Bp. PERCY to Dr. ROBERT ANDerson. "SIR, Dublin, July 21, 1798. "Your edition of the Poets of Great Britain does so much honour to their biographer and critic, that every friend to literature should assist his candid and ingenious labours; this I hope will serve as my apology for addressing a letter to you, without a more regular introduction.

"The part of your work in which I have found myself more particularly interested, is the article of my beloved friend Dr. Grainger. You have done justice to his merits as a man and as a writer, but have been very imperfectly possessed of his writings. Here I can possibly be of service to you, as I can not only point out to your notice many anonymous poems, which he allowed to be printed in periodical miscellanies, but several that were never published, which he bequeathed to me, with all his MSS.

"His only surviving daughter succeeded to a very handsome fortune from her mother's family; otherwise a complete collection of Dr. Grainger's Poems might have been published, to great advantage, by subscription, for her benefit. I have often wished they could have been given to the world in a perfect form; but the booksellers will not undertake an edition without greater expectation of profit than could be excited by an elegant but retired poet. I should be very glad to deliver over to you all these treasures, to make what use of them you pleased, either to publish them separately, or in a future edition of your general collection.

"If this offer should prove acceptable, you will be pleased to address a line to the Bishop of Dromore, in Dublin, where I am at present, and when I go to my see (which the cessation of our disturbances give me hopes I shall do soon), I will look over my papers and give you more perfect information on the subject. In the mean time I remain, Sir, your most obedient, humble servant, "T. DROMORE."

Dr. ROBERT ANDERSON to Bishop PERCY.

"MY LORD, "The very polite and flattering letter which your Lordship was pleased to write to me from Dublin, in July last, concerning my edition of the British Poets, happened to be sent to my house during my absence from town, and reached me only about the middle of September. It is but an ill return I make to your Lordship for the attention and approbation with which you have honoured my willingness, rather than my ability, to do justice, among others, to the memory of your friend Dr. Grainger, to have delayed my acknowledgment so long. I doubt whether I shall easily obtain your Lordship's pardon for my tardiness; but if you imagine that it has proceeded from either neglect or indifference, you neither do justice to yourself nor to me. I am incapable of deliberately showing any disrespect to the learned and ingenious editor of the "Reliques of Ancient English Poetry," the most competent judge in our nation of the value of my endeavours to vindicate the claims of many too much neglected English poets; and can never be insensible of the politeness and liberality of the venerable Bishop of Dromore, the friend of Shenstone, Johnson, Goldsmith, and Grainger, in condescending to offer me his assistance in reprinting, with additions, the poems of the elegant author of The Sugar-Cane.'

Heriot's Green, Edinburgh, Nov. 30, 1798.

"The correspondence of many respectable persons in Great Britain and Ireland, to whom I am personally unknown, I reckon no inconsiderable addition to the pleasure I have had in contributing to extend, however little, the honour of our national poetry and the boundaries of literary biography. But from those who have made the poetry of our country an object of deliberate investigation, I had not the vanity to expect either attention or approbation; and least of all from Dr. Percy, the most respectable poetical antiquary now living, who, cooperating with his learned contemporaries Warton and Tyrwhitt, has not only strengthened and recommended the taste for poetical antiquities, by the revival and illustration of our ancient popular poetry, but reflected a lustre on the poetry of elder time by the exquisite delicacy and beautiful simplicity of his own compositions.

6

"I had certainly, my Lord, every reason imaginable to be gratified by the favourable opinion of a man of your character, whose literary merits have long stood high in the public esteem; and if I had followed my inclination I should certainly have answered your letter, as far as it depended upon me, immediately, by signifying, as I do now, my thankful acceptance of your polite offer of Grainger's MS. poems in your possession, and my readiness to co-operate with your Lordship in preparing a complete collection of his poetical works for a separate edition. But, in order to return your Lordship a satisfactory answer, it was necessary for me to prevail upon some bookseller to undertake the publication. This Î found a matter of some difficulty. From the times being so unfavourable to literary productions, and Grainger being, as your Lordship has observed, though an elegant, rather a retired writer, I could not prevail upon the booksellers here to engage in the undertaking, though I offered to furnish the materials, and to give my assistance, gratuitously. Having some time ago recommended to Mr. Mundell, printer to the University of Glasgow, the proprietor of the British Poets, a separate edition of The Sugar-Cane,' I again applied to him, stating the plan you suggested in the most encouraging manner; but being then, as he has been during the last two months, in London, he delayed giving me a final answer till his return to Scotland. The weight of Dr. Percy's name has at length determined him; and I have now the pleasure to inform your Lordship that he expresses his willingness to engage in the publication, upon the conditions that it shall not exceed two moderate duodecimo volumes, and that either your Lordship or I shall be responsible for the edition. I imagine there is no hazard in my agreeing to the first condition. With respect to the other, though I am sensible that there is no person living better qualified to perform the office of Grainger's biographer and editor than your Lordship, and that no employment could be more grateful or honourable to your feelings, at the distance of so many years, yet there may exist circumstances of delicacy connected with your episcopal character, which may induce your Lordship to decline it; in which case, though conscious of my inability for the task, I am willing, as my necessary avocations and a very delicate state of health may permit, to give a portion of my

not scruple to acknowledge every proper regard for the memory and writings of my friend, and will give every assistance to the edition for which, when Mr. Mundell desired one of us to be responsible, I suppose he meant that one of us should appear as editor; if so, your kindly stepping forward lays me under a particular obligation.

In the European Magazine for September 1798, page 192, the editor is promised the following poems of Dr. Grainger, from copies in his own hand-writing, viz. 1. Solitude; an Ode.

2. Cheerfulness; an Ode [which is printed]. 3. Fancy; an irregular Ode.*

4. An Address to the Evening Star.

5. The Imperfect Retreat.

6. Love; an Ode.

7. To the Nymph of P*** Waters."

Dr. ANDERSON to Bp. PERCY.

"MY LORD,

Heriot's Green, June 20, 1799.

"I seize with pleasure the opportunity of a gentleman of this place setting out for Dublin, to return your Lordship my acknowledgments for the favour of your truly acceptable and interesting letter, dated Feb. 21, from Dromore.

"Amidst much ill health, and the cares that daily press upon me, these acknowlegments would have been sooner made, had I not waited, for some time, in expectation of receiving, by some private conveyance, the copies of Grainger's MSS. and printed poems, which your Lordship deemed worthy of publication, with your corrections, &c.

"I waited also for the recovery of Mr. Paton from a tedious indisposition, in hopes of being able to give your Lordship some account of the Grangeriana in his possession. That worthy and communicative gentleman received your Lordship's remembrance with great satisfaction; and such at the time was his fancied activity, that he promised to send me, in a few days, every letter, &c. belonging to Grainger, with remarks on my account of his Life; but since that time (the beginning of March) the infirmities of age have increased so fast upon him, that he has never been able to exert himself sufficiently for that purpose. His very valuable and extensive collection is,

*Printed in European Mag. 1799, p. 405.

indeed, so ill arranged, that it is at all times difficult for him to produce what is in his possession. He is very feeble, but, as the warm season advances, I hope he will gain a little strength, and favour me with his recollections; yet, at the age of eighty, the most vigorous constitution cannot afford much hope.*

"I now regret that I did wait upon any account whatever, since to your Lordship I may seem to render an unworthy return for the amicable obligations you have conferred upon me.

"I am truly indebted to your Lordship for a friendly call I received some time ago from Dr. Trail, of Lisburne; who, while he gave me the assurance I wanted of your continuing to enjoy the blessings of health and domestic tranquillity, strengthened at the same time by his inquiries (a conviction I before entertained), that I had delayed these acknowledgements too long.

"I have, indeed, my Lord, been silent; but never for a moment insensible of your polite attention, nor un-mindful of the task I imposed upon myself of editing, with your assistance, the Works of Grainger at the Glasgow press.

"Upon mature reflection, I am still of opinion it would be creditable to your Lordship, and highly advantageous to the edition, that it comes out under your name, and with such an account of the author and his writings as you are best able to give; in which case, I profess my readiness to obey your instructions, to the utmost extent of my ability, with respect to the mode of printing it, and superintending it through the press. Mr. Mundell will risk the expence of an edition in two volumes small 8vo, but will promise nothing to the editor, but as many copies as he may choose to present to his friends. For the sake of Grainger, for the sake of literature, I wish your Lordship to be the editor; but if higher considerations, such as I formerly suggested, oppose my wishes, I urge them no further, but think myself honoured in being your coadjutor in doing justice to the memory of a worthy and ingenious man. At present my hands are pretty full: the revision of the Lives must be forwarded. I proceed progressionally through the old poets, but slowly, waiting for Malone's transcripts from Aubrey's MSS. Any additional notices respecting them, or the modern poets, especially your contemporaries, Shenstone, Jago, Goldsmith, War*Mr. George Paton died in May 1807, in his 87th year. LXXVII. 977. His library was sold by auction in 1809.

See Gent. Mag. (LXXIX, 348.)