and little skilled in amusing themselves or other people. All I can say is, she must try to make up for it among the men, who are not over-agreeable neither. I much approve of your settling seriously to your profession; but as your father is old, if you should lose him, what becomes of your interest, and to whom is it then to be transferred? Would you leave London and your practice again to canvass an election for yourself? It seems to me, that if you execute your present scheme, you must (in case of Mr. Wharton's death) entirely lay aside all views of that kind. The gradual transition you propose to make through Bath or Cambridge to London, is very well judged, and likely enough to succeed. For Bath, I am wholly unacquainted with it, and therefore can say little to the purpose. The way of life there, might be more amusing to Mrs. Wharton, than this; but to you, I think, would be less satisfactory. I sincerely congratulate you on the good effects of your new medicine, which is indeed a sufficient recompense for any pains you have taken in that study. But to make a just trial of its efficacy, and of your own constitution, you certainly ought to pass a little time at London, (a month or so.)*

Our good Mr. Brown goes out of his office to day, of which he is not a little glad. His college which had much declined for some time, is picking up again: they have had twelve admissions this year; and are just filling up two fellowships with a Mr. Cardell, whom I do not know, but they say he is a good scholar; and a Mr. Delaval, a Fellow Commoner (a younger son to old Delaval of Northumberland) who has taken a degree in an exemplary manner, and is very sensible and knowing. The appeal, which has been so long contended for, will, I believe, at last be yielded to with a good grace; or rather bestowed, by the advice of the D. of Newcastle, and

my Lord Ch", and will be the best, the most popular thing they can do. But you must not mention it, till it is actually done. I am sorry your friend Chapman will lose all the merit of his pamphlet, which (by the way) has been answered exceedingly well, and with all due contempt. He seems much mortified, and was preparing a reply, but this event I doubt will cut him short.

I know of nothing new in the literary way, but the history of Lewis 14th by Voltaire; not that I have yet seen it, but my expectations are much raised. Adieu, my dear Wharton,

Most truly yours,

T. G.

P. S. I am ready to pay my debts, if you will tell me to whom. My compliments and good wishes to Mrs. Wharton and the little gentry.

[Oct. 10, 1750.]

LETTER XXV.

MR. GRAY TO MR. WALPOLE.

Cambridge, Feb. 11, 1751.

AS you have brought me into a little sort of distress, you must assist 'me, I believe, to get out of it as well as I can. Yesterday I had the misfortune of receiving a letter from

certain gentlemen (as their bookseller expresses it), who have taken the Magazine of Magazines into their hands: They tell me that an ingenious Poem, called reflections in a Country Churchyard, has been communicated to them, which they are printing forthwith; that they are informed that the excellent author of it is I by name, and that they beg not only his indulgence, but the honour of his correspondence, &c. As I am not at all disposed to be either so indulgent, or so correspondent, as they desire, I have but one bad way left to escape the honour they would inflict upon me; and therefore am obliged to desire you would make Dodsley print it immediately (which may be done in less than a week's time) from your copy, but without my name, in what form is most convenient for him, but on his best paper and character; he must correct the press himself, and print it without any interval between the stanzas, because the sense is in some places continued beyond them; and the title must be,Elegy, written in a Country Church-yard. If he would add a line or two to say it came into his hands by accident, I should like it better. If you behold the Magazine of Magazines in the light that I do, you will not refuse to give yourself this trouble on my account, which you have taken of your own accord before now. If Dodsley do not do this immediately, he may as well let it alone.

LETTER XXVI.

MR. GRAY TO MR. WALPOLE.

Ash-Wednesday, Cambridge, 1751.

MY DEAR SIR,

YOU have indeed conducted with great decency my little misfortune: you have taken a paternal care of it, and expressed much more kindness than could have been expressed from so near a relation. But we are all frail; and I hope to do as much for you another time.

Nurse Dodsley has given it a pinch or two in the cradle, that (I doubt) it will bear the marks of as long as it lives. But no matter: we have ourselves suffered under her hands before now; and besides, it will only look the more careless and by accident as it were. I thank you for your advertisement, which saves my honour, and in a manner bien flatteuse pour moi, who should be put to it even to make myself a compliment in good English.

You will take me for a mere poet, and a fetcher and carrier of sing-song, if I tell you that I intend to send you the beginning of a drama,* not mine, thank God, as you will believe, when you hear it is finished, but wrote by a person whom I have a very good opinion of. It is (unfortunately) in the manner

*This was the Elfrida of Mr. Mason.

of the ancient drama, with choruses, which I am to my shame the occasion of; for, as great part of it was at first written in that form, I would not suffer him to change it to a play fit for the stage, and as he intended, because the lyric parts are the best of it, they must have been lost. The story is Saxon, and the language has a tang of Shakespear, that suits an old-fashioned fable very well. In short I don't do it merely to amuse you, but for the sake of the author, who wants a judge, and so I would lend him mine: yet not without your leave, lest you should have us up to dirty our stockings at the bar of your house, for wasting the time and politics of the nation. Adieu, Sir!

I am ever yours,

T. GRAY.

LETTER XXVII.

MR. GRAY TO ME. WALPOLE.

Cambridge, March 3d, 1751.

ELFRIDA (for that is the fair one's name) and her author are now in town together. He has promised me, that he will send a part of it to you some morning while he is there; and (if you shall think it worth while to descend to particulars) I should be glad you would tell me very freely your opinion about it; for he shall know nothing of the matter, that is not fit for the ears of a tender parent-though by the way, he has