countered, and at which, I

been somewhat surprised.

suppose, that you have

I have a near relation in London, and a warm friend in General Cowper: he is also a person as able as willing to render me material service. I lately made him acquainted with my design of sending into the world a new Translation of Homer, and told him that my papers would soon attend him. He soon after desired that I would annex to them a specimen of the work. To this I at first objected, for reasons that need not be enumerated here, but at last acceded to his advice; and, accordingly, the day before yesterday I sent him a specimen. It consists of one hundred and seven lines, and is taken from the interview between Priam and Achilles in the last book. I chose to extract from the latter end of the poem, and as near to the close of it as possible, that I might encourage a hope in the readers of it, that if they found it in some degree worthy of their approbation, they would find the former parts of the work not less so For if a writer flags any where, it must be when he is near the end.

My subscribers will have an option given them in the proposals respecting the price. My prede◄ cessor in the same business was not quite so mode

rate.

You may say perhaps (at least if your kindness for me did not prevent it, you would

be ready to say)" It is well-but do you place yourself on a level with Pope?" I answer, or rather should answer- By no means-not as a poet; but as a translator of Homer if I did not expect and believe that I should even surpass him, why have I medIdled with this matter at all? If I confess inferiority, I reprobate my own undertaking."

When I can hear of the rest of the bishops that they preach and live as your brother does, I will think more respectfully of them than I feel inclined to do at present. They may be learned, and I know that some of them are, but your brother, learned as he is, has other more powerful recommendations. Persuade him to publish his poetry, and I promise you, that he shall find as warm and sincere an admirer in me as in any man that lives.

Yours, my dear friend,

Very affectionately,

W. C.

LETTER CII.

To the Revd. WALTER BAGOT.

MY DEAR AND FAITHFUL FRIEND,

*

Jan. 23, 1786.

The paragraph, that I am now beginning, will contain information of a kind, that I am not very fond of communicating, and on a subject, that I am not very fond of writing about. Only to you I will open my budget without reserve, because I know, that in what concerns my authorship you take an interest, that demands my confidence, and will be pleased with every occurrence. that is at all propitious to my endeavours. Lady Hesketh, who had she as many mouths as Virgil's Fame, with a tongue in each, would employ them all in my service, writes me word, that Dr. Maty of the Museum, has read my Task. I cannot even to you relate what he says of it, though. when I began this story, I thought I had courage enough to tell it boldly. He designs however to give his opinion of it in his next Monthly Review, and being informed that I was about to finish a translation of Homer, ask

ed her Ladyship's leave to mention the circumstance on that occasion. This incident pleases me the more, because I have authentic intelligence of his being a critical character, in all its forms, acute, sour, and blunt, and so incorruptible withal, and so unsusceptible of bias from undue motives, that, as my correspondent informs me, he would not praise his own Mother, did he not think she deserved it.

with

The said Task is likewise gone to Oxford, conveyed thither by an intimate friend of Dr. -, a purpose of putting it into his hands. what will they do with me at Oxford?

My friend,

Will they

burn me at Carfax, or will they anathematize me with bell, book, and candle? I can say, with more truth than Ovid did-Parve, nec invideo.

The said Dr.

has been heard to say, and I give you his own words, (stop both your ears while I utter them) "that Homer has never been translated, and that Pope was a fool." Very irreverend language to be sure, but in consideration of the subject on which he used them, we will pardon it, even in a dean One of the masters of Eton told a friend of mine lately, that a translation of Homer is much wanted. So now you have all my news.

Yours, my dear friend, cordially,

W. C.

LETTER CII.

To Lady HESKETH.

Olney, Jan. 31, 1786.

It is very pleasant, my dearest

Cousin, to receive a present, so delicately conveyed as that which I received so lately from Anonymous; but it is also very painful to have nobody to thank for it. I find myself therefore driven by stress of necessity to the following resolutions, viz. that I will constitute you my Thanks-receiver-general, for whatsoever gift I shall receive hereafter, as well as for those, that I have already received from a nameless benefactor. I therefore thank you, my Cousin, for a most elegant present, including the most elegant compliment that ever poet was honoured with; for a snuff-box of tortoise-shell, with a beautiful landscape on the lid of it, glazed with chrystal, having the figures of three hares in the fore-ground, and inscribed above with these words, The Peasant's Nest-and below with these-Tiney, Puss, and Bess. For all and every of these I thank you, and also for standing proxy on this occasion. Nor must I forget to thank you that so