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the hand-writing of Gray, the editor has made the selection which he now offers to the public, with the most perfect confidence of its affording additional delight to those who have estimated the value of that part of the correspondence of Gray, formerly edited by Mr. Mason. In these letters, which are now published for the first time, they will acknowledge the same marks of that sound and correct judgment, that excellent sense, and polished taste, expressed in the most lively and unaffected language, and adorned by a fancy highly playful and elegant.

The great importance however which the editor attaches to this volume is, that it enables the public for the first time to read the genuine and uncorrupted correspondence of Gray, exactly in his own language, and printed from his own manuscripts. Mr. Mason has published about thirty letters from Gray to Dr. Wharton, in many of which he has transposed the sentences, inserted paragraphs from one letter into another, and connected these insertions with sentences of his own; in almost all, he has altered the style, and changed, in a greater or less degree, the truth and character of the original composition.

It was the intention of the editor to give in this place a specimen of one of the genuine letters compared with the rifacimento of Mr. Mason, but owing to the numerous transpositions; and from the manner in which a fictitious letter is often framed, from two, or even three original ones, it was found difficult to effect this with satisfaction; and it was therefore thought better to leave the comparison entirely to the curiosity of the reader.

The same volume which has been now entrusted to the present editor was lent by the late Dr. Wharton to Mr. Mason, when the latter was preparing to publish the memoirs of his friend: and the editor has the very best authority for stating, that Dr. Wharton was excessively displeased at the extraordinary liberties which Mr. Mason had taken with the volume that had been entrusted to his care. Much, of course, that may now be published with the greatest propriety, was at the time, in which Mr. Mason lived, very judiciously omitted by him. But for the system of alteration which he has intentionally, constantly, and silently adopted in that which he has published; so as often to disfigure and change the real style and manner of Gray; what reason can be assigned, what apology can be offered?

The editor has also been favoured, in the most obliging manner, with copies of the original letters from Gray to Mr. Taylor How, and he has found the same plan of transposition of sentences and alteration of style pursued by Mr. Mason in them. The blank spaces which sometimes occur in the following letters are occasioned by similar deficiencies in the original manuscript. Before Dr. Wharton entrusted his volume of letters to Mr. Mason, he cut out, and erased several passages. The editor has only further to observe, that he has formed the following selection according to the best of his judgment: he has made a few omissions where the subject turned on mere matters of business, or private and domestic circumstances; and he has taken the liberty of altering a very few words which occurred in the freedom of the most familiar correspondence; but it must be added, that this has not

taken place above three or four times in the whole collection of letters; and only in those cases where the original expression could not with propriety have been retained.

The notes marked with a W, are taken from the edition of Mr. Wakefield.

BENHALL, May 7th, 1816.

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