fit. He is a loss which we shall not easily replace. Ninetenths of the vigour and industry of opposition were in him. God bless you, my dear Sir. We live as in a battle. I am, till my time comes, sincerely yours, ROBERT SMITH.

W. Smith, Esq. "the excellent Representative of Norwich," to Dr. Parr.

MY DEAR DR.

Norwich, Wednesday, June 30, 1802. I am sure it gave me pleasure to hear from you the other day respecting yourself, and I dare say it will be pleasant to you to be informed that we go on extremely well here. I am not one to indulge myself in sanguine expectations in these matters; but I can safely say that, from every appearance of our canvass in every part, it is difficult to imagine the possibility either of exerting undue influence, or of devising unfair expedients in any degree sufficient to defeat our hopes. Our friends think we cannot fail, and their spirits are proportionably raised. Notwithstanding all the compliments you are pleased to pay me, I can assure you that I had made up my own mind to be very easy out of Parliament, and should not have given myself any more trouble than merely that of going down to Sudbury, and proposing myself to their choice without canvassing and without expence. The being invited to Norwich, and the prospect of assisting to gain a victory over such a champion, such a Greek as Windham, has infused into me so much electioneering ardour, as that I have actually been here, on the spot, engaged actively in the business for nearly four weeks out of the last five, sacrificing all my peace and quiet to noise and uproar, exchanging my home and my family for alehouses and meetings of freemen, &c. &c. &c. I find, however, many agreeable people, much private friendship, and abundance of zeal in the common cause. I see Dr. Parr's portrait in their houses, and I feel the influence of principles like his own in their conduct on the other hand, the opposite party treat me with much personal civility, while the agents and scribblers abuse me like I know not what. This, however, I bear with all Christian patience, and allow them to write what they please so long as

they excuse me the task of reading it. If, per discrimina rerum tendimus ad Latium, the buffets of the voyage will not discompose me for a moment. Health and success; the former to you, the latter to myself.

Yours truly,

W. SMITH.

The Hon. W. R. Spencer, to Dr. Parr.

DEAR SIR,

Richmond, July 4, 1796.

I have sent you a trifling publication, which perhaps may be worthy of your acceptance from the beauty of its typography and engravings; it was done merely to give the world a specimen of Lady Di's wonderful talents.* And she would not consent to appear in public without a chaperon. I need not say that if ever you visit this part of the world, I shall be sincerely happy to receive you in my cottage; it is poor and small, but in an enchanting situation. I had hoped to meet you at Oxford last February, but on my return from Blenheim you were unfortunately at Sir J. Throckmorton's. I beg my best compliments to all your family. I shall ever remember Mrs. Parr's former kindness to me with real gratitude and affection. Adieu, my dear Sir, and believe me to be your very faithful friend and servant, W. R. SPENCer. If you have ever any commands for me my poste restante is Richmond, Surrey.

MY DEAR FRIEND,

Curzon-street, Monday.

I found your letter on my return to town yesterday, and most willingly contribute my younger brother's mite. I sincerely hope that your new set of bells may soon be worn out by repeated peals of joy at your private prosperity; as to public events, I fear, with you, that they will have but little employment. You will be glad to hear that Horner is once more a senator; had we many more such we might still be saved. Our friends Sharp and Ward have eminently distinguished themselves, their trophies do not hurt my sleep; but, as you say, I am still auditing revenue accounts, “ Semper ego auditor tan

*Lady Diana Beauclerk.

tum?" Had I affluence, at least with my obscurity, I ought to be contented, but my dirty fiscal bread is soon devoured by six children! Mrs. Spencer, since her last child, has been better in health than I ever remember her; she would desire her kindest regards to you, but she is angry at your desertion of London. Pray give my kindest regards to Mrs. Parr, and believe me very cordially yours, W. R. SPENCER. P. S. I shall publish a volume of poems soon, which shall be sent to you.

Right Hon. George Tierney, M. P. to Dr. Parr.

MY DEAR SIR,

London, Jan. 13, 1797.

I am much flattered by your letter; so much so that I have thought it, if not polite, at least prudent, to suffer some time to elapse before I returned an answer, in order that the fumes of my vanity might be passed away, and that I might write like a man of this world. I am now pretty well recovered, but not so entirely restored to myself that I dare touch upon the subject which has been the cause of your compliments. That I may not be exposed to the hazard of a relapse, I will beg leave to go at once into quite another matter.

I wish you would give me your opinion on Pitt's Poor Bill. How is it relished in the neighbourhood of Warwick? Are the provisions of it practicable without (for the present at least) a considerable increase of the poor rates, and must not the accession of influence to country magistrates be enormous? These are questions which I know you are peculiarly qualified to give me information upon, and which I will be much obliged to you for. I cannot but think that Pitt expects to gain much popularity by this Poor Bill, particularly with the country gentlemen; and I should therefore be glad to understand whether it is really liable to the objections which occur to me, or it is a wholesome and beneficial measure. If, in the estimation of those who are most likely to form a proper judgment on the subject, it is thought to be of the latter description, no party views ought to be allowed to encourage any opposition to it; and if, on the other hand, it is as objectionable as I conceive it to be, it ought to be thoroughly explained

to the country at large, that the imposition may be detected

and exposed.

I hear no news.

Ireland has had a narrow escape, for which she owes every thing to the winds. In the course of the spring I shall hope for the pleasure of meeting you in town, and remain, my dear Sir, very faithfully yours,

GEORGE TIERNEY.

DEAR SIR,

Grafton-street, Nov. 20, 1809.

In your character of Mr. Fox, where you do me the honour to mention my name, you state that I obtained a very high place and a very lucrative pension under Lord Sidmouth.

Now the fact is, that I never, either directly or indirectly, applied for a pension, and certainly never received one, or any thing in the nature of one for myself or any of my family. I state this to you that you may not continue in an error as to the fact, and not from any feeling that it would be matter of reproach if I had obtained what you, by mistake, suppose me to possess, or from any wish that you should take the trouble to contradict what, from false information, you have been led to affirm. Indeed, the only favour I have to beg of you is, that in the next edition of your work you would have the goodness to make the necessary correction without comment or observation, and in the mean time let the matter rest as it now stands. Nothing would be more unpleasant to me than to have my name brought into public discussion by any formal explanation of the mistake into which you have, I am sure, most inadvertently fallen. Believe me to be, dear Sir, very truly yours, GEORGE TIERNEY.

G. V. Vernon, Esq. M. P. to Dr. Parr.

MY DEAR SIR, 72, South Audley-street, April 28, 1820. I should have written from Woburn to thank you for the copious information which you were good enough to send me on the topic of music, but I thought it would have been more useful to you that you should hear of my actual establishment on the London pavement, and of my readiness to execute the

offer which I made to you relative to your correspondence. I had also hopes to see before now my brother William, who has been expected here, and to obtain from him a sight of the paper you allude to about the poor gerund, which may be useful to me, though not to that imaginary being whom you have invested with the shape and substance of my son, and with the moral qualities which, if I had one, I should be most happy to hear assigned to him; but, unluckily, I have no Astyanax to plague with gerunds and prosody, which I do not mean to inflict on the little girl whom you probably saw at Woburn. The Bedfords are in town for a few days, but go next week to Devonshire. The Archbishop has desired me to make his best compliments to you. I am very faithfully, G. V. VERNON.

MY DEAR SIR,

Woburn, April 2.

I am much indebted to you, and to your assistant scribe, for the trouble you have taken in sending me the authorities for your derivation of Mosaic. There seems, indeed, to be no doubt on the point, but I shall be glad to see the quotation from Spon; as I believe he describes a pavement at Lyons which I have seen, and thought a beautiful specimen of that art. I have seen the process of composing these eternal pictures both at Florence and Rome. In the former place pietra dura is almost exclusively used, and the artificial material in the latter. We have all regretted much that you could not make us a longer visit; we have the pleasure of expecting Dr. Maltby to-morrow, he will find a Westminster Usher here who is making us a paschal visit, but I hope they will have no controversy about the gerund in do. I have the pleasure of learning from him that my youngest brother, who is about to become captain of the school, is a good poet, and likely to be worthy of your notice at your next visit to Bishopthorpe.

Lord Gower desires me to assure you that he is grateful for your recollection of him, and wishes he could induce you to call upon him at Trentham. Lady Elizabeth begs you to accept her best regards, and I should be charged with more compliments if I were not writing in the solitude of my own room. I am, dear Sir, yours very faithfully, G. VERNON.