OF THOMAS GRAY AND WILLIAM MASON, = TO WHICH ARE ADDED SOME LETTERS ADDRESSED BY GRAY TO THE REV. JAMES BROWN, D.D. MASTER OF PEMBROKE COLLEGE, CAMBRIDGE. WITH NOTES AND ILLUSTRATIONS BY THE REV. JOHN MITFORD, VICAR OF BENHALL. LONDON: RICHARD BENTLEY, NEW BURLINGTON STREET. 1745217 1860. July 13. Richman Bequest. WESTMINSTER: 25, PARLIAMENT STREET. ΤΟ THE REV. ALEXANDER DYCE, WHOSE EXTENSIVE KNOWLEDGE OF OUR EARLY POETRY, ADDED TO A FAMILIAR ACQUAINTANCE WITH THAT OF GREECE AND ROME, AND WHOSE SUCCESSFUL LABOURS ON THE WORKS OF THOSE WHO FLOURISHED IN THE BEST PERIOD OF THE DRAMA, FROM THE DAYS OF SHAKSPERE TO SHIRLEY, BY RESTORING THE AUTHENTIC PURITY OF THE TEXT, BY EXPLAINING THE OBSOLETE AMBIGUITIES OF THE LANGUAGE, AND BY ILLUSTRATING THE FORGOTTEN MANNERS AND CUSTOMS OF THE AGE, HAVE PLACED HIM AS A COMMENTATOR AND CRITIC IN HONOURABLE EQUALITY WITH TYRWHITT AND WARTON N; THIS VOLUME, IN MEMORY OF A LONG FRIENDSHIP, COMMENCED BY THE ATTRACTION OF SIMILAR STUDIES, AND CONTINUED IN THE CONFIDENCE OF MUTUAL REGARD, IS INSCRIBED BY HIS FAITHFUL SERVANT, THE EDITOR. Benhall, September 15th, 1853. PREFACE. THE Correspondence between Gray and Mason, which is now published in its entire form, was carefully preserved and arranged by the latter, from which he made a partial selection in his Memoirs of Gray. This volume at his death was bequeathed to his friend Mr. Stonhewer, and from him it passed into the hands of his relative, Mr. Bright of Skeffington Hall, Leicestershire. When, in the year 1845, the library of Gray was sold by the sons of that gentleman, then deceased, this volume of Correspondence was purchased by Mr. Penn of Stoke Park, and by him was kindly placed in my hands for publication.* Some engagements at the time prevented my preparing it for the press; and further delay * One letter, addressed to West, and the "Travels," have been placed in the beginning of this Correspondence, as forming part of the manuscripts collected by Mason; the letter to West being imperfectly printed by Mason, and the Travels having been printed only in the late edition of Gray, will probably not be unacceptable to the readers of the volume. |