LETTER LXIV.

MR. GRAY TO DR WHARTON.

Stoke, Sept. 7, 1757.

DEAR DOCTOR,

I AM greatly obliged to your care and kindness for considering with more attention than it deserves, the article of my health; at present I am far better, and take long walks again, have better spirits, and am more capable of amusement. The offer you make me of your lodgings for a time I should gladly embrace, both for the sake of seeing you, and for variety, and because it will answer another end, by furnishing me with a reason for not going into the country to a place where I am invited, (I think, you understand me). But the truth is, I cannot afford to hurry about from place to place; so I shall continue where I am, and trust to illness, or some other cause for an excuse, since to that place, I am positive, I will not go. It ⚫ hurts me beyond measure, that I am forced to make these excuses, but go I cannot, and something must be said. These are cruel things!

The family you mention near me, are full as civil as ever; Miss Speed seems to understand; and to all such as do not, she says-Qwvárra σUVETO-in so many words. And this is both my motto and comment. I am afraid you mistake Mr. Roper's complaisance for approbation. Dr. Brown (I hear) says, they

are the best Odes in our language. Mr. Garrick, the best in our's, or any other. I should not write this immodest panegyrick, did not you guess at the motive of their applause. Lord Lyttleton and Mr. Shenstone admire, but wish they were a little clearer. Lord Barrington's explanation, I think, I told you before, so will not repeat it. Mr. Fox thinks, if the Bard sung his song but once over, King Edward could not possibly understand him. Indeed I am of his opinion, and am certain, if he had sung it fifty times, it was impossible the king should know a jot the more about Edward the III., and Queen Elizabeth, and Spencer, and Milton, &c. ** Mr. Wood (Mr. Pitt's Wood) is disappointed in his expectations. Dr. Akenside criticises opening a source with a key. The Critical Review you have seen, or may see. He is in raptures (they say, it is Professor Franklin) but mistakes the Æolian Lyre, for the Harp of Eolus, and on this mistake founds a compliment and a criticism. This is, I think, all I have heard, that signifies.

The Encyclopedia, I own, may cloy one, if one sits down to it. But you will own, that out of one great good dinner, a number of little good dinners may be made, that would not cloy one at all. There is a long article sur le Beau, that for my life, I cannot understand. Several of the geographical

*From a Note communicated to me by my friend Mr. Boswell, I find that

on the 29th June, 1757, Gray received Forty Guineas for his two Odes.-Ed.

+ Thine too these golden keys, immortal boy,

This can unlock the gates of joy,

Of horror that, and thrilling fears,

'Or ope the sacred source of sympathetic tears.'

Progress of Poetry, III. 1. v. 91.

See Critical Review, Vol. VII. p. 31..

:

articles are carelessly done, and some of the Antiquities or Ancient History.

My best compliments to Mrs. Wharton; I hope the operation going forward on your children will succeed to your wishes. Adieu, Dear Sir, and believe me,

Ever yours,

T. G.

This letter is to yourself only; our best Mason, I suppose you

know is in town, and in waiting. Do

you know any thing

of Stonehewer? pray desire Mason to repeat an Epigram to

you.

LETTER LXV..

MR. GRAY TO MR MASON.

Stoke, Sept. 28, 1757.

I HAVE (as I desired Mr. Stonehewer to tell you) read over Caractacus twice, not with pleasure only, but with emotion. You may say what you will; but the contrivance, the manners, the interests, the passions, and the expression, go beyond the dramatic part* of your Elfrida, many many leagues. I

* In the manuscript now before him, Mr. Gray had only the first Ode, the others were not then written; and although the dramatic part was brought to a conclusion,

even say (though you will think me a bad judge of this) that the World will like it better. I am struck with the Chorus, who are not there merely to sing and dance, but bear throughout a principal part in the action; and have (beside the Costume, which is excellent) as much a character of their own, as any other person. I am charmed with their priestly pride and ob stinacy, when, after all is lost, they resolve to confront the Roman General, and spit in his face. But now I am going to tell you what touches me most from the beginning. The first opening is greatly improved: the curiosity of Didius is now a very natural reason for dwelling on each particular of the scene before him; nor is the description at all too long. I am glad to find the two young men are Cartismandua's sons. They interest me far more. I love people of condition. They were men before that nobody knew: one could not make them a bow if one had met them at a public place.

I always admired that interruption of the Druids to Evelina, Peace, virgin, peace, &c. and chiefly the abstract idea personified (to use the words of a Critic) at the end of it. That of Caractacus, Would save my Queen, &c. and still more that, I know it, reverend Fathers, 'tis Heav'n's high will, &c. to I've done, begin the rites! This latter is exemplary for the expression (always

yet it was afterwards in many places altered. He was mistaken with regard to the opinion the world would have about it. That world, which usually loves to be led in such matters, rather than form an opinion for itself, was taught a different sentiment; and one of its leaders went so far as to declare, that he never knew a second work fall so much below a first from the same hand. To oppose Mr. Gray's judgment to his, I must own gives me some satisfaction; and to enjoy it I am willing to risk that imputation of vanity, which may probably fall to my share for having published this Letter. I must add, however, that some of my friends advised it for the sake of the more general criticisms which they thought too valuable to be suppressed.Mason.

the great point with me); I do not mean by expression, the mere choice of words, but the whole dress, fashion, and arrangement of a thought. Here, in particular, it is the brokenness, the ungrammatical position, the total subversion of the period that charms me. All that ushers in the incantation from Try we yet, what holiness can do, I am delighted with in quite another way; for this is pure poetry, as it ought to be, forming the proper transition, and leading on the mind to that still purer poetry that follows it.

In the beginning of the succeeding act I admire the Chorus again, Is it not now the hour, the holy hour, &c. and their evasion: of a lie, Say'st thou, proud Boy, &c. and sleep with the unsunn'd silver, which is an example of a dramatic simile. The sudden appearance of Caractacus, the pretended respect and admiration of Vellinus, and the probability of his story, the distrust of the Druids, and their reasoning with Caractacus, and particularly that, 'Tis meet thou should'st, thou art a King, &c. and Mark me, Prince, the time will come, when Destiny, &c. are well, and happily imagined. A-propos, of the last striking passage I have mentioned, I am going to make a digression.

When we treat a subject, where the manners are almost lost in antiquity, our stock of ideas must needs be sinall; and nothing betrays our poverty more, than the returning to, and harping frequently on, one image. It was therefore I thought you should omit some lines before, though good in themselves, about the scythed car, that the passage now before us might appear with greater lustre when it came; and in this I see you have complied with me. But there are other ideas here and there still, that occur too often, particularly about the Oaks, some of which I would discard to make way for the rest.