true and honourable. I wish particularly to know whether any of the feven poems, excepting those of Amr'olkais and Tarafa, will be published in Holland. You fhall receive

my book, which will be elegantly bound by Baumgarten.

My mother, whom I most tenderly loved, was ever in my opinion the best of women; I trust she is now the happiest. But my affliction for her lofs is inconfolable. I fhall be most happy to hear that you and your wife are well, and the early gratification of my wishes will be an additional pleasure.

Mr. JONES to Mr. GIBBON.

Lamb's Buildings, June 30th, 1781.

DEAR SIR,

I have more than once sought, without having been fo fortunate as to obtain, a proper opportunity of thanking you very fincerely for the elegant compliment which you pay me, in a work abounding in elegance of all kinds.

My Seven Arabian Poets will fee the light

before next winter, and be proud to wait upon you in their English drefs. Their wild productions will, I flatter myself, be thought interefting, and not venerable merely on account of their antiquity.

In the mean while, let me request you to honour me with accepting a copy of a Law Tract, which is not yet published: the subject is fo generally important, that I make no apology for fending you a profeffional work.

You must pardon my inveterate hatred of C. Octavianus, bafely furnamed Auguftus. I feel myself unable to forgive the death of Cicero, which, if he did not promote, he might have prevented. Befides, even Mecænas knew the cruelty of his difpofition, and ventured to reproach him with it. In short, I have not Chriftian charity for him.

With regard to Afiatic letters, a necessary attention to my profeffion will compel me wholly and eternally to abandon them, unless Lord North (to whom I am already under no small obligation) fhould think me worthy to concur

in the improved administration of justice in Bengal, and fhould appoint me to fupply the Were that vacancy on the India Bench.

appointment to take place this year, I fhould probably travel, for fpeed, through part of Egypt and Arabia, and fhould be able, in my way, to procure many Eastern tracts of literature and jurisprudence. I might become a good Mahomedan lawyer before I reached Calcutta, and, in my vacations, fhould find leisure to explain, in my native language, whatever the Arabs, Perfians, and Turks, have written on science, history, and the fine arts.

My happiness by no means depends on obtaining this appointment, as I am in eafy circumftances without my profeffion, and have flattering profpects in it; but if the prefent fummer and the ensuing autumn elapfe without my receiving any anfwer, favourable or unfavourable, I fhall be forced to confider that filence as a polite refufal, and, having given fincere thanks for past favours, shall entirely drop all thoughts of Afia, and,

deep as ever plummet founded, shall drown

my Perfian books." If my politics have given offence, it would be manly in minif

ters to tell me so. I fhall never be perfonally hoftile to them, nor enlift under party banners of any colour; but I will never resign my opinions for intereft, though I would cheerfully abandon them on conviction. My reason, fuch as it is, can only be controlled by better reason, to which I am ever open. As to my freedom of thought, fpeech, and action, I fhall ever fay what Charles XII. wrote under the map of Riga, "Dieu me l'a donnee; le diable ne me l'otera pas." But the fair answer to this objection is, that my fyftem is purely fpeculative, and has no relation to my feat on the bench in India, where I should hardly think of inftructing the Gentoos in the maxims of the Athenians. I believe I fhould not have troubled you with this letter, if I did not fear that your attendance in parliament might deprive ine of the pleasure of meeting you at the club next Tuesday; and I fhall go to Oxford a few

days after. At all times, and in all places, I fhall ever be, with undiffembled regard, dear Sir, your much obliged and faithful fervant,

W. JONES.

The Bishop of St. ASAPH to Mr.

JONES.

DEAR SIR;

Nov. 3, 1781.

A letter from you is always welcome, come fooner or later; yet I cannot help rejoicing at that ceafelefs hurry of bufinefs, which occafioned your delay in writing, and made me lofe a very valuable visit. Riches and reputation, after fhewing a little coynefs at firft, are now making their advances at a very great rate, and will foon be as lavish of their charms as you could wish;

yet I know you think too liberally, to let either your friends or your liberty fuffer by their eng offing you too much.

I thank you for the nuptial ode, which, notwithstanding its incorrectness, which you need not complain of, is the most genuine