obligations at Mr. Tonson's death to carry on my scheme with these new proprietors), I might have paid back to his family what money had been advanced by Mr. Tonson, and begun myself a superb edition by private subscription; which my numerous friends and acquaintance, among people of rank, would have made extremely profitable to me and my family. But I have been content to forego this advantage, and to give it up to the booksellers, with no other reservation than their resigning the sheets of the two petty incomplete works above-mentioned; and therefore I hope they will be sensible of the value of my concession, and without delay deliver up all the sheets to you for my use, to be disposed of as I shall think proper. In your friendship and attachment to me, I place an implicit confidence; and therefore hope soon to hear that you have received them. "In the mean time, with what application I can bring my mind to give, I will proceed to finish the article of Cleiveland, and send it up to you as soon as finished. "We all join in kind respects to cousin Nichols and yourself; beseeching the Almighty that you may never like us experience the loss of an only son, when, with fondest hopes, we had seen him ripen into perfect manhood. "I remain, dear Sir, very truly yours, THO. DROMORE." 18. BISHOP PERCY to Mr. ALLEN *. "MY GOOD MR. ALLEN, Carlisle, April 26, 1783. "You will I know be much concerned to hear that a fatal consumptive complaint hath deprived me of my son, whom I sent last autumn to try the effect of a warmer climate, but in vain; for, after lingering through the winter, he deceased at Marseilles in the south of France about the beginning of this month, though we did not receive the account till lately. Our sorrow, though great, is alleviated by the assurance we have received from the clergyman that attended him, that his reflections in his last illness were proper and devout, and that he appeared deeply affected with those religious impressions which give us a comfortable hope that he has only been removed from youthful temptations to a blessed immortality. "If you mention our loss to your good neighbours Dr. Johnson and Mrs. Williams, I know they will kindly sympathise with us. "Will you now allow me to trouble you to call in Serjeant'sinn, and pay my assurance for the last quarter, £.1. 5s. before the 3d of May. I have given a draught on the other side. The other 10s. be pleased to give to poor Mrs. Rolt at Mr. Townsend's, tallow-chandler, No. 396, facing Cecil-street, Strand, merely to remind her that I do not forget her (this small sum Dr. Johnson's neighbour, landlord, and “dear friend." See a notice of him in the "Literary Anecdotes," vol. IX. p. 417; but his name was Edmund not Edward. is a balance of an account with Messrs. Gosling, or I should make it more, as I shall hereafter). Tell her I received her letter, but am too full of trouble at present to write, and I have not the least acquaintance with Mr. Wallis, about whom she writes to me, or I would apply to him to pay her what is due for her attendance at the Opera-house. Perhaps if she relates her tale to you, you can put her in way to be paid, or perhaps Dr. Johnson would generously serve her in it; she is really a great object of compassion. Excuse all this trouble. Mrs. Percy joins in compliments, with, dear Mr. Allen, "Your obliged servant, THO. DROMORE." 19. BISHOP PERCY to Mr. NICHOLS. "DEAR SIR, Carlisle, May 16, 1783. "I have duly received your obliging letters in succession, and shall now endeavour to give you a sketch of the original plan for the improved edition of the Spectators, &c. as settled between Mr. Tonson and myself, near twenty years ago, at least I think in 1764, but which my becoming Domestic Chaplain and Secretary to the present Duke of Northumberland prevented me from executing, as my time became appropriated, and his Grace's employment left me not sufficient leisure for so voluminous a piece of editorship. "Mr. Tonson's intention was not to exceed the original number of voluines. The Spectators were still to be confined to eight, the Tatlers to four, and the Guardians to two. For this reason the notes were to be short as possible, and to be confined merely to necessary explanation or illustration. It was intended that these should principally relate to manners and customs, give concealed names and characters, and point out hidden allusions and less obvious references. "How this was performed and executed you will see in those sheets of the second volume, 12mo, which were then printed, of this intended edition. There you will see a specimen of this work, the aim of which was to give, "1. A correct text, chiefly printed from the first octavo edition, which was published under Steele's own inspection, and received from his pen, or that of Addison, while it went through the press, innumerable alterations and improvements, as may be seen by comparing this octavo edition with the original papers; and among your materials you will find one 12mo copy, collated throughout, with the original papers; and you have also the said original papers bound up in volumes, as also complete copies of the octavo editions, which ought generally to be your text, except in such numbers of the Spectator, Tatler, and Guardian as were republished by Tickel in the four volumes of Addison's Works, 4to, where it may be supposed the latest improvements of Addison's pen are correctly given. These four volumes, therefore, will give you a standard text for ali Addison's papers; and will clearly point out what parts of the Tatler were written by him, which otherwise would not have been so well ascertained. For all the other papers you should follow the first octavo edition, and where any oversight appears consult the original papers, and the next edition after the first octavo. 2. Notes; these I said were principally to illustrate and explain forgotten customs and manners, obscure references, and local and temporary or personal allusions. Among the notes sometimes it would be curious and entertaining to give some of the original passages as they stood in first fugitive publication in the separate papers, and to show how they were altered when they were collected into volumes. In one or two instances you will find the papers has been new written for the 8vo edition, and frequently paragraphs omitted or inserted; these may properly be thrown into the notes. The advertisements, &c. at the end of the original papers will frequently illustrate passages the papers themselves, pointing out the reigning amusements, follies, and topics of conversation alluded to in the text. "3. To give the names of the concealed authors, wherever they can be recovered. Bishop Pearce wrote some numbers; so did Lord Chancellor Hardwicke and Mr. Hughes, besides several others, who were more or less occasional correspondents. Some of these are recovered, and perhaps others may be communicated to you for a subsequent edition when once the public hath seen the atteinpt. "4. To give more elegant translations of all the mottoes and classical quotations, from the latest and best versions of the classics. The common current editions give the mottoes as translated by Creech for Horace and Theocritus, those of Virgil from Dryden (which, though perhaps more elegant and spirited than that of Pitt, is frequently more remote from the original, and often gives quite a different idea from that alluded to in the Spectator,) &c. Of late years we have had all the classics re-translated; and most of them far better than they had been done when the mottoes were first published. Sometimes, however, no printed version will quite give the turn or peculiar phraseology which is alluded to; there a new translation should be attempted, or that of any printed version altered or adapted to the particular purpose. You will see some instances in the specimen given in the second volume. "5. A table of contents to each volume, in the manner of the Rambler, Adventurer, &c. giving, in a concise manner, the subject of each paper, and the name of the author, as for instance, "Volume I. No. 7. On Vulgar Superstition. Addison. "No. 24. On Impertinence. Ditto. "If this is done properly to each volume, then one general Index will do for the whole. Where the author is not known, then say anonymous, and sometimes, various writers. "And here I think the original single letters should still be kept subscribed at the end of each paper as Addison and Steele fixed them in the Spectators, viz. CLIO for Addison and R. S. T. for Steele, except in the Tatlers, &c. where Addison's name may be given at length; but wherever in the Spectators any concealed occasional writers are recovered, there you may mention it in a note. "This is the general outline; and the specimen of the execution may be seen in the sheets of the second volume, which you must examine, as far as it goes. I know not also but there were some sheets of the third volume also printed. These sheets you must get and gather them into a volume; though when you re-print them you will probably much enlarge the notes if you increase the size and number of volumes. which, however, I question but you will injure the sale, as the former size will be the object of cheaper purchase, and probably occasion a preference to be given to printed editions. This at least was Mr. Tonson's opinion, and for this reason he meant to contract the notes, &c. as above-mentioned; however, all this I leave to you and the booksellers. In "I at first thought only of publishing the Spectators; then Mr. Tonson persuaded me to take in the Tatlers and Guardians also, and I made collections for them all, which you have in your possession. Being obliged to decline the work, Dr. Calder took it up; and he can give you further information, and assist you in executing it, I doubt not, sufficiently well. He had written in interleaved volumes notes, &c. which should, however, be carefully revised before they are committed to press. This revisal I should have performed myself for him last year if Mr. Rivington had readily closed with the business, but he made it so disagreeable, that I had no pleasure in thinking any more of the subject at that time, and I cannot be answerable for any part of the work but those sheets of the second volume, which near twenty years ago were printed under my own inspection. Ever since I have collected all the books and papers that I thought might be of use; and with their assistance and your own great fund of this sort of knowledge and happy skill at illustration and biographical commentary (as displayed in Dr. King's Works, your Supplement to Swift, and Life of Bowyer), you will, I am persuaded, give such an edition of the Tatlers, Spectators, and Guardians as will render those useful and entertaining volumes new favourites with the public, and renew the property to the booksellers. "Whether Dr. Calder has the interleaved volumes by him, or whether they are amidst the great mass of materials and collections delivered last year to you, you will soon see, and by apply ing to him will have ready assistance and full information in many particulars which may have escaped my recollection. "I must apprize you that I am not sure that in the sheets of my said second volume the text was correctly printed from the octavo edition, nor from Tickel's Works, as to Addison's Papers; nor are the variations from the fugitive original papers noted, for I think these and other improvements occurred after those sheets were printed off. When you re-print those sheets make all these improvements in the text and notes; but you must by all means get those sheets from Rivington the printer. "One part of our plan I have omitted above, which was to mention in a short note at the end of any paper (when the subject was left unfinished) in what succeeding number it would be found resumed; and so at the beginning of that succeeding number the reader was to be informed where he would find what had been premised. "This at present is all I recollect of the general plan; if any thing material should occur hereafter, I will mention it in a future letter; and if you wish to ask any questions I will answer them to the best of my power; and I shall send you some notes, particularly some from a MS. of Dean Swift. "You will, I presume, begin with the Tatlers*. If you think Harrison's fifth volume has merit enough to deserve to be revived, you will, I suppose add it. I do not sufficiently remember what its merit is, but I fear below par; and care I think should be taken not to add too much to the work, perhaps sinking into oblivion from its present exuberance. A good deal of the Tatler is taken up with mere articles of news now uninteresting. Do not think it necessary to enlarge this useless part by any notes. "You have, I presume, Dr. Calder's address; if not, only send to Mr. Elmsly (his intimate friend) and he will give you a direction to him, which just this moment I cannot recollect. "We are all still drooping with our sad loss; but much obliged to you both for your very kind inquiries, and wishing you all health and happiness. "I remain, dear Sir, truly yours, T. DROMORE." "P. S. I do not use the franks for this, which is only a double sheet, because when I get to Ireland I shall find it difficult to get franks to you, and thence the postage will be very heavy. "I must now desire you immediately to get all the books and papers, &c. which relate to the two publications of Buckingham and Surrey, carefully packed up in a box, and add thereto any thing else you may have for me, well secured by close and neat *This annotated edition consisted chiefly in the publication of the Tatlers, in six volumes 8vo. 1786. The principal merit of the edition is due to Dr. Calder. Mr. Nichols wrote the preface, and contributed seve ral notes. The edition was commented on by Lord Hailes, in Gent. Mag. vol. LX. See Index to "Literary Anecdotes," vol. VII. pp. 411, 687. |