Thomas Gray to Thomas Wharton, 25 March 1756

Tho' I had no reasonable excuse for myself before I received your last letter, yet since that time I have had a pretty good one, having been taken up in quarrelling with Peter-house, & in removing myself from thence to Pembroke. this may be look'd upon as a sort of Æra in a life so barren of events as mine, yet I shall treat it in Voltaire's manner, & only tell you, that I left my lodgings, because the rooms were noisy, & the People of the house dirty. this is all I would chuse to have said about it; but if you in private should be curious enough to enter into a particular detail of facts & minute circumstances, Stonhewer who was witness to them will probably satisfy you. all, I shall say more, is, that I am for the present extremely well lodged here, & as quiet as in the Grande Chartreuse; & that every body (even the Dr Longs & Dr Mays) are as civil, as they could be to Mary de Valence in person. with regard to any advice I can give as to the Hospital, I freely own it ought to give way to Dr. H:s counsels, who is a much better judge, & (I should think) disinterested. I love refusals no more than you do; but as to your Effluvia, I maintain, that one sick rich has more of pestilence & putrefaction about him, than a whole ward of sick Poor.

You should have received Mason's present as last Saturday. I desire you to tell me your critical opinion of the new Ode: & also whether you have found out two lines, wch he has inserted in another of them, that are superlative. we do not expect, that the world, wch is just going to be invaded, will bestow much attention on them. if you hear any thing, you will tell us.

The similitude between the Italian Republicks & those of ancient Greece has often struck me, as it does you. I do not wonder, that Sully's Memoirs have highly entertain'd you. but can not agree with you in thinking him or his Master two of the best Men in the world. the King was indeed one of the best-natured Men, that ever lived. but it is owing only to chance, that his intended Marriage with Mad: d'Estrées, or with the Marq:se de Verneuil, did not involve him & the kingdom in the most inextricable confusion; & his design upon the Princess of Condé (in his old age) was worse still. as to the Minister, his base application to Concini after the murther of Henry has quite ruin'd him in my esteem, & destroy'd all the merit of that honest surly Pride, for wch I honour'd him before. yet I own, that as Kings & Ministers go, they were both extraordinary Men. pray look at the end of Birch's State Papers of Sr T: Edmonde's, for the Character of the French Court at that time, written by Sr George Carew.

Pray don't suspect me of any such suspicions, as you mention. I would hardly believe you were tired of me, tho' you told me so yourself, sensible as I am nevertheless, that you might have reason enough to be so. to prove what I say, I have thoughts of coming to you for three days in April. there is to be a Concerto Spirituale, in wch the Mingotti (who has just lain in) & Ricciarelli will sing the Stabat Mater of Pergolesi. You & Mason & I are to be at it together, so pray make no excuses, nor put-offs. saving to you however the liberty of saying whether you have a bed to spare (I mean for me, not for him) in your house.