It was said, long ago, that 'None but those who cannot write, translate.' And never was there a more complete verification of the assertion than is afforded by the present volume. Look, for instance, at the following choice morsel of English composition, which occurs at p. xxvi. 'Craven Ord, in his Inventory of Crown Jewels of 3 Edward III. published in 1790, states, that one of the first lists of our Crown Jewels is contained in the letter of Margaret Queen of France to her brother Henry III. of England, dated 1261, when they were lodged in the church of the Knights Templars at Paris, which the said King afterwards gave his Queen Eleanor power to dispose of. Vid. Rymer's Foedera, vol. 1. pp. 410, 435.' Who were lodged' in the church, or, as it is in the original, the house, of the Knights Templars? And what was it that the King gave the Queen? the church or the jewels? We have not at present an opportunity of turning to Mr. Ord's paper to see how far he is answerable for these blunders; but as there are no marks of quotation, and the reference is to the new edition of the Foedera, Mr. Devon may claim the merit of adopting, if not of actually penning the elegant composition. Witness the excellent logic of the following sentence, in which an attempt is made to throw something like censure upon an elder antiquary:- It is to be regretted, that Mr. Topham had not a knowledge of the collection now under consideration, and of the discoveries since made, as he would not then have fallen into THE ERROR of asserting that similar accounts of a later date are also extant in MS., but that none prior are known to be remaining.' Earlier Rolls have since been found.' p. xv. Because earlier Rolls have been found since Mr. Topham wrote, he was in error when he asserted that none were then known to be in existence. O wise judge!' One other specimen and we have done : This Mary was the sixth daughter of King Edward I. by his wife Eleanor, who at ten years of age was made a nun in this monastery of Ambersbnry, at the instance of Queen Eleanor, her grandmother, who lived, died, and was buried there?' p. xxxiv. Was it Mary, the daughter, or Eleanor, the mother, who was made a nun' at ten years of age? And who would believe, from Mr. Devon's statement, that Eleanor, the grandmother, was for seven and thirty years Queen consort of England, and during that time was the mother of nine children? Somewhat different from a life passed as a vestal at Ambersbury. Wherever we open this volume, or in whatever manner we regard it, we find cause for complaint and censure. If we examine the original portion of it, its English is the veriest slip-slop that can be written; its statements of facts are inaccurate to a degree which is almost inconceivable. If we look at the extracts selected from the series of discovered Rolls, we find well-known circumstances put forth as if they were novelties, and stated with the same disregard of correctness which prevails throughout the volume. Go we to the editor's abridgment of his own translation, still we find the same extraordinary and inexcusable inaccuracy. If we examine the translation of the Record, we perceive, by the absence of all explanations of those peculiarities which cannot be understood without a reference to the original, that the duty of an editor has been neglected or unknown, and wherever we possess the means of testing the accuracy of the translation, we find good reason to believe that in it also may be found the same characteristic carelessness and inaccuracy. Add to all this the folly of the Index, and the glaring want of judgment displayed by the publication of a translation instead of the original, and an estimate may be formed of the value of the whole work. We regret the necessity which obliges us to make these observations; regret it be cause the Roll, if properly published, would have furnished a valuable addition to our stock of original documents, and, also, because it is always unpleasant to use the language of reprehension. In an ordinary case it is often well to allow ignorance and carelessness to find their own level; to permit the pecuniary loss which generally follows the publications of incompetent persons, to correct their temerity; but this is not an ordinary case, nor is it one in which individual loss can apply its salutary corrective. The circumstances of the publication; the announcement of another similar work,—also, no doubt, at the public expense; the disgrace which works like this are calculated to throw upon record publications, at a time when more attention is given to them, both in Great Britain and on the Continent, than has ever been bestowed before; all unite to render silence on our part impossible. If we might presume to offer advice to the functionaries to whom belongs the duty of making these newly-discovered Records available to the public, we should say :Let them be properly arranged, and a correct catalogue of them be published. Having done this, if there be no objection on the ground of custody, which from the nature of the Records we hardly suppose there can be, transfer them at once to the British Museum; and if it be thought advisable that any of them should be published at the public expense, let the publication be placed under the superintendence of the Record Commissioners. This course would most effectually carry into execution the intentions of the Lords of the Treasury, and conduce in the highest degree to the public advantage. MEMORIALS OF LITERARY CHARACTERS, No. XII. CORRESPONDENCE OF POPE WITH TONSON SENIOR AND JUNIOR, RESPECTING THEOBALD'S EDITION OF SHAKSPEARE, THE MAN OF ROSS, &c. FROM MR. POPE TO J. TONSON, JUN. I am, Dr Sir, yr affecte humble ser- TO MR. POPE FROM J. TONSON, JUN'. I desire me to tell you the truth whether are so. I am Sir, your most obliged and most obedient servant, J. T. YOU may guess how far I am from being unwilling that Tibbald's Notes should come out, when I long since desir'd and commission'd you to try to procure them against our second edition. The worst I wish is, that Shakespear and you may be serv'd by 'em. But all I shou'd be sorry for would be, if you were made the publisher of any falsity relating to my personal character, who not only am a man that wish you well, but have suffer'd a little on yr account, by one lye of this man's venting. Having a mind to write to your uncle, I've taken this for part of a subject of a letter, where you will see what further I have to say of it. I am fully satisfied by what you tell me, and always ready to be truly, S', yr affectionate humble servt. A. POPE. To Mr. POPE FROM J. TONSON, JUN'. SIR, 18 Nov. 1731. I HAVE fully answer'd yr first about Shakespear. As to any other matters, I shall be so far from doing, or suffering any thing to be done, to make you uneasy, that on the contrary, I shall be glad of any opportunity of obliging, and, if possible, serving you; and in the plainest words I tell you, that whoever 1 employ in publishing any of the copy's I am entitled unto (more especially any pieces of yours), I will conclude on nothing till I have your opinion. I am much obliged to you for the compliment of sending your letter to my uncle open to me; but as (in my humble opinion) it will look much better for that letter (or any other of yours) to come immediately from yourself than under my cover, so I return it as I rec'd it, and Sir, your most humble servt, J. T. am, SIR, commentators, first serv'd himself of my pains, and then abused me for 'em. But I am satisfy'd since he tells me other proprietors in y copy of Shakespear could have printed it without him and I am the better pleased he has a share in it; because if any slander on my personal character shd be inserted in ye book, he doubtless would be enabled to testify in ye same book any such truth in my justification as I could call upon him to witness. I never understood, wn I was concern'd in his edition, that any other proprietors cd be ballanc'd wth himself in it. This you must know too. But if an edition of ye Text can be printed without his consent, and if the propriety to this author be so wandring, I'm very sure that, however my edition or Tibbald's may sell, I know a way to put any friend upon publishing a new one that will vastly out-sell them both (of wch I will talk with you when we meet); and not of this author only, but of all the other best English poets; a project wh I am sure the upblick wd thank me for, aud wch none of the Dutch-headed Scholiasts are capable of executing. Nov. 14th, 1731. I HAD a letter from your nephew, who tells me what I am pleased always to hear, that you are well, but not a word when you return to Barnes. Your stay has been much longer yo I hop'd, and you proposed. I was almost ready to be angry with yr nephew on hearing he was to be the publisher of Tibbald's Shakspear; who, according to the laudable custom of I think I shd congratulate y' cozen on the new trade he is commencing, of publishing English Classicks with huge Commentaries. Tibbald's will be y follower of Bentley, and Bentley of Scriblerus. What a glory will it be to the Dunciad, that it was the first modern work publish'd in this manner! In truth I think myself happier in my Commentator than either Milton or Shakespear; and shall be very well content if the same hands proceed to any other man's works but my owne. And in this I depend upon your friendship, and yr intercession with yr cosen, that you will not let the Tibbald's ever publish notes upon such things of mine, as are your property yet or shall be hereafter.-Oh shade those laurels wch descend to you! I writ you a long letter abt 2 months since, since when I have not heard from you. If you are now upon returning, you'l probably find L Bathurst at Cirencester, who I know wd rejoyce to show you all his works there. I past a week lately with L Cobham and Mr. Stanyan. I think all yr friends are well. L Wilmington I dined with y day he left Chiswick for y scason. My mother is pretty well, and remembers you. I know nothing more to tell you but that I am, with sincere good will, ever, dr Sir, yr affectionate friend and servant, A. POPE. I have a very pretty poem to shew you of a near relation of La Cobham's, wch he has inscribed to me and some others. You live not far from Ross. I desire you to get me an exact information of the Man of Ross, what was his Xtian and surname? what year he dyed, and at wt age? and to transcribe his epitaph if he has one, and any particulars you can procure ab him. I intend to make him an example, in a poem of mine. To Mr. Tonson, sen. at Ledbury, DEAR SIR, Twitenham, June 7th, 1732. Before I received yr last, I intended to write to you my thanks for ye great diligence (or let me give it a higher title, zeal) you have shewn in giving me so many particulars of the Man of Ross. They are more than sufficient for my honest purpose of setting up his fame, as an example to greater and wealthyer men, how they ought to use their fortunes. You know, few of these particulars can be made to shine in verse, but I have selected the most affecting, and have added 2 or 3 wch I learnd fro' other hands. A small exaggeration you must allow me as a poet; yet I was determined the ground work at least sha be Truth, wch made me so scrupulous in my enquiries; and sure, considering that the world is bad enough to be always extenuating and lessening what virtue is among us, it is but reasonable to pay it sometimes a little over measure, to balance that injustice, especially when it is done for example and encouragement to others. If any man shall ever happen to endeavour to emulate the Man of Ross, 'twill be no manner of harm if I make him think he was something more charitable and more beneficent than really he was, for so much more good it wd put the imitator upon doing. And farther I am satisfy'd in my conscience (from ye strokes in 2 or 3 acct I have of his character) that it was in his will, and in his heart, to have done every good a poet can imagine. : My motive for singling out this man, was twofold; first to distinguish real and solid worth from showish or plausible expence, and virtue fro' vanity and secondly, to humble ye pride of greater men, by an opposition of one so obscure and so distant from ye sphere of publick glory, this proud town. To send y" any of ye particular verses will be much to ye prejudice of ye whole; wch if it has any beauty, derives it from ye manner in which it is placed, and ye contrast (as ye painters call it) in wch it stands, with ye pompous figures of famous, or rich, or high-born men. I was not sorry he had no monument, and will put that circumstance into a note, perhaps into ye body of ye poem itself (unless you entreat ye contrary in yr own favor, by yr zeal to erect one). I would however, in this case, spare ye censure upon his heir (so well as he deserves it), because I dare say, after seeing his picture, every body will turn that circumstance to his honour, and conclude the Man of Ross himself wd not have any monument in memory of his own good deeds. ; I have no thoughts of printing ye poem (wch is an epistle on the Use of Riches) this long time, perhaps not till it is accompanied with many others and at a time, when telling truths, and drawing exemplary pictures of men and manners can be of no disservice to ye author, and occasion no slanderer to mistake them, and apply them falsely, as I was lately serv'd in y character of Timon. But I wish for nothing more than to see you here, on these quiet banks of the Thames, where any of these things should be frankly shewn to you. My portrait, by Dahl, I have sent a week ago to y' nephew. You oblige me in ye copy of my old friend Dr. Garth; and you will always oblige me in continuing to write to me. As to Dr. Bentley and Milton, I think the one above and ye other below all criticisme. Adieu, and health, and peace, and fair weather attend you. Yours, A. POPE. DEAR SIR, Twitnam, Dec. 4, 1735. I condole with you in the first place for the death of yr nephew, between whom and me, a matter past a short time before, which gave me concern, as I believe it will you when I tell it you. I presume this occasion may have brought you to town once more, and I hope it will not be without our seeing each other. Whether y' deafness will permit our conversation to be on equal terms, or whether I can only hear you, that will be a great pleasure to me, and I shall only be sorry to give you none on my part. Yet I think you love me well enough to find it some, meerly to be face to face. As soon as you can, pray write me a line when and where we shall pass a day and a night together. I can shew you papers, if you can't hear me talk; and I can ask you questions at least in writing, and I don't care how prolix you are in answering. I've often thought of writing to you, but I believe you may have read too many of my letters of late, wch is a favour you owe to Curll. I took very kindly ye paragraph in yrs, which yr nephew communicated to me. I am glad if any of my writings please you, who have been used to so much better; and I am glad if the writer pleases you, who have known so many better. Let me be what I will, I assure you l am very sincerely, dr Sir, your affectionate friend and humble servant, A. POPE. To Jacob Tonson, sen. Esq. at Ledbury, Herefordshire. SIR, I desire you'l take these five setts of ye Odyssey, and do what you can wth 'em. I desire also you'l cause the pacquet I send to be bound together, as many in a volume as are tyed together. Let the octavo be made to match in colour and sise this wch is already bound, and letter it LIBELS ON POPE, &c. VOL. 2. Pray bind ye duodecimos also in another vol: ye same colour, letterd CURL AND COMPANY. And bind ye Gulliveriana, and letter it (same colour) thus, LIBELS SWIFT AND POPE. ON In this you will oblige, Sr, yr very faithfull servant, A. POPE. I dont know but soon we may have some better business together. Pray send me Phillips's Freethinkers, and ye first or second vol. of Blackmore's Essays, in wh is his piece of heroic poetry. One of these pamphlets is imperfect at ye end, of wch I desire you'l procure an entire one. To Mr. Tonson. EPITAPH OF MRS. HANNAH More. THE monument to the memory of Mrs. Hannah More has been put up in Wrington church. It is from the chisel of E. H. Baily, Esq. R.A. of Bristol. Its form and ornaments are Gothic, the material the finest white marble, and is truly chaste and elegant. It bears upon it the following inscription: SACRED TO THE MEMORY OF HANNAH MORE. She was born in the parish of Stapleton, near Bristol, A.D. 1745, and died at Clifton, September 7th, A.D. 1833. Endowed with great intellectual powers, and early distinguished by the success of her literary labours, she entered the world under circumstances tending to fix her affections on its vanities; but, instructed in the school of Christ to form a just estimate of the real end of human existence, she chose the better part, and consecrated her time and talents to the glory of God and the good of her fellow creatures, in a life of practical piety and diffusive beneficence. Her numerous writings in support of religion and order, at a crisis when both were rudely assailed, were equally edifying to readers of all classes, at once delighting the wise, and instructing the ignorant and simple. In the eighty-ninth year of her age, beloved by her friends, and venerated by the public, she closed her career of usefulness in humble reliance on the mercies of God, through faith in the merits of her Redeemer. Her mortal remains are deposited in a vault in this churchyard, which also contains those of her four Sisters, who resided with her at Barley Wood, in this parish, her favourite abode, and who actively cooperated in her unwearied acts of Christian benevolence. Mary More died 18th April, 1813, aged 75 years. Elizabeth More died 14th June, 1816, aged 76 years. Sarah More died 17th May, 1817, aged 74 years. Martha More died 14th September, 1819, aged 60 years. This monument is erected out of a sub scription for a public memorial to Hannah More, of which the greater proportion is devoted to the erection of a school in the populous and destitute out-parish of St. |