feveral inaccuracies in the prefs work. Mr. Millar grew impatient to have the book published, fo that it was impoffible to fend down the proofs to me. I hope, however, the papers will be abundantly intelligible. I published them only to confirm my own fyftem, about particular facts, not to obtain the character of an Antiquarian. If upon perufing the book you difcover any inaccuracies, either with regard to Style or facts, whether of great or of fmall importance I will efteem it a very great favour, if you'll be fo good as to communicate them to me. I hall likewife be indebted to you, if you'll let me know what reception the book meets with among the Literati of your acquaintance. I hope you will be particularly pleafed with the Critical Differtation at the end, which is the production of a co-partnership between me and your friend Mr. Davidfon. Both Sir D. Dalrymple and he offer compliments to you. If Dean Tucker be in town this Winter, I beg you would offer my compliments to him. I am w.great regard Dr. fir Edinburgh, Jan. 1759. To DR. BIRCH. Dear Sir, I beg leave once more to have recourfe to your good nature and to your love of literature, and to prefume upon putting you to a piece of trouble. After confidering feveral fubjects for another Hiftory I have at laft fixed upon the reign of Charles V. which contains the firft eftablishment of the prefent political fyftem of Europe. I have begun to labour feriously upon my task. One of the firft things requifite was to form a catalogue of books, which must be confulted. As I never had access to any copious Libraries, I do not pretend to any extenfive knowledge of Authors, but I have made a lift of fuch as I thought most effential to the fubject, and have put them down juft in the order in which they occurred to me, or as I found them mentioned in any book I happened to read. I beg you would be fo good as to look it over, and as your erudition and knowledge of books is infinitely fuperior to mine I doubt not but you'll be able to make fuch additions to my Catalogue, as may be of great ufe to me. I know very well and to my Sorrow, how fervilely Hiftorians copy from one another, and how little is to be learned from reading many books, but at the fame time when one writes upon any particular period it is both neceffary and decent for him to confult every book relating to it, upon which he can lay his hands. I am fufficiently Master of French and Italian; but have no knowledge of the Spanish or German tongues. I flatter myself that I fhall not fuffer much by this, as the two former languages together with the Latin, will fupply me with books in abundance. Mr. Walpole informed me fome time ago that in the Catalogue of Harleian MSS. in the British Mufeum, there is a volume of papers relating to Charles V, it is No. 295. I do not expect much from it, but it would be extremely obliging if you would take the trouble of looking into it & of informing me in general what it Contains. In the Catalogue I have inclofed, this mark x is prefixed to all the books which I can get in this Country; if you yourself, or any friend with whom you can use freedom, have any of the other books in my lift, & will be fo good as to send them to Mr. Millar he will forward them to me & I fhall receive them with great gratitude, & return them with much punctuality. I beg leave to offer compliments to all our common friends, & particularly to Dean Tucker, if he be in Town this feafon. I wish it were in my power to confer any return for all the trouble you have taken in my behalf Edinburgh, 13 Decr. 1759. From DR. BIRCH. To the REV. DR. ROBERTSON, at Edinburgb. Dear Sir London 3 Jany. 1760. Your Letter of the 13 Dec. was particularly agreeable to me, as it acquainted me with your refolution to refume your hiftoric pen, & to undertake a subject which from it's importance and Extent, & your manner of treating it, will be highly acceptable to the public. I have perufed your lift of Books to be confulted on this occafion; and after tranfcribing it have delivered it to Mr. Millar; & fhall now make fome additions to it. The new Hiftoric d'Allemagne by father Barre, Chancellor of the University of Paris, published a few years ago in feveral volumes in q°. is a work of very good Credit, and to be perused by you; as 1796.] Original Letters between Doctors Birch and Robertson. as is likewife the fecond Edition of Abrégé chronologique de l'Hifiore & du Droit public d'Allemagne juft printed at Paris, and formed upon the plan of Prefident Henault's Nouvelle Abrégé chronologique de l'Hiftoire de France, in which the reigns of Francis I and Henry II will be proper to be seen by you. The Memoires pour fervir à L'hiftoire du Cardinal Granvelle by father Rofper Levefque a benedictin Monk which were printed at Paris in two Vol. 12° in 1753 contain fome particulars relating to Charles V. But this performance is much lefs curious than it might have been, confidering that the Author had the advantage of a vaft Collection, above an hundred volumes of the Cardinal's original papers, at Bezançon. Among these are the papers of his Eminence's father who was Chancellour & Minister to the Emperor Charles V. Bishop Burnet in the Summary of Affairs before the Reftoration prefixed to his Hiftory of his own time, mentions a life of Frederick Elector Palatine who firft reformed the Palatinate as curiously written by Hubert Thomas Leodius. This book tho' a very rare one, is in my ftudy & fhall be fent to you. You will find in it many facts relating to your Emperor. The Manufcript was luckily faved when the library of Heydelberg was plundered and conveyed to the Vatican after the taking of that City in 1622 and it was printed in 1624 at Francfort in 4to. The writer had been Secretary & Councellor to the Elector. Another book which I fhall tranfmit to you is a valuable collection of State papers made by Monf Rivier and printed at Blois in 1665, in two vols fo. They relate to the reigns of Francis I, Henry II and Francis II of France. The indexes will direct you to fuch paffages as concern the Emperor. As Mons. Amelot de la Houffaie who was extremely converfant in modern hiftory has in the 1st Tome of his Memoires Hiftoriques politiques et litteraires from p. 156 to 193 treated of Charles V I fhall add that book to my parcel. Varillas's Life of Henry. II of France fhould be looked into, tho' that Historian has not at prefent much reputation for exactness and veracity. 565 Dr. Fiddes in his life of Cardinal Wol fey has frequent occafion to introduce the Emperor his Contemporary, of which Bayle in his dictionary gives us an exprefs article and not a fhort one, for it confifts of eight of his pages. Roger Afcham Queen Elizabeth's Preceptor when he was Secretary to St. Richard Morifin amb. from K Edward VI to the imperial Court wrote to a friend of his a Report & difcourfe of the affairs & ftate of Germany and the Emperor Charles's Court. This was printed in the reign of Queen Elizabeth ; but the copies of that Edition are now very rare. However this will be foon made public being reprinted in an Edition of all the Author's English works now in the press. The Epitres des Princes tranflated from the Italian by Belleforeft will probably fupply you with fome few things to your purpose. Vol 295 among the Harleian MSS. contains little remrkable except fome letters from Henry VIII's amb. in Spain in 1518 of which you may fee an abstract in the printed Catalogue. In Dr. Hayne's Collection of State papers in the Hatfield history p 56 is a long letter of the Lord of the Council of Henry VIII. in 1546 to his amb1. with the Emperor. To DR. BIRCH. Extract from a letter of Dr. Robertson, dated College of Edinburgh, Oct. 8, 1765. *** I have met with many interruptions in carrying on my Charles, partly from bad health, and partly from the avocations arifing from performing the duties of my office. But I am now within Sight of Land. The hiftorical part of the work is finished & I am bufy with a preliminary book in which I propose to give a view of the progress in the State of Society, Laws, Manners, and Arts from the irruption of the barba rous nations to the beginning of the fixteenth century. This is a laborious undertaking; but I flatter myself that I fhall be able to finish it in a few Months. I have kept the books you was fo good as to fend me, & fhall return them carefully as foon as my work is done. ORIGINAL ORIGINAL POETRY. OTHRYADES, A MONO-DRAMA. ARGUMENT. A difpute had arisen between Sparta and Ar- SCINE-The Field of Battle-A Trophy erected "TIS done-yon high-rear'd trophy fhall Thy conqueft, Sparta: Argos now no moré 'Twas a fierce fight, The never-fading wreath. My mother, too, To clafp her conquering husband to her heart! Fairly yon opening morning gilds the sky- drench'd But what remains For me?-Shall I return to tell the tale The moping head; and I fhall with in vain, her beauties to a recreant's arms. Yes, Sparta fhall receive the glorious tale From her Othryades; and when the reads Thus on my fhield, the tidings traced in blood Victorious, "I have conquered," the fhall rank Othryades amid the hero train. Come then, good falchion! thou haft often fed ADRIAN'S TRANSLATION OF Α LATIN WHILE burning with poetic fire, POEM DE To thee I tune th' applaufive lyre; And fwear my fhabby tatters fhow it: A HYMN, COMPOSED IN A MORNING'S WALK NEAR CONGLETON, MAY 13, 1758. By the late Rev. MR. TURNER, of Wakefield. "THESE are thy glorious works, Parent of Good;" The hill, the vale, the pastures, and the wood; Rich in thy bounties, in thy beauties gay, The fpotlefs azure Heav'as rejoice on high. At thy command, the Vapours foftly shower. round With genial influence broods o'er the teeming ground! By thee, yon lofty Mountain † rears its head: By thee, this humble Valley finks its bed. Vid. Mr. Rofcoe's Life of Lorenzo, Append. # Vol. I. + The Cloud. Through which Dane-Inch runs. 567 Thefe riv'lets § thine, which murmur through the mead; To thee, great Source of Good, their winding channels lead. Call'd forth by thee, thefe Woods their leaves difplay, T'enrich their verdure in the folar ray. To these fair blooming hopes thy bleffing grant! What various flow'ry beauties fpread the field, Which through the healthy air their fragrance How many more their modeft graces hide Blend their unrival'd tinctures, and confess, thy hand. The feather'd tribes to thee their voices raise, Rejoice in being, and refound thy praife. With lab'ring wing, the lark, fcarce feen on high, Inceffant pours his mattins through the sky. Perch'd on yon lofty poplar's topmaft fpray, The thrill thrush welcomes the bright source of day. Deep in the thicket hid, the blackbird fhy, His mellow whistle tunes, to aid the common joy. The wood-lark, glory of the warbling Alternate finks, and fwells his varied fong. In deeper note the ring-dove 'midst the groves, Delighted hear, and fhout the cuckoo's fimple tale. The flocks and herds, whom thou fupEnjoying thank thee, and pronounce it good. ply'ft with food, The tender lambs their harmless fports purfue. The fleecy people crop the early dew; The heifer's low fills all the valleys round; The mimic wood-nymph propagates the found. The fweet-breath'd cows the herbage greedy graze, The frolic calf his clumfy gambols plays. The branches of Dane-Inch. The SONG, FOR A FAMILY PARTY, (Tune-" Precious Goblet.") HAIL the feftive joyous hour! Welcome ev'ry focial power! Smooth, old Time, thy furrow'd brow, Far hence be care and forrow now: Love and Friendship crown the day, Ev'ry heart fhall own their fway. Mem'ry, bring thy choiceft ftores; Fancy, ftrew thy brightest flow'rs; Hymen, god of chafte defires, Now trim thy lamp, and fan thy fires: Love and friendship crown the day, Ev'ry heart hall own their fway. Tell of childhood's playful years, Free from cares, and free from fears; Tell of youthful sports and wiles, And tender fighs, and wanton fmiles: Love and friendship crown the day, Ev'ry heart fhall own their fway. Sing the parent's op'ning joys, While love each kindred bofom warms: Sing the precious fruit matur'd, Love and friendship crown the day, W. E. GLEE. (Glorious Apollo.) GODDESS of FREEDOM, from on high be hold us, While thus we dedicate to thee our lays; Long in thy cause hath principle enroll❜d us, Here, to thy name, a monument we raife. Thus then combining, heart and voice joining Sing we in harmony to FREEDOM's praife." Here ev'ry gen'rous fentiment awaking Zeal that infpir'd our patriots of yore; Each pledge of Freedom giving and partaking, Join we our bleeding country to restore. Thus then combining, heart and voice joining, Send the fhouts of LIBERTY from fhore to fhore. J.T. The ODE to SOLITUDE, aud fome other accepted Pieces, will appear in our next. A CORRECT |