of it, will be safely conveyed to me by Mr. Tonson, and as safely returned. "I am, with the highest respect, Rev. Sir, your most obliged and ever faithful servant, "THOMAS PERCY." "REVD. DOCTOR, Easton Mauduit, Feb. 2, 1765. "The favour you did me in procuring for my use the curious volume of ancient poems out of Sion College Library, and the various pieces you have lent me out of your own (not to mention other favours), make me solicit your acceptance of a book whose contents are chiefly gleaned from that and such other antique volumes. I know not whether you will not be offended to find your name mentioned in the preface to such a strange collection of trash; but I frankly own I meant to do myself honour by inserting it, and was proud to let the world see that I was not unknown to Dr. Birch.* "If you can pardon this liberty, you will add to the obligations already conferred on, Revd. Doctor, your most obedient and very faithful servant, "THOMAS PERCY." "DEAR SIR, Alnwick Castle, July 27, 1765. "Presuming on your friendship I take the liberty to request a favour of you, which, if granted, will exceedingly oblige me it is, that you would please to inform me by return of the post whether Mr. Empson's place in the British Museum is yet filled up, and if not, whether Mr. Harpert hath obtained a promise from any of the three "The Reliques of Antient English Poetry." In the preface, Percy observes, "To the Rev. Dr. Birch he is indebted for the use of several antient and valuable tracts." This was as little as Percy could well say for the assistance rendered to him by Dr. Birch. It is curious that in this letter he speaks of the work on which his fame now chiefly rests, as 46 a strange collection of trash." The Rev. Sam. Harper, F.R.S., upwards of 47 years one of the librarians of the British Museum, and 37 years chaplain to the Foundling Hospital, was of Trinity College, Cambridge; B.A. 1754; M.A. 1757. He died July 13, 1804. (Gentleman's Magazine, 1804, p. 697.) 2 P VOL. VII. electors, and whether any other candidate hath offered or is likely to succeed.* The speedy resolution of these queries (which, if you please, may remain a secret) will be esteemed a great act of friendship shown to, dear Sir, your very faithful and obedient servant, "THOMAS PERCY. "Please to inclose to me under cover to the Earl of Northumberland, at Alnwick Castle, in Northumberland." REV. ARCHDEACON NARES. A notice of this distinguished author appeared, whilst he was yet alive, in Literary Anecdotes, vol. IX. p. 510. He died March 23, 1829; and the following memoir of him was inserted shortly afterwards in the Gentleman's Magazine for April, p. 370, "from the pen of one attached to him since infancy, and who best knew his virtues and acquirements." "March 23. At his house in Hart-street, Bloomsbury, aged 75, the Rev. Robert Nares, M.A., F.R.S., F.S A., V.P.R.S.L., Archdeacon of Stafford, Canon Residentiary of Lichfield, and Rector of Allhallows, London Wall. "Few individuals have departed from this life more deeply and universally lamented by the literary world and the private circle of attached and distinguished friends than this accomplished man. An exemplary divine, a profound scholar, a laborious and judicious critic, and an elegant writer, his intimacy was courted as earnestly for the instruction it supplied as for the taste and vivacity of manners by which it was embellished, and the It is probable that Dr. Percy had thoughts of applying for the situation of assistant librarian of the British Museum. + See also Index, vol. VII. 635. Joseph Jekyll, esq. M.A., F.R.S., F.S.A. He died March 8, 1837, aged 85. See a memoir of him in Gent. Mag. New Series, vol. VIII. p. 208. |