NOTE THESE Letters are reproduced through the courtesy of the Library of Princeton University. The originals are inserted in a copy of the Strawberry Hill edition of Modern Gardening to which attaches a particular interest since this is undoubtedly the copy from the library of Thomas Kirgate, Walpole's printer. In the catalog of the Kirgate Collection sold on December 3rd, 1810, this item (No. 392) is listed as follows: "Nivernois on Modern Gardening by Horace It is evident from the elisions and one letter being unsigned, that they represent the original draughts written by Walpole; copies from which were sent to the Duke of Nivernois. The Publisher живо The painful Illness has been all my sime still I almost feel the mi un unhappiness of the Guilty on not having get attempted to express my Thank bas your Appcellence for the Flonour you have done me — but surely gove cannot have thought me intentionally culpable. If Illbreeding or Endo. lence neglect their Duty on receiving obligations, get Vanity is never grateful, it finds its own interest gratified in procïaiming the favours it receives. Youf Excelleme has done more for me than I could atchieve for mureit; you have made me speak the universal language would not a Carthaginian Author have been proud to have had his work familian ized at Prome by the Pen of Seipis? As qory have thing proved, M. le Luce, how perfectly you understand English, it would be very ungrateful in me to mangle your language in return and though on own will not furnish me with terms adequate to my sensations, I will not weaken them by turning them into French; yout Ballensalone can improve what you translate. My surprize, my satisfaction, at finding my own composition mate so agreeable an appearance, are not to be described. I was surprized, tho acquainted with the talents of the Duc de Nivernois: But tho I knew how eloquently he could express his own thoughts, could I imagine that he could transmute mine into gold too? — Oh! but I found as I proceeded, that he could effect much more, he could make Milton, our r great Milton, write is correct. I beautiful French verse as Boileau himselfin If I should have was ashamed that the successor of La Fontaine thrown away some valuable moments on translating me how much more did Fregret that those moments had not been employed on larger Versions of the beautiful Parts of Paradive Lost! Yes, Mr. le Duc Milton himself, when you meet inklyrium, will reproach you with not having made all Europe at quainted with his sublime Poetry _ and if he is just, he will confess that out hepationes could have accomplished what he failed in, you could have regained Paradise to all who do not understand English. There Reflexions have sometimes augmented, sometimes sosthed mysufferings for three weeks The verynight on which Mr. Büller delivered your invaluable present to me, I was forced to leave her abruptly from increase of pain, having been seized by the Gout three days before: and the selflove and impatience could not prevent my reading the whole the next morning, my hands have been ever since so swelled and incapable of conting, and my head so litte in a state of application for more than a few minutes at a time, that after begging Mt Buller to represent my misfortune, I preferred waiting till & could dictate a few lines for myselfe. as toush my jourdon You are so modest, M. le due What is it possible I should resent, but Your conferring an obligation, which Jean never return? A Jeweller case give husbeba rude stones by cutting them into Brilliants; but Brilliants can receive no farther splendour, and can owe nothing to any new sothing With equal condescension M. Le Que/ You give the leave to make corrections in Your Norsion of my Shorey. As a proof of my obedience, Faill point out the single passage in your Translation, in which, on the strictest comparison, Jean discover that you have not compleatly rendered my meaning. It is in p. 26, in there words, "heureusement Kent & quelques autres s'ont pas été tout à fait si timides, & nous pourrons à present monter & desecudre par des rampes on plein air." Jasked en Instead of the last phrase, I meant to say, sans quoi nous aurions encore aujourdhui à monter & a descendre par des campes en plein air. Your Excelleme will correct my Joench, if I have made myself understood. other There is one little alteration in the disposition of sny words, which, the no enor, makes me ojive an opinion which I didnot mean. I have said that Fountains and Expresses peculiarly Become Buildings; the Translationsays, les Fontaines eutourées de Représ_but the each separately are graceful ornaments to Architecture, I should not recommend the latter to surround the former. There slight changes are all that the partial eye of self love could wish made in so beautiful a Translation but that hyzes to be strictly just ought to point out several passages that have been improved and embellished by the Translator, but it would be writing a Commentary, not a letter, were I which to specify all the particulars. There are a few trifting grows in the notes, that inconformity to your selle's commands, I will mark Aledile In fp. 8, It should be said that Theobalds belonged to James the first, not James 2. P. g., Warwick Castle, is situated au bout de la Ville de Warwick. P. 14. Au lieu de, Quand mon Pere s'est marié, liver, Quand mon Toeref P. 31, Le Jardin demon Pere fut planté par M. repre il y a plus de soixante ans. R. 54. Lord. Nuneham is now Lord Harcourt. Park Place is near Hanley, not flatham. There, M. le Due, are all the changes Jean discover as necessary: unless perhaps. note were added towards the conclusion, to explain that the schöngy is but part of a larger work on Painting, or else the Ascapitulation seems to have nothing to do with the History of Gardening. I wish the Duc de Nivernois would baptine the new Style bez a simple Form. Fronfest I could never please myself with one. I have suggested one for a Designer of Modern Gardens, and which has been approved, and will suit as well in French and English. To dis Inowish him from the Gardiner, Iwould call him Gardenist, in French Jardiniste. I fear I have said too much, the Jean never satisfy myself or think I have suffiriently expressed mug gratitude for the honour I have received at how unseasonable is Vanity when once the bridle is thrown on its neck! Can it resist to natural an impulse as that of wishing that this charming Translation was published? __ _But no! it would be presumption to hope it when the Author of so many exquisite Frables still with holds |