Page images
PDF
EPUB

Learned Friends, as, out of Tendernesse to my Reputation, would either have dehorted me from publishing it at all, or Incourag'd me with their kind Assistance: But, as I say'd, tis now too late; the Wounds so deepe, and so many; that the Crazy Vessel must never hope to make a more fortunate Adventur, unlesse Repair'd by such Masterly hands as yours: you would therefore infinitely Oblige me with your free Animadversions: I should (I assure you) most thankfully Receive, and Acknowledge them, as becomes,

S',

Your most humble and

most Obliged Servant

I. EVELYN.

I have endeavoured to reforme some of the grosser Errata, but the paper is so bad, that I should have but multiply'd faults instead of mending them." I have (in the meané time also) provided some considerable Materials for my own satisfaction and to leave it with some improvements, but without any intention of publishing them, after this miscariage."

LETTER

LETTER.

From the Duke of Portland, sent with a Copy of the Report on the Union between England and Scotland.

"THE Duke of Portland, presents. his compliments to Mr. PLANTA, and requests he will offer for the acceptance of the Trustees of the British Museum, a report on the union between England and Scotland, and the appendix containing the original papers, upon which the Report is founded.

When the question of Union between England and Ireland came under the consideration of His Majesty's Ministers, the Duke of Portland employed Mr. Bruce, the keeper of the State Papers, to collect in his office the Precedents in the History of the Union between England and Scotland, which might illustrate the subject, for the purpose of bringing in aid of the intended Arrangement with Ireland, the wisdom and experience of former times; by which investigation it will appear that many of the arguments which were brought against the Union with, Scotland, and which time has completely refuted, are the same with those, upon which the Opponents of an Union with Ireland at present rely.

Whitehall, 15 Feb. 1799."

A LETTER

A LETTER.

Copy of a Letter written by Dr. Robinson, the Editor of Hesiod, to Egerton, Bishop of Durham, with a large paper Copy of the Hesiod.

cuses.

My Lord,

· BEING prevented by the bad weather, and something else of more consequence to me, from paying my duty to your Lordship this year, I beg leave to send an old friend to wait upon you in my stead, and to make my exHe comes to you in a dress which, perhaps, some will think too gaudy for a gentleman of his age and character; but I considered what fine company he was to keep, if he should have the honour to be admitted into your Lp's library, and was therefore desirous to have him dressed in the uniform. Yr. Lp. is not unacquainted with the real worth of the man, and for the sake of it will excuse whatever has been improperly added to him, by,

[merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small]

THE CRUEL DEBTER.

AS fly leaves to an old book, of 1573, we find two complete, but not successive, leaves of an old play, entitled "The Cruell Debter." The Interlocutors who there appear, are Ophiletis, Rigor, Basileus, Proniticus, Flateri, Simulatyon. The names of the speakers are in the outer margin, and the directions. to the actors. The whole in black letter, except a line of Latin, which is printed in Italic. This fragment begins thus:

Ophiletis. It was tyme to haue in redynes all thynge

For yonder cometh Basileus my Lord &
Kynge.

Rygor. As far as we can let us stande asyde,

Bas.

Tyll he sendeth for you let us yonder abyde.
I thanke you Proniticus for your dylygence,
Doubt you not, but your paynes we wyll re-

compence.

I am pleased wth, the accomptes that you haue

taken

None of your bookes nor bylles shal be for

saken

The moste part of my debtters haue honestly

payed

And they that were not redy I have gently

dayed.

Pron

Pron.

Bas. Pron.

Bas.

Pron.

If it plese your grace we haue not finisht your mind,

Thear is one of your greatest debtters yett behind,

We have perused the parcelles in your bookes

set

And we find hym ten thousand talents in your

debt,

So we assigned hym before your grace to come
And to make a rekenyng for the whole sume.
I wene it be that unthryfty fellow Ophiletis.
Yea truly, if it like your grace, the same it is,
I cōmaunded hym to be redy here in place,
That we myght brynge hym before your grace.
Wyth all....tie I wolde haue hym sought,
And before myne owne presence to be brought.
I perceyue that he is eueu here at hand,

I see that in a redynes yonder he doth stand.

It is very evident, from the specimen thus preserved, that the subject of this drama was the unjust debtor in our Saviour's Parable; who, being forgiven a large debt by his Lord, persecuted his fellow-servant for a small one.

The above is in the possession of the Rev. Henry White, of Lichfield.

[blocks in formation]
« PreviousContinue »