upon our old stores of Greek and Latin, with now " and then a little relish of Hebrew*.

"13 Oct. 1777. Mount Ararat.

«*** The magnetical apparatus furnished at "the Pantheon, like other public establishments, "cannot escape from the liberty of the subject. "Besides the pertinacious Viscount-Nairne, Philosophical-instrument-maker, and lately

"a

"F. R. S. has entered into the controversy.

"MRS. WRAY assisted at one debate between "him and Wilson, extremely polemic,

"Tradidit mundum disputationibus rerum,

"as the Vulgate has it. Every thing is a bone of dispute; though we are told this question between sharp and blunt points at last has been closed by "the highest of all authorities.

66

"A robbery in Hyde Park at noon-day-and a "safe gallop between Shelburne and Devonshire "walls, must have certainly found their place in Sir "Richard Baker's Chronicle.

"Yesterday several persons who had been saved "from drowning were at Richmond church, and the "Patrons of that Charity with them; where, after a pathetic sermon by an eloquent young Scotch"man §, more than 50l. were collected."

"P.S. The Royal conductors are all of them "reformed, from points to knobs."

* How pleasing it is to see this picture of two such men, so accomplished, so virtuous, and so happy, after a mutual attachment of near half a century, united in friendship, and pursuing together objects of literature, with a zeal of taste, and a full command of their intellectual powers!

+ Lord Viscount Mahon, the present Earl Stanhope.

The King.

The Rev. Colin Milne, D. D. He died Oct. 2, 1815, æt. 72. See Gent. Mag. vol. LXXXV. p. 381.

Sept. 30, 1780. "Many thanks to Lord Hardwicke for the verses, "and the dispatch from Vienna.

"Monsignor Nunzio writes characters like any "Sallust, or Paterculus; and must be a great wit, "because he disdains to be read. It was, after deep "study, and recourse to Dictionaries, that he was "decyphered-the Bishop of Monte-Fiascone and "Corneto."

"*** To-day's Gazette is a cordial which I " hope will give us a fillip*. You will, I am sure, "allow me to feel a particular satisfaction from the renown acquired by the son of my two old and "good friends, Lord, and Lady Cornwallis.

"But your Lordship is, I dare say, casting your "political, and shrewd eye towards the Continent.

"The Bavarian succession opens a wide scene "for the chicane of the German Publicists. "There are, who say the Courts at Vienna, and Ber"lin have agreed to share it à la Polonaise.

"Many thanks to your Lordship and Lady Grey "for a huge packet of brochures. More thanks for "the addition of such curious, and MS observations "in the margin- - rare amusement for these long, "dark, asthmatic days. I could scarce abstain from "the return of a suitable compliment in verse for "one of the notes, which has been so flattering to me. It is the fashion of the day. The Dedication, Proëm, Narration, &c. are out of my head; "but it would have ended thus:

"But when my prose, my verse, my politics, "Have passed to Lethe from the banks of Styx, "The debt of authors to the earth discharging, "I can yet live in H[ardwicke]'s scribbled margin.” "The nicer critics observe here a little reminis"cence of the celebrated answer by Mr. P. to the "Noble Bard."

* Earl Cornwallis's victory at Camden in America.

MR.

[No date.]

"MR. WRAY presents his compliments to Lord "Hardwicke, and returns the Memoires de Trévoux. "The verses do certainly come in, and go out, most "awkwardly in the Epistle to Florus, and the two parts, which are separated by them, join well together.

"Heinsius would insert them in a part of the Epistle to Augustus, where they would ruin the ❝ connexion. They are by no means wanted "where Boivin would put them in, after Scribimus indocti, &c. Their end indeed connects well "enough with what follows, Hic error tamen, &c.; " rather too well, I think, too nicely, for the gene"ral manner of Horace's junctions, and transitions. "The si vacat, and the ædem I cannot allow to "require the person of Augustus.

“In the Fragment itself are several hardnesses, and "inconsistencies; so indeed there are in several of the "Sermones, only perhaps to be helped by the secret history of the Court of Augustus; the materials " for which, I doubt, are beyond the reach of Messrs. Brecquigny, and Astle.

66

"The French critics, who are beat out of the mere, "and literal criticism by the Dutch, and by the "English, have taken to that of the sense, have "aimed at these transpositions, and insertions, parti"cularly Sanadon, but they have not been followed. "Nothing can be more improbable, more un"Antiquarian, than every one of the readings for "Faustina's Coin. I am surprized to find P. "Tormenini's* name to one of them. He was "ultimus Romanorum, the last philosopher amongst "the Jesuits-in France at least.

"Scholars unused to Coins, and Inscriptions make "wretched work of it, when laying their profane "hands upon them. Practice in the subject is indispensable to sound criticism in that sphere."

* Q. this name?

I have thus closed what I have not the disingenerous assurance to call my labours, for they have been amusements, and pleasures.

As the Copyist of these Letters in the Second Part of the Memoirs, I have abstained from comments, or explanatory notes; and the variety of the Author's materials, which is no less pleasing, than singular, at so advanced an age, either precluded any such aid of mine, by dispensing with it, or left the apparent obscurity, of trivial importance.

My object has been, throughout the selection, to mark the kind, and persevering attachments of his benevolent intercourse with his friends; but, above all, with his Patron;-his flowing wit-his fund of learning and shrewdness of intellect-his entertaining peculiarities-the wonderful compass of his memory-and his command of style. Though in such a copious detail I may be accused of an overwhelming prolixity, I can assure my Readers, that I have been upon my guard in mercy to them, have suspected my own prepossessions, and have suppressed, with pain of self-denial, many interesting relicks of his genius, and virtue.

Letters, in the usual intercourse of life, are fallacies, if they are called in, as proving either characters, or opinions. But the Letters now before us, like those of Tully to Atticus, or of Gray, and Cowper, are like soliloquies overheard, and make the writer breathe in his posthumous image.

Yours very faithfully,

G. HARDINGE.

!