ney to one still newer. The settle-satisfaction to tell you, that all the ment of the court and ministry is family are well at Prior Park, which yet perhaps as little known to them-I have the pleasure to believe is more selves as to us. All depends upon agreeable to you to know, than any the disposition of a new king, who thing I could tell you from the great is always the darling of the people, world; that is, from this great conand who suffer him to do all he geries of vice and folly. pleases: as he grows stale, they suf fer him to do nothing which they can hinder him from doing. or I. Sherlock was much more to blame for not letting his chaplain understand early that he was a blockhead I received a kind letter from Mr. by birth, than the chaplain for not Yorke. He talks still of the chapter giving his master the late intelligence of accidents with regard to Lincoln's that his parts were decayed by time; Inn. As we are turning over a new because the bishop, with all his inleaf, that chapter of accidents may firmities of age, could see the one; be at the beginning. They talk but his chaplain, at his best, could of changes in the law: but they, never find out the other. who talk, know just as much as you The Poem on the Death of a Lady I had communicated to me by lord You shall hear from me again Holderness. You may be sure I when I get to town, and have seen a did not slip that opportunity of little of the carte du pais. saying to the patron all that was fitMr. Allen and family follow me in ting of the author and his poem. He a week or fortnight. He goes to re-considered what I said as flattering new his contract with the govern- to himself, for he acquainted our ment. My wife, I fancy, will stay friend that he had shown me the pobehind, the Bath waters being now em; as I understand by a letter I very necessary for the perfect re-es- have received from Aston, pretty tablishment of her health. much to the same purpose with the Dr. Balguy is much recovered, account I had from you of that matter. and will leave Bath in a week or In asking after addresses, you ask fortnight: but to return at spring. after those ephemera, or water-flies, He goes to Winchester; from thence whose existence, the naturalists tell to his mother's: and from her, in us, is comprised within the compass March, back to Bath. His route lies of a summer's day. Indeed, these near you. winter-flies have a still shorter date. All here are tolerably well, and Into what dark regions mine is retirentirely yours. With what affection ed, with the rest, I don't know. But I am so, you know: with what ef- if you would amuse yourself with fect, God knows. But his provi- my thoughts, for sixpence you may dence, which brought us together, have my Discourse on the Lord's will keep us together. For the rest, Supper; for, as small as the price is, caliginosa nocte premit.* LETTER CVI. Grosvenor Square, Jan. 6, 1761. I AM here alone, and have been so this fortnight. But I have the *It is hidden in darkness. * it is too big to send you in my frank. On this occasion, I will tell you what (though perhaps I may have told it you before) I said in the drawing-room to a knot of courtiers in the old king's time. One chanced to say, he heard the king was not * The Address of the Bishop and Clergy of the Diocess of Gloucester.-H. well. Hush, said colonel Robin-¡made a right use of the best tidings son; it is not polite or decent to talk that ever came from Heaven; I in this manner; the king is always mean, to increase good-will towards well and in health; you are never men. to suppose that the diseases of his Your lordship will take a guess, subjects ever approach his royal per- from the sermonic cast of this senson. I perceive then, colonel, repli- tence, at my late employment.— ed I, there is some difference be- Though I am not likely to be called tween your master and mine. Mine upon in this way, I know not what was subject to all human infirmities, led me to try my hand at a popular sin excepted: yours is subject to sermon or two: I say popular, benone, sin excepted. But as concern- cause the subjects and manner of ing my Discourse, it is assuredly or- handling are such, but not of the thodox so says the archbishop of sort that are proper for my LeicesterCanterbury; and that I have demo- shire people. To what purpose I lished both Hoadly and Bossuet: for have taken this trouble, your lordship “Tis the same rope at either end they twist." may one day understand. For you, who are my example and guide in The archbishop did not say this, but these exercises, must also be my Mr. Pope. However, the archbishop judge. If you blame, I may learn says, what you are likely enough to to write better: if you approve, I say after him—that the people, for shall require no other theatre. But whom I intend this edition, are not when does your lordship think to inlikely to profit much by it. struct us on this head, in the Address Decay of parts all must have, if to your Clergy? Certainly, the comnot feel, poets as well as priests: mon way of sermonizing is most and it is true, what was told you, wretched: neither sense, nor_elothat Voltaire has lately given evi- quence; reason, nor pathos. Even dence to this truth. What you say our better models are very defective. of this poet's turn would make an I have lately turned over Dr. Clarke's excellent note to-But, sage histori- large collection, for the use of my ans, 'tis your part, &c. and perhaps parish; and yet, with much altering, shall do so. and many additions, I have been able God bless you; and, when you to pick out no more than eight or ten write next, let me know how your that I could think passable for that good mother does; that is, whether purpose. He is clear and happy her health continues such as not to increase your cares and anxieties. LETTER CVII. Mr. Hurd to the Bishop of Glou cester. Thurcaston, Dec. 25, 1761. enough in the explication of Scripture; but miserably cold and lifeless; no invention, no dignity, no force; utterly incapable of enlarging on a plain thought, or of striking out new ones: in short, much less of a genius than I had supposed him. 'Tis well you have not my doings before you, while I am taking this liberty with my betters. But, as I THOUGH I troubled your lordship said, your lordship shall one day have with a letter not long since, yet you it in your power to revenge this flipwill perhaps excuse my appearing pancy upon me. before you, at this time, with my Your lordship has furnished me Christmas salutations: a good old with a good part of my winter's encustom, which shows our forefathers tertainment, I mean by the books you recommended to me. I have much as a various reading, I should read the Political Memoirs of Abbé rather say, speaking? Put all this St. Pierre. I am much taken with together, and if Fingal be not a forgethe old man honest and sensible; ry convict, all I have to say is, that full of his projects, and very fond of the sophists have a fine time of it. them; an immortal enemy to the They may write, and lie on, with glory of Louis XIVth, I suppose, in perfect security. And yet has this part from the memory of his disgrace prodigy of North-Britain set the in the academy, which no French- world agape. Mr. Gray believes in man could ever forget; in short, it and without doubt this Scotsman like our Burnet, of some importance may persuade us, by the same arts, to himself, and a great talker. These, that Fingal is an original poem, as I think, are the outlines of his cha- another employed to prove that Milracter. I love him for his gene-ton was a plagiary. But let James rous sentiments, which in a church- Macpherson beware the consequence. man of his communion are the more Truth will out, they say, and then— commendable, and indeed make "Qui Bavium non odit, amet tua carmina, amends for the lay-bigotry of Mr. Mævi."* Crevier. My dear lord, excuse this rhapsody, which I write currente calamo; and I have by accident got a sight of this mighty Fingal. I believe I mentioned my suspicions of the Frag- let me hear that your lordship, Mrs. ments: they are ten-fold greater of Warburton, and the dear boy, are this epic poem. To say nothing of perfectly well. I think to write by the want of external evidence, or, this post to Mr. Allen. LETTER CVIII. The Bishop of Gloucester to Mr. Prior Park, Dec. 27, 1761. LET me wish you (as we all do) all the happiness that goodness can derive from this season. which looks still worse, his shuffling over in such a manner the little evidence he pretends to give us, every page appears to me to afford internal evidence of forgery. His very citations of parallel passages bear against him. In poems of such rude antiquity, there might be some flashes of genius. But here they are continual, and clothed in very classical expression. Besides, no images, no sentiments, but what are matched in The honour this country derives other writers, or may be accounted from the duke of York's visit can hardfor from usages still subsisting, or ly compensate the bad news of a Spawell known from the story of other nish war, which puts the city of Lonnations: in short, nothing but what don in a consternation. This event does honour to Mr. Pitt's sagacity, the enlightened editor can well exand the wisdom of his advice upon plain himself. Above all, what are we to think of a long epic poem, it. Whether this war, which was posed, in form, into six books, with foreseen by nobody to be inevitable a beginning, middle, and end, and but by him, can be successfully maenlivened, in the classic taste, with naged by any body but by him, time episodes? Still this is nothing. What must show; for I would not pretend are we to think of a work of this to be wiser than our teachers, I length, preserved and handed down mean, the news-writers, who refer all to us entire, by oral tradition, for * He who does not hate Bavius, will love your 1400 years, without a chasm, or so verses, Mævius; dis I have been both too ill and too lazy to finish my Discourse on the Holy Spirit. Not above half of it is yet printed. My Discourse on the Holy Spirit I doubtful cases, as the Treasury does press; and he desires, when they all desperate payments, to time.- come out, I would send them to him The best thing which time (since I in covers. wrote last) has brought to pass, is Sterne has published his fifth and the advancement of Mr. Yorke to be sixth volumes of Tristram. They are attorney-general. I would have you, wrote pretty much like the first and by all means, write him your compli- second; but whether they will rements upon it; for, with a high va- store his reputation as a writer with lue, he has a great friendship for you. the public, is another question. The What you say of Hume is true: and fellow himself is an irrecoverable (what either I said in my last, or in-scoundrel. tended to say) you have taught him to write so much better, that he has grows upon me, especially in the latthoroughly confirmed your system. ter part, about the Methodists, which is the part I could have wished would have grown the least. But a wen grows faster than sound flesh. have yet printed off but 72 pages. I have been extremely entertained I think the booksellers have an inwith the wars of Fingal. It can be tention of employing Baskerville to no cheat, for I think the enthusiasm print Pope in 4to.; so they sent me of this specifical sublime could hard- the last octavo to look over. I have ly be counterfeit. A modern writer added the enclosed to the long note would have been less simple and uni- in the beginning of the Rape of the form. Thus far had I written when Lock, in answer to an impertinence your letter of Christmas-day came to of Joseph Warton. When you have hand; as you will easily understand perused it, you will send it back. by my submitting to take shame upon I have sometimes thought of colme, and assuring you, that I am ful- lecting my scattered anecdotes and ly convinced of my false opinion de- critical observations together, for the livered just above concerning Fingal. foundation of a Life of Pope, which I did not consider the matter as I the booksellers tease me for. If I ought. Your reasons for the forgery do that, all of that kind must be are unanswerable. And of all these struck out of the notes of that edireasons, but one occurred to me, the tion. You could help me nobly to want of external evidence; and this, fill up the canvass. I own, did shock me. But you have waked me from a very pleasing dream; and made me hate the impostor, which is the most uneasy sentiment of our waking thoughts. LETTER CIX. The Bishop of Gloucester to Mr. Grosvenor Square, March, 1765. My dearest friend, I am much pleased with what you tell me of a set of sermons ad populum, I mean to people of condition. For nature formed you for, and providence will bring you to, another You say true, I have a tenderness theatre. Your judgment of Clarke in my temper which will make me is, like your other judgments of men, miss poor Stukeley; for, not to say perfectly exact and true. that he was one of my oldest ac I received a letter from Mason of quaintance, there was in him such a the 14th, and he tells me news-that mixture of simplicity, drollery, ab your Letters on Chivalry are in the surdity, ingenuity, superstition, and VOL. IV. Nos. 59 & 60. antiquarianism, that he often afforded will please neither party. I was born me that kind of well-seasoned repast, to please no party. But what of which the French call an ambigu, I that? In matters of moral conduct, it suppose from a compound of things is every honest man's chief concern never meant to meet together. I to please himself. LETTER CX.. The Bishop of Gloucester to Mr. have often heard him laughed at by fools, who had neither his sense, his P. S. When you have done with knowledge, nor his honesty; though, it, send it back. it must be confessed, that in him they were all strangely travestied. Not a week before his death, he walked from Bloomsbury to Grosve nor Square, to pay me a visit: was cheerful as usual, and as full of literary projects. But his business was (as he heard Geekie was not likely to continue long) to desire I would give him the earliest notice of his I KNEW you to be a wise man ; death, for that he intended to solicit but not so wise as I find you; and for his prebend of Canterbury, by therefore two or three days ago I lord Chancellor and lord Cardigan. wrote you a letter, directed to your "For," added he, "one never dies chambers in Lincoln's Inn, which I the sooner, you know, for seeking suppose they will send you. You preferment." have done perfectly right in delegat My dear friend, February, 1767. You have had a curiosity, which I ing Lincoln's Inn, this term, to your never shall have, of reading Leland's assistant. Millar has just left me; Second Thoughts. I believe what and I have ordered him to write to you say; they are as nonsensical as Cadell, to send you a copy of the his first. Sermons into Leicestershire. It is as you say of Percy's Ballads. I shall put off my journey to GlouPray is this the man who wrote about cester, and visitation, to suit your the Chinese ? Antiquarianism is, leisure. I am now thinking more indeed, to true letters, what specious seriously of my last volume of the funguses are to the oak; which ne- Divine Legation, and my mornings at ver shoot out and flourish till all the present are amused with it. I have vigour and virtue of that monarch given a key to some material things of the grove be effete, and near ex-in it, in one of these sermons; and hausted. some dissertations in others, that will I envy the meeting of you three be resumed when I publish (if I live at Thurcaston; while I am confined to publish it) the last volume of that here to the assemblies of pride and work. In the mean time, nothing dulness. can do me more honour than what I did mention to you, I think, the you say of your sermonizing. insult committed on the head of the With regard to the many Harmosupreme court of justice. The nies-I have used none, nor read abuse was extreme, and much felt; any; but I imagine that Le Clerc's generally resented, but I believe by and Toinard's must be the best; the nobody more than by me, as you will last of which Mr. Locke speaks highsee by the enclosed. I have made ly of. what I had to say, on that head, the As to our friend Balguy, I not conclusion of my dedication.* It long since received a letter from him from Cambridge, where he proposed *To lord Mansfield.-H. |