trious universities. I really was at a loss to decide, whether I should begin my letter by congratulating you on having so excellent a translator, or by thank ing you for this agreeable proof of your remembrance. I look forward to the increasing splendour, which the arts and sciences must attain in a country, where the son of the king possesses genius and erudition capable of trauslating, and illustrating with learned notes, the first of the Roman historians: how few youths amongst the nobility, in other countries, possess the requisite ability or inclination for such a task! The history of Sallust is a performance of great depth, wisdom, and dignity to understand it well, is no small praise; to explain it properly, is still more commendable; but to traus late it elegantly, excites admiration. If all this had been accomplished by a private individual, he would have merited applause; if by a youth, he would have had a claim to literary honours; but when to the title of youth, that of prince is added, we cannot too highly extol, or too loudly applaud, his distinguished merit.

Many years are elapsed since I applied myself to the study of your learned language, but I well remember to have read in it with great delight the heroic poem of Alonzo, the odes of Garcilasso, and the humorous stories of Cervantes: but I most sincerely declare, that I never perused a more elegant or polished composition than the translation of Sallust; and I readily subscribe to the opinion of the learned author in his preface, that the Spanish language approaches very nearly to the dignity of the Latin.

May the accomplished youth continue to deserve

well of his country and mankind, and establish his claim to distinction above all the princes of the age! If I may be allowed to offer my sentiments, I would advise him to study most diligently the divine works of Cicero, which no man, in my opinion, ever perused without improving in eloquence and wisdom. The epistle which he wrote to his brother Quintus, on the government of a province, deserves to be daily repeated by every sovereign in the world: his books on Offices, on Moral Ends, and the Tusculan Questions, merit a hundred perusals; and his Orations, nearly sixty in number, deserve to be translated into every European language: nor do I scruple to affirm, that his sixteen books of letters to Atticus are superior to almost all histories, that of Sallust excepted. With respect to your own compositions, I have read, with great attention, and will again read, your most agreeable book. I am informed that you propose giving a Latin translation of it, and I hope you will do it for the benefit of foreigners. I see nothing in it which requires alteration,-nothing which is not entitled to praise. I much wish that you would publish more of your treatises on the antiquities of Asia and Africa: I am confident they would be most acceptable to such as study those subjects. I have only, for the present, to conclude, by bidding you farewell in my own name, and that of the republic of letters.

Farewell.

XXXVII.

To G. S. Michaelis.*

November, 1774.

I BEG you will do me the justice to believe that I have read your books with great attention. I neither entirely admit nor reject your opinion on the fables of the Hebrews; but, until the subject be better known and explored, I am unwilling to depart from the received opinions concerning them. Your approbation of my Commentaries gives me sincere pleasure. Nothing is more true than that I have renounced the Asiatic Muses and polite literature; and that, for twenty years at least, I have determined neither to write nor think about them. The Forum is my lot, and the law engrosses all my attention. Be assured, however, that I shall ever retain my esteem both for yourself and your works.

Farewell.

Written in Latin.

XXXVIII.

To Lady Spencer.

MADAM,

Duke Street.

I take the liberty to present your ladyship with a copy of my poems, and cannot refrain from acquainting you with a plain truth; that the first of them, called Solima, would never have been written, if I had never had the honour of knowing your ladyship.

I am just come from Harrow, where it gave me inexpressible happiness to see lord Althorpe per fectly well, extremely improved, and deservedly beloved by all, as much as by his real friend, and

Your ladyship's

most obedient and faithful servant,

WILLIAM JONES.

XXXIX.

From Lady Spencer.

SIR, Althorpe, Jan. 10, 1775. THE Continual hurry occasioned by having a house full of company, added to my not having been quite well, has prevented my thanking you sooner for your letter you cannot doubt of my being much flattered, at your thinking you find any resemblance between my character and that of Solima, and still more at your telling the world you do: I shall always look upon that poem as a model you have set up for my imitation, and shall only be sorry I do not approach nearer to it, especially after you have called upon me, in so public a manner, to improve myself in the ways of virtue and benevolence. I must decline your second request of criticising, as I have neither time nor talents for such an office, nor do I think` your works require it.

I am delighted with your invention of the Andrometer, and wish every body would form one for themselves: it would be of infinite use to numbers of people, who, from indolence and dissipation,