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Thomas Gray to William Mason, 10 July 1767

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Dear Mason

We are all impatient to see you in proportion to our various interests & inclinations. Old-Park thinks, she must die a maid, if you don't come & lay her out: the River Atom weeps herself dry, & the Minikin cries aloud for a channel. when you can determine on your own motions, we pray you to give us immediate notice. soon as you arrive at Darlington, you will go to the King's-Head, where may be had two Postillons, either of wch know the road hither: it is about 16 miles, & runs by Kirk-Merrington, & Spenny-moor House; a little rough, but not bad or dangerous in any part. your Aunt (I hope) is well again, & little Clough produces a plentiful crop: delay therefore no longer.

Mr Br: is enchanted & beatified with the sight of Durham, whither he went yesterday. I perform'd your commission to Mrs Wilkinson, who express'd herself (I thought) like a Woman of a good heart, & wish'd much to see you.

Adieu! we really long for you.
Letter ID: letters.0502 (Source: TEI/XML)

Correspondents

Writer: Gray, Thomas, 1716-1771
Writer's age: 50
Addressee: Mason, William, 1724-1797
Addressee's age: 43

Dates

Date of composition: 10 July 1767
Date (on letter): July 10: 1767
Calendar: Gregorian

Places

Place of composition: Durham, United Kingdom
Address (on letter): Old-Park, near Darlington

Content

Language: English
Incipit: We are all impatient to see you in proportion to our various interests...
Mentioned: 'Minikin'
Brown, James, 1709-1784
Darlington
Merrington
Old Park
Spennymoor House
Wharton, Thomas, 1717-1794

Holding Institution

Location:
(confirmed)
Henry W. And Albert A. Berg Collection of English and American Literature, Humanities and Social Sciences Library, New York Public Library , New York, NY, USA <https://www.nypl.org/about/divisions/berg-collection-english-and-american-literature>
Availability: The original letter is extant and usually available for academic research purposes

Print Versions

  • The Correspondence of Thomas Gray and William Mason, with Letters to the Rev. James Brown, D.D. Ed. by the Rev. John Mitford. London: Richard Bentley, 1853, letter CXI, 390-391
  • The Letters of Thomas Gray, including the correspondence of Gray and Mason, 3 vols. Ed. by Duncan C. Tovey. London: George Bell and Sons, 1900-12, letter no. CCCIV, vol. iii, 146-147
  • Correspondence of Thomas Gray, 3 vols. Ed. by the late Paget Toynbee and Leonard Whibley, with corrections and additions by H. W. Starr. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1971 [1st ed. 1935], letter no. 446, vol. iii, 964-965