dent refers, that was advanced by the Author himfelf for the eluci dation of this matter; but he might prefume, too far, that others, in general, were acquainted with the principles on which he founded his reafoning, and the theorem from which he deduced his calculation. R. Amicus is mistaken in afferting, that we never noticed the Theolo gical Repofitory. That refpectable work was recommended by us, at the time when the first volume was completed; and that it has not fince been farther noticed, has been owing not to neglect, but to accident. The rest of this gentleman's letter might eafily be answered; but we must not wafte, in fruitless altercations with unknown Correfpondents, (who, perhaps, have nothing to do) that precious TIME, which we find fcarce fufficient for the discharge of more important obligations. See Rev. Vol. xlii. p. 240. We are obliged to a Correfpondent for his obfervations and cautions with refpect to Macpherson's History and Papers; but he has no occafion to be alarmed. He will find, in the course of the Review, that we shall not omit fuch of his remarks as are well founded, and that we shall adhere to Revolution principles. In fome respects our unknown Friend carries his prejudices and alarms a good deal too far. It is idle to fuppofe that the Revolution is to be abhorred, because fome of its promoters might afterwards be treacherous. The Revolution stands firm on its own principles, and on the general voice and most valuable interests of the people at large; it ought not therefore to be impeached by the conduct of particular men. The continuations of Mr. Macpherson's late historical publications will be given in our next; as will, alfo, our account of Mr. Strutt's fecond volume of his Complete View of the Manners, &c. of the ancient English. The conclufion of our review of BRYANT'S SYSTEM has been delayed, on account of the indifpofition of the Gentleman to whom that Article was referred. +++ The Letter relating to the Imitations of Theophrafius came too late for a more particular acknowledgment this month. ** The Tracts relating to our present conteft with the Colonies, are, by accident, obliged to be deferred to the next month. ERRATA in last month's Review. P. 208, par. 3, 1. 16, for diforder or the understanding, r. diforder of the, &c. 249, 1. 6 from the bottom, for work, r. works. 257, par. 2. 1. 1, for infufficient, r. Sufficient +. This laft error only went through a part of the impreffion. K. THE MONTHLY REVIEW, For MA Y, 1775 ART. I. The Poems of Mr. Gray. To which are prefixed Memoirs of his Life and Writings. By William Mason, M. A. 155. Dodley. 1775 T 4to. HIS very ingenious and celebrated person, whose death is with fo much reafon regretted in the republic of letters, has left us farther to lament the fcarcity of his poetical remains. Here is little of that kind, befide what we have formerly taken notice of, to announce to the public. The whole collection is, for a Writer of Mr. Gray's poetical powers and propenfities, fingularly fmall. His mufe, though certainly the moft enthufiaftic admirer of nature, has gathered a mere nofegay from her breaft; an affemblage indeed of uncommon and highly favoured flowers, but it is in a wilderness of this kind that we wifh to range at large. Some amends, however, is made us by the attention of his friend and editor Mr. Mafon, to give us whatever was most valuable of his profe writings, confifting chiefly of his correspondence with his friends. This correfpondence begins at an early period, and is fo laid down in the MEMOIRS, as to exhibit a regular view of his genius and temper, his life and manners. These will not be fuppofed by any one in the leaft acquainted with the character and writings of Gray, to be of a common caft. They are quite otherwife. And though the pencil of friendship has thrown much into fhade, at the fame time that we see the great genius, we fee a man of fingularities almoft too violent for the commerce of society. His parents, fays the Editor, were reputable citizens of London. His grandfather a confiderable merchant: But his father, Mr. Philip Gray, though he alfo followed bufinefs, was of an indolent and referved temper; and therefore rather diminished than increased his paternal fortune. He had many children, of whom Thomas, the Vor. LII. fubject Сс fubject of thefe memoirs, was the fifth born. All of them, except him, died in their infancy; and I have been told that he narrowly escaped fuffocation, (owing to too great a fullness of blood which deftroyed the reft) and would certainly have been cut off as early, had not his mother, with a courage remarkable for one of her fex, and withal fo very tender a parent, ventured to open a vein with her own hand, which inftantly removed the paroxyfm. He was born in Cornhill, December the 26th, 1716; was educated at Eton school, under the care of Mr. Antrobus, his mother's brother, who was at that time one of the affiftant mafters. From thence he removed to St. Peter's College, Cambridge, where he was admitted a penfioner in the year 1734. While at fchool, he contracted a friendship with Mr. Horace Walpole and Mr. Richard Weft: the former of these appears, at prefent, with too much diAtinction in the literary, as well as fashionable world, to make it neceffary I fhould enlarge upon this fubject: but as the latter died before he could exert his uncommon abilities, it seems requifite to premise somewhat concerning him; efpecially as almost every anecdote which I have to produce, concerning the juvenile part of Mr. Gray's life, is included in his correfpondence with this gentleman. A cor. refpondence which continued, with very little interruption, for the Space of about eight years, from the time of their leaving school to the death of the accomplished youth in queftion. His father was Lord Chancellor of Ireland. His grandfather, by. the mother, the famous Bishop Burnet. He removed from Eton to Oxford, about the fame time that Mr. Gray left that place for Cambridge. Each of them carried with him the reputation of an excellent claffic fcholar; though I have been told that, at the time, Mr. Welt's genius was reckoned the more brilliant of the two: a judgment which, I conceive, was not well founded; for though Mr. Weft's part of that correspondence, which I fhall fpeedily give the reader, will undoubtedly fhew that he poffeft very extraordinary ta lents, yet, on Mr. Gray's fide, there feems fuperadded to these, such a manly precifion of tafte, and maturity of judgment, as would induce one to believe Mr. Walpole's phrafe not very hyperbolical, who has often afferted to me that," Gray never was a Boy." In April, 1738, Mr. Weft left Christ Church for the Inner Temple, and Mr. Gray removed from Peter-Houfe to Town the latter end of that year; intending alfo to apply himself to the study of the law in the fame fociety: for which purpofe his father had already either hired or bought him a fet of chambers. But on an invitation which Mr. Walpole gave him to be his companion in his travels, this intention was laid afide for the prefent, and never after put in execution.' The following letter from Gray to Weft is a true poetical foph's picture of a college life: You must know that I do not take degrees, and, after this term, fhall have nothing more of college impertinencies to undergo, which I truft will be fome pleasure to you, as it is a great one to me. I have endured lectures daily and hourly fince I came laft, fupported by the hopes of being fhortly at full liberty to give myfelf up to my friends 5 . friends and claffical companions, who, poor fouls! though I fee them fallen into great contempt with most people here, yet I cannot help fticking to them, and out of a fpirit of obstinacy (I think) love them the better for it; and indeed, what can I do elfe? Muft I plunge into metaphyfics? Alas, I cannot fee in the dark; nature has not furnished me with the optics of a cat. Muft I pore upon mathematics? Alas, I cannot fee in too much light; I am no eagle. It is very poffible that two and two make four, but I would not give four farthings to demonstrate this ever fo clearly; and if thefe be the profits of life, give me the amufements of it. The people I behold all around me, it seems, know all this and more, and yet I do not know one of them who infpires me with any ambition of being like him. Surely it was of this place, now Cambridge, but formerly known by the name of Babylon, that the prophet spoke when he faid, "the wild beafts of the defart shall dwell there, and their houses shall be full of doleful creatures, and owls fhall build there, and fatyrs fhall dance there; their forts and towers shall be a den for ever, a joy of wild affes; there fhall the great owl make her neft, and lay and hatch and gather under her fhadow; it fhall be a court of dragons; the fereech owl alfo fhall reft there, and find for herself a place of rest.” You fee here is a pretty collection of defolate animals, which is ve rified in this town to a tittle, and perhaps it may also allude to your habitation, for you know all types may be taken by abundance of handles; however, I defy your owls to match mine. If the default of your fpirits and nerves be nothing but the effect of the hyp, I have no more to fay. We all must submit to that wayward Queen, I too in no fmall degree own her sway, I feel her influence while I fpeak her power. But if it be a real diftemper, pray take more care of your health, if not for your own at least for our fakes, and do not be fo foon weary of this little world: I do not know what refined friendships you may have contracted in the other, but pray do not be in a hurry to fee your acquaintance above; among your terreftrial familiars, however, though I fay it that should not fay it, there pofitively is not one that has a greater esteem for you than Peterhouse, Dec. 1736. Yours moft fincerely, &c.' In a letter from Mr. Gray to Mr. Walpole, we may perceive the origin, and trace the history of fome ideas, afterwards introduced into the country church-yard. I was hindered in my last, and so could not give you all the trouble I would have done. The defcription of a road, which your coach wheels have fo often honoured, it would be needlefs to give you; fuffice it that I arrived safe at my uncle's, who is a great hun ter in imagination; his dogs take up every chair in the houfe, fo I am forced to ftand at this prefent writing; and though the gout forbids him galloping after them in the field, yet he continues ftill to regale his ears and nose with their comfortable noife and ftink. He holds me mighty cheap, I perceive, for walking when I fhould ride, and reading when I fhould hunt. My comfort amidst all this is, that I have at the distance of half a mile, through a green lane, a forest (the vulgar call it a common) all my own, at least as good as Cc 2 Lo, fo, for I fpy no human thing in it but myself. It is a little chaos of mountains and precipices; mountains, it is true, that do not afcend much above the clouds, nor are the declivities quite fo amazing as Dover cliff; but juft fuch hills as people who love their necks as well as I do may venture to climb, and craggs that give the eye as much pleasure as if they were more dangerous: both vale and hill are covered with most venerable beeches, and other very reverend vegetables, that, like most other antient people, are always dreaming out their old ftories to the winds, And as they bow their hoary tops relate, In murm'ring founds, the dark decrees of fate; Cling to each leaf and fwarm on every bough. At the foot of one of these squats me I, (Il penserofo) and there grow to the trunk for a whole morning. The timorous hare and fportive fquirrel gambol around me like Adam in Paradise, before he had an Eve; but I think he did not use to read Virgil, as I commonly do there. In this fituation I often converse with my Horace, aloud too, that is talk to you, but I do not remember that I ever heard you answer me. I beg pardon for taking all the converfation to myself, but it is entirely your own fault. We have old Mr. Southern at a gentleman's house a little way off, who often comes to fee us; he is now feventy-seven years old, and has almost wholly lost his memory; but is as agreeable as an old man can be, at least I perfuade myfelf fo when I look at him, and think of Isabella and Oroonoko. I fhall be in Town in about three weeks.' Adieu. September 1737. His fquatting at the foot of one of the venerable beaches, and growing to the trunk for a whole morning, together with his converfation with himself, are faithfully drawn in his own poetical picture: There at the foot of yonder nodding beach, That wreathes its old fantaftic roots fo high, Muttering his wayward fancies, he would rove. Mr. Gray had great excellence in Latin poetry, as a specimen of which we fhall present our readers with an elegant Saphic ode, which is the more curious as Mr. Mason informs us, it was the first voluntary production of his muse. It is addreft to his friend Mr. Weft, on their going together to the Temple. Barbaras ædes aditure mecum Quas Eris femper fovet inquieta, Dulcius quanto, patulis fub ulmi |