with Mr. this's song, and Mr. t'other's epigram, into a pretty volume! I am sure Mason must be sensible of this, and therefore can never mean what he says. To be sure, Doctor, it must be owned, that physick, and indeed all professions, have a bad effect upon the mind. the mind. This it is my duty, and interest to maintain. But I shall still be very ready to write a satire upon the clergy, and an epode against historiographers, whenever you are hard-pressed: and (if you flatter me) may throw in a few lines with somewhat handsome, upon Magnesia alba, and Alicant-soap. As to humanity you know my aversion to it, which is barbarous and inhuman; but I cannot help it, God forgive me. I am not quite of your opinion, with regard to Strophe * and Antistrophe, setting aside the difficulties, methinks it has little or no effect upon the ear, which scarce perceives the regular return of metres, at so great a distance from one another. To make it succeed, I am persuaded the stanzas must not consist of above nine lines each at the most. Pindar has several such odes.

Lord Strathmore is come, and makes a tall genteel figure

* He often made the same remark to me in conversation, which led me to form the last Ode of Caractacus in shorter stanzas: But we must not imagine that he thought the regular Pindaric method without its use; though, as he justly says, when formed in long stanzas, it does not fully succeed in point of effect on the ear: For there was nothing which he more disliked than that chain of irregular stanzas which Cowley introduced, and falsely called Pindaric; and which from the extreme facility of execution, produced a number of miserable imitators. Had the regular return of Strophe, Antistrophe, and Epode no other merit than that of extreme difficulty, it ought on this very account, to be valued ; because we well know that "Easy writing is no easy reading." It is also to be remarked, that Mr. Congreve, who (though without any lyrical powers) first introduced the regular Pindaric form into the English language, made use of the short stanzas which Mr. Gray here recommends.- -See his Ode to the Queen Works, vol. III. p. 438, Ed. Birm. Mason.

in our eyes. His tutors and he appear to like one another mighty well. When we know more of him than his outside, you and the historian shall hear of it. I am going to ask a favour of you, which I have no better pretence for doing, than that I have long been used to give you trouble. It is that you would go to the London Insurance office, in Birchin-lane, for me, and pay two insurances; one of my house at Wanstead, (Policy, No. 9675.) the other of that in Cornhill (No. 23470.) from Lady-day next, to Lady-day 1756. The first is twenty shillings, the second, twelve shillings; and be pleased to enclose the two receipts (stamped) in a cover, and send them to me. The sooner the better, for I am always in a little apprehension, during this season of conflagrations. I know you will excuse me, and therefore will make no excuses. I cannot think of coming to town till some time in April, myself.

I know you have wrote a very obliging letter to Tuthill, but as I have not seen it, and he is not in my way at present, I leave him to answer for himself. Adieu, dear Sir, and make my compliments to your family.

I am ever yours,

T. G.

LETTER XLVII.

MR. GRAY TO DR. WHARTON.

Aug. 6, 1755.. Stoke.

DEAR DOCTOR,

I WAS just returned from my Hampshire* expedition, and going to enquire after your little family, and how they had got over the measles, when I found a letter from Stonehewer, in which he says nothing on that head, whence I conclude they are out of danger, and you free from anxiety about them. But he tells me you expect me in town, for which I am at a loss to account, having said nothing to that purpose, at least, I am sure nothing with that meaning. I said I was to go to Twickenham, and am now expecting a letter from Mr. Walpole, to inform me, when he shall be there. My stay will be at farthest a week with him, and at my return I shall let you know, and if the season be better than it now is, enquire, if you continue inclined to visit Windsor and its environs. I wished for you often on the Southern coast, where I have been, and made much the same tour that Stonehewer did before me. Take notice that the oaks grow quite down to the beach, and that the sea forms a number of bays little and great, that appear glittering in the midst of thick groves

*Mr. Gray went on the 15th of July, to Mr. Chute's at the Vine, from thence he went to Portsmouth, and returned to Stoke on the 31st of July, as appears by a journal which he kept.-Ed.

of them. Add to this the Fleet (for I was at Portsmouth two days before it sailed) and the number of vessels always passing along, or sailing up Southampton river, (which is the largest of these bays I mention) and enters about ten miles into the land, and you will have a faint idea of the South. From Fareham to Southampton, where you are upon a level with the coast, you have a thousand such peeps and delightful openings; but would you see the whole at once, you must get upon Ports-down, five miles upon this side Portsmouth. It is the top of a ridge that forms a natural terrass three miles long, literally not three times broader than Windsor-terrass, with a gradual fall on both sides, and covered with a turf like Newmarket. To the North, opens Hampshire and Berkshire, covered with woods, and interspersed with numerous gentlemen's houses and villages, to the South, Portsmouth, Gosport, &c. just at your foot in appearance, the Fleet, the sea winding and breaking in bays into the land, the deep shade of tall oaks in the enclosures, which become blue, as they go off to distance. Porchester-castle, Calshot-castle, and all the Isle of Wight, in which you plainly distinguish the fields, hedge-rows, and woods, next the shore, and a back ground of hills behind them. I have not seen a more magnificent or more varied prospect. I have been also at Tichfield, at Netly-abbey (a most beautiful ruin in as beautiful a situation) at Southampton, at Bevis-mount, at Winchester, &c. My gout is gone, but I am not absolutely well yet. I heard Mason was expected on Monday last, but was not to speak of it, therefore you will say nothing till you see him. I do not understand this; nor what he means by coming, it seems wrong to me. What did you think of the Morceau*

A copy of the first part of the Bard, but which, I am sorry to say, is not preserved among Dr. Wharton's MSS.-Ed.

I sent you. Pray speak your mind. My best compliments to Mrs. Wharton. Adieu.

I am ever yours,

T. G.

LETTER XLVIII.

MR. GRAY TO DR. WHARTON.

Stoke, Aug. 21, 1755.

DEAR DOCTOR,

INSTEAD of going to Twickenham I was obliged to send my excuses, and the same day Mr. Walpole sent a messenger to say he was confined in town with a fever, and a rash. He has since wrote me word, that he is well again. But for me, I continue much as I was, and have been but once out of the house to walk, since I returned from Hampshire. Being much inclined to bleeding myself, I yet was fearful to venture, lest it should bring on a regular fit of the gout, so I sent for advice at last, and expected Dr. Hayes should tell me presently whether it were Gout or Rheumatism; in his talk, he treated it rather as the former, but his prescription appears to me to be meant for the latter. You will judge, he took away 10 or 11 oz. of blood, and ordered these draughts night and morning. Sal. Absinth. Succ. Limon finitá effervescentiá add. Aqua. Alexit. Simpl. Menth. Piperit, Magnes. alb., Tinct. G. Guiac. Spirituos. The quantities I can't read; only I think there