pen, notwithstanding the erection of the light-house.

Amidst the various inauspicious forebodings regarding this building, either prior to or about the time of its commencement, the following was very prevalent:"That no one would be found to possess so dread and dreary a dwelling; and if ever erected, its projectors would be left themselves to pass the first winter under its roof." But the first aspect of every thing of this kind is generally by much the worst; for, as the building got up, and was found to withstand the storms of two successive winters in an incomplete state, confidence seemed to increase; and, by the time it was ready for being inhabited, the applications for a keeper's birth were more numerous than the situations; and it is no less strange than true, that applicants on both sides of the Tweed were disappointed in their suit. The establishment of keepers consists of a principal light-keeper and three others. Each keeper, at the end of six weeks, in his turn is relieved, and is at liberty to go upon his own affairs for a fortnight. Their pay is about fifty pounds per annum, with provisions while at the light-house. At Arbroath, each of the light-keepers has a house provided by the commissioners for his family. Connected with these houses, there is a signal tower, where an excellent telescope is kept, and a set of signals arranged with the people at the light-house for the attending vessel, which carries off the

stores, provisions, and fuel to the light-house. This vessel is about 40 register tons, and is therefore capable of carrying a beat of sufficient dimensions for landing on the rock in moderate weather. The master of the attending vessel acts as superin tendant, and has the charge of the building and stores kept at Arbroath.

The expence of this undertaking has not yet been ascertained, but it is supposed to amount to about fiftyfive thousand pounds sterling. Whether, therefore, we consider the magnitude of this most useful work, or the success which has attended the operations, from their commencement in 1807 till their completion in 1810, this work will be found to do equal honour to the spirited exertions of the Hon. Board of Commissioners for Northern Lights, to the talents, activity, and perseverance of the engineer, and to the resources of a country which, while struggling with unparalleled difficulties in the field of war, yet enjoying the most perfect security at home, is able and ready to pursue the works of industry, and to attend to the calls of humanity.

We are happy to understand that a detailed account of the erection of the Bell Rock light-house, illustrated with engravings of the building in its different stages, the apparatus, &c., is to be published by Mr Stevenson, engineer; and with pleasure we have heard, that the Hon. Board of Commissioners have liberally expressed a desire to preserve the particulars of this memorable work.

From the Poet Shenstone, to Mr MacGowan, late of Edinburgh.

The Leasowes, Sept. 24, 1761.

DEAR SIR,-I have indeed been guilty of the most absurd hypocrisy that ever was, having suffered an appearance of neglect to rob me of the pleasure of your correspondence, when no one living could have been more sensible of the obligation it laid me under. Sure I am that I must be greatly indebted to Mr Roebuck's representation for the place I still retain in your esteem, and which I should utterly have given up for lost, had not your goodness, by many ouvert acts, lately convinced me of the contrary.

'Twas indeed the view of accompanying my letter with something worthy of your acceptance, that has kept me silent so long, in spite of all your friendly provocations. I wanted to transcribe one or two pieces of greater length than the trifles I inclose. Alas, that I have not, even now, an opportunity of so do

ing! Dr Roebuck goes to-morrow, and

you must accept of an irregular disjointed letter, in which I find it ferent favours. my duty to acknowledge so many dif

sent me so many agreeable specimens, The Scotch press,* of which you has, I think, not a rival in the world, unless it be that of my neighbour Baskerville. Here I find myself unable or unwilling to decide the preference. Amongst friends, however, I would whisper, that Baskerville's impressions are more striking to the paper, or his type; yet, at the same eye, either on account of his ink, his ther the Scotch editions will not be time, it may be much doubted whe deemed the best for use. Martial case at the close of one of his epihas expressed what may prove the

grams:

“Laudant illa, sed ista legunt.” As to correctness, the Scotch seems. if Baskerville find encouragement to to have hitherto the advantage; but print many Latin books, he purposes,

I believe, to employ a Latin editor. There will shortly appear an Elzevir Horace from the press, revised by Mr Levy, which you will probably like to see.

As to the Erse fragments,* you judged very rightly, that, amidst the applause they were sure of receiving from the world, they would not fail to afford me a very peculiar satisfaction. I am indeed unfeignedly thankful for the early copy you sent me, and for the ingenious letter which accompanied them. It seems, indeed, from a former version of them by the same translator, (which Mr Gray, the poet, received from him, and shewed my friend Percy,) that he has taken pretty considerable freedoms in adapting them to the present reader. I do not in the least disapprove of this; knowing by experience, that trivial amendments in these old compositions often render them highly striking, which would be otherwise quite neglected. And surely, under all the infirmities of age, they may be said to have an absolute claim to some indulgencies of this kind. I presume the editor follows the same model of translation in what he is now going to publish. I would wish him particularly attentive to the melody of his cadences, when it may be done without impeachment of his fidelity. The melody of our verse has been perhaps carried to its utmost perfection; that of prose seems to have been more neglected, and to be capable of greater than it has yet attained. It seems to be a very favourable era for the appearance of such irregular poetry. The taste of the age, so far as it regards plan and

style, seems to have been carried to its utmost height, as may appear in the works of Akenside, Gray's Odes and Church-yard Verses, and Mason's Monody and Elfrida. The public has seen all that art can do, and they want the more striking efforts of wild, original, enthusiastic genius. It seems to exclaim aloud with the chorus in Julius Cæsar, «Oh rather than be slaves to these deep learned men,

Give us our wildness and our woods, our huts and caves again!"

I know not how far you will allow the distinction or the principle on which I build my remark, namely, that the taste of the present age is somewhat higher than its genius. This turn, you see, favours the work the translator has to publish, or has published already. Here is indeed pure original genius! The very quintessence of poetry; a few drops of which, properly managed, are enough to give a flavour to quartbottles. And yet one or two of these pieces (the first, for instance, together with the second) are undoubtedly as well planned as any ode we find in Horace.

I have perused the Gentle Shepherd with all imaginable pleasure; and here again am indebted to you, sir, for the assistance of your glossary. 'Tis rare to find a poem of this length, where simplicity of sentiment andoi language are so very well sustained. The metre is generally musical; and the old Scottish words form an admirable kind of Doric. Good sense, expressed naturally, in a phrase easy, perspicuous, and not wholly void of ornament, seems the talent of

Ramsay, whose taste in composition was perhaps more remarkable than his genius; and in whom greater fire and invention would certainly have deprived his readers of the Gentle Shepherd.

And now, having thanked you for the Scotch snuff, (better than any I ever tasted before,) I come to ask, whether you have any old Scotch ballads, which you would wish preserved in a neat edition. I have occasioned a friend of mine to publish a fair collection of the best old English and Scotch ballads; a work I have long had much at heart. Mr Percy, the collector and publisher, is a man of learning, taste, and indefatigable industry; is chaplain to the Earl of Sussex. It so happens, that he has himself a folio collection of this kind of MSS.; which has many things truly curious, and from which he selects the best.* I am only afraid that his fondness for antiquity should tempt him to admit pieces that have no other sort of merit. However, he has offered me a rejecting power, of which I mean to make considerable use. He is encouraged in his undertaking by Sam. Johnson, Garrick, and many persons of note, who lend him such assistance as is within their power. He has brought Mr Jo. Warton (the poetry professor) to ransack the Oxford lib. raries; and has resided and employed six amanuenses to transcribe from Pepys's Collection at Cambridge, consisting of five volumes of old ballads in folio. He says justly, that it is in the remote parts of the kingdom that he has most reason to expect the curiosities he wants-that in the southern parts fashion and novel

ty cause such things to be neglected. Accordingly he has settled a correspondence in Wales, in the wilds of Staffordshire and Derbyshire, in the West Indies, in Ireland, and, if he can obtain your assistance in Scotland, hopes to draw materials from the whole British empire. He tells me there is, in the collection of Mag. Coll. Libr. a very curious collection of antient Scottish songs and poems, he thinks not published or known: many of Dumbar, Maitland of Lethington, and one allegorical poem of Gawain Douglas, too obsolete for his collection; and one yet more obsolete, called Peebles in the Play,' mentioned in Christ's Kirk on the Green. He met Mr Gray in the university library, who is going to write the Hist. of English Poetry. But, to put an end to this long article! his collection will be printed in two or three small octavos, with suitable decorations; and if you find an opportunity of sending aught that may be proper for his insertion, I think I can safely answer for his thankfulness as well as my own.

He shewed me an old ballad in his folio MS., under the name of Adam Carr: three parts in four coincide so much with your Edom of Gordon, that the former name seems to me an odd corruption of the latter. His MS. will, however, tend to enrich Edom of Gordon with two of the prettiest stanzas I ever saw, beside many other improvements. He has also a MS. of Gill Morrice, called in his copy Childe Morice. Of this more another time. I must at present take my leave. Should you see Mr (Douglas) Hume, Mr Alexander, or Dr Robertson, I desire my

best respects to them. And should you see my good Lord Alemoor and Mr Professor Smith, I beg you would please to assert how unfeignedly I am their servant. I hope to muster up sufficient assurance, even now, to acknowledge by letter their acceptable presents of books; however the fire of gratitude was not less intense for having lain concealed and produced no blaze. I have many more Scotch friends whom I wish to particularize; but these, if I am not mistaken, live in the neighbourhood of Edinburgh. I am, dear sir, your most obliged humble servant,

WILL. SHENSTONE. I will endeavour to procure and send you a copy of Percy's translation of a genuine Chinese novel,* in four small vols., printed months ago, but not to be published before winter.

To Mr MacGowan.

To Matthew Sharpe of Hoddam, Esq. near Dumfries, North Britain.

MY DEAR SIR,-I am informed, that such a popular clamour has been raised against me in Edinburgh, on account of scepticism, heterodoxy, and other hard names, which confound the ignorant, that my friends find some difficulty in working out the point of my professorship, which once appeared so easy. Did I need a testimonial for my orthodoxy, I should certainly appeal to you; for you know that I always imitated Job's friends, and defended the cause of Providence, when you attackt it, on account of the headachs you felt

after a debauch. But, as a more particular explication of that particulat seems superfluous, I shall only apply to you for a renewal of your good offices with your nephew, Lord Tinwal, whose interest with Yetts and Allan may be of service to me. There is no time to lose; so that I must beg you to be speedy in writing to him or speaking to him on that head. A word to the wise. Even that is not necessary to a friend such as I have always esteemed and found you to be. I live here very comfortably with the Marquis of Annandale, who, I suppose you have heard, sent me a letter of invitation, along with a bill of 1001. about two months ago. Every thing is much better than I expected from the accounts I heard after I came to London. For the secrecy with which I stole away from Edinburgh, and which I thought necessary for preserving my interest there, kept me entirely ignorant of his situation: My lord never was in so good a way before. He has a regular family, honest servants, and every thing is managed genteelly and with economy; he has entrusted all his English affairs to a mighty honest friendly man, Captain Vincent, who is cousin-german to the Marchioness. And, as my lord has now taken so strong a turn to solitude and repose as he formerly had to company agitation, 'tis to be hoped that his good parts and excellent dispositions may at last, being accompanied with more health and tranquillity, render him a comfort to his friends, if not an ornament to his country. As you live in the neighbourhood of the Marchioness, it may give her a pleasure to hear these particulars. I am,

and