side; as many, I suppose, as ever had an opportunity of spending a day with you. He who has the most friends must necessarily lose the most, and he whose friends are numerous as yours, may the better spare a part of them. It is a changing transient scene: yet a little while, and this poor dream of life will be over with all of us―The living, and they who live unhappy, they are indeed subjects of sorrow. Adieu, my Adieu, my beloved Friend. Ever yours. W. C, LETTER LVII. To SAMUEL ROSE, Esqr. Weston, Feb. 5, 1793. In this last revisal of my work (the Homer) I have made a number of small improvements, and am now more convinced than ever, having exercised a cooler judgment upon it, than before I could, that the Translation will make its way. There must be time for the conquest of vehement and long-rooted prejudice; but without much self-partiality, I believe, that the conquest will be made; and am certain, that I should be of the same opinion, were the work another man's. I shall soon have finished the Odyssey, and when I have, will send the corrected copy of both to Johnson. LETTER LVIII, To Lady HESKETH. Weston, Feb. 10, 1793. My pens are all split, and my ink-glass is dry; In vain has it been, that I have made several attempts to write, since I came from Sussex; unless more comfortable days arrive than I have the confidence to look for, there is an end of all writing with me. I have no spirits: when the Rose came, I was obliged to prepare for his coming by a nightly dose of Laudanumtwelve drops suffice; but without them, I am devoured by melancholy. A propos of the Rose! His Wife in her political notions is the exact counterpart of yourself—loyal in the extreme. Therefore, if you find her thus inclined, when you become acquainted with her, you must not place her resemblance of yourself to the account of her admiration of you, for she is your likeness ready made, In fact, we are all of one mind about government matters, and notwithstanding your opinion, the Rose is himself a Whig, and I am a Whig, and you, my dear, are a Tory, and all the Tories nowa-days call all the Whigs Republicans. How the Deuce you came to be a Tory is best known to yourself: you have to answer for this novelty P 2 novelty to the shades of your ancestors, who were always Whigs I am the Analytical Review, and am happy to have fallen into the hands of a Critic, rigorous enough indeed, but a scholar, and a man of sense, and who does not deliberately intend me mischief. better pleased indeed that he censures some things, than I should have been with unmixt commendation, for his censure (to use the new diplomatic term) will accredit his praises, In his particular remarks he is for the most part right, and I shall be the better for them; but in his general ones I think he asserts too largely, and more than he could prove. With respect to inversions in particular, I know that they do not abound. Once they did, and I had Milton's example for it, not disapproved by Addison. remonstrance against them, I expunged the most, edition shall have fewer still. I know that they give dignity, and am sorry to part with them, but to parody an old Proverb, he who lives in the year ninety-three, must do as in the year ninety But on 's and in my new three ment. 109 three is done by others. The same remark I have to make on his censure of inharmonious lines. I know them to be much fewer than he asserts, and not more in number than I accounted indispensibly necessary to a due variation of cadence, I have however now in conformity with modern taste (over much delicate in my mind) given to the far greater number of them a flow as smooth as oil. A few I retain, and will, in compliment to my own judgHe thinks me too faithful to compound epithets in the introductory lines, and I know his reason. He fears lest the English reader should blame Homer whom he idolizes, though hardly more than I, for such constant repetition. But them I shall not alter. They are necessary to a just representation of the original. In the' affair of Outis, I shall throw him flat on his back by an unanswerable argument, which I shall give in a note, and with which I am furnished by Mrs. Unwin. So much for Hypercriticism, which has run away with all my paper. This Critic by the way is know him by infallible indications. f W. C. LETTER LX. To the Revd, Mr. HURDIS. Weston, Feb. 23, 1793. My eyes which have long been much inflamed, will hardly serve me for Homer, and oblige me to make all all my Letters short. You have obliged me much, by sending me so speedily the remainder of your Notes. I have begun with them again, and find them, as before, very much to the purpose. More to the purpose they could not have been, had you been Poetry Professor already. I rejoice sincerely in the prospect you have of that office, which, whatever may be your own thoughts of the matter, I am sure you will fill with great sufficiency. Would that my interest and power to serve you were greater. One string to my bow I have, and one only, which shall not be idle for want of my exertions. I thank you likewise for your very entertaining notices and remarks in the natural way. The hurry in which I write would not suffer me to send you many in return, had I many to send, but only two or three present themselves. Frogs will feed on Worms. I saw a Frog gathering into his gullet an Earth-worm as long as himself; it cost him time and labour, but at last he succeeded. Mrs. Unwin and I, crossing a brook, saw from the foot-bridge somewhat at the bottom of the water, which had the appearance of a flower. Observing it attentively, we found that it consisted of a circular assemblage of Minnows; their heads all met in a centre, and their tails diverging at equal distances, and being elevated above their heads, gave them the appearance of a flower half blown. One was longer than the rest, and as often as a straggler came in sight, he quitted his place to pursue him, and having driven him away, |