which the arts and sciences muft attain in a country, where the fon of the king poffeffes genius and erudition, capable of tranflating and illuftrating with learned notes, the first of the Roman historians; how few youths amongst the nobility in other countries poffefs the requifite ability or inclination for fuch a task! The hiftory of Salluft is a performance of great depth, wisdom, and dignity: to underftand it well, is no fmall praife; to explain it properly, is ftill more commendable; but to tranflate it elegantly, excites admiration. If all this had been accomplished by a private individual, he would have merited applaufe; 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 clapsed since I applied myfelf to the study of your learned language, but I well rememb to have read in it with great delight the heroic poem of Alonzo, the odes of Garcilaffo, and the humorous ftories

of Cervantes: but I moft fincerely declare, that I never perused a more elegant or polished compofition than the translation of Salluft, and I readily fubfcribe 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 deferve well of his country and mankind, and eftablish his claim to diftinction above all the princes of the age! If I may be allowed to offer my sentiments, I would advise him to study moft diligently the divine works of Cicero, which no man, in my opinion, ever perused without improving in eloquence and wisdom. The epiftle which he wrote to his brother Quintus, on the government of a province, deferves to be daily repeated by every fovereign in the world; his books on offices, on moral ends, and the Tufculan questions, merit a hundred perufals; and his orations, nearly fixty in number, leferve to be tranf lated into every European language; nor do I fcruple to affirm, that his fixteen books of

letters to Atticus, are fuperior to almost all hiftories, that of Salluft excepted. With respect to your own compofitions, I have read with great attention, and will again read, your moft agreeable book. I am informed that you propofe giving a Latin translation of it, and I hope you will do it for the benefit of foreigners. I fee nothing in it which requires alteration,-nothing which is not entitled to praife. I much wish that you would publish more of your treatises on the antiquities of Afia and Africa. I am confident they would be moft acceptable to fuch as study thofe fubjects. I have only for the present to conclude by bidding you farewell in my own name, and that of the republic of letters. -Farewell.

* Mr. JONES 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 * Appendix, No. 28.

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 fincere pleasure. Nothing is more true than that I have renounced the Afiatic 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 engroffes all my attention, Be affured, however, that I fhall ever retain my esteem both for yourself and -Farewell,

your works,

Mr. JONES 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 inexpreffible happiness to fee Lord Althorp perfectly well, extremely improved, and defervedly beloved by all, as much as by his real friend, and

The continual hurry occafioned by having a house full of company, added to my not having been quite well, has prevented my thanking you fooner for your letter; you cannot doubt of my being much flattered, at your thinking you find any refemblance 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 fet for up imitation, and shall only be forry I do not approach nearer to it, especially after you

my