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Thomas Gray 1716-1771, comp. by Heidi Thomson

This Thomas Gray bibliography comprises two major sections: the first is devoted to primary material (collections, individual works, personal papers), the second to secondary materials (biographies, pre-1920 criticism, production and reception). The bibliography also includes information on collections of manuscripts and a list of bibliographies and reference works covering both primary and secondary materials. The bibliography is organized chronologically. Titles of works have been taken from their first editions, longer titles have usually been abbreviated. The number of volumes is indicated, unless it is one. The place of publication is assumed to be London unless otherwise stated. Names of publishers are not usually provided, but the names of series are given. A list of abbreviations has been added at the end.

Manuscripts

  • Smith, M. M.  Thomas Gray: 1716-1771.  In Index of English literary mss vol 3 pt 2 71-116.  London and New York 1989. 
  • Poetic commonplace books and manuscripts of Thomas Gray, 1716-1771 from Pembroke College, Cambridge: a listing and guide to the microfilm collection.  Reading 1991, 1999. 
  • Sutton, D. C.  Gray, Thomas, 1716-1771.  In Location register of English literary manuscripts and letters eighteenth and nineteenth centuries vol 1 413-5.  1995. 

Bibliographies and reference works

  • Cook, A. S.  A concordance to the English poems of Gray.  Boston 1908. 
  • Northup, C. S.  A bibliography of Gray.  New Haven 1917.  (Rptd New York 1970) Lists all printings of Gray's writings and writings about him.  See below, Starr.
  • Fukuhara, R.  A bibliographical study of Gray.  Tokyo 1933.  Includes Gray's marginalia on cookery printed for the first time from ms. 
  • Starr, H. W.  A bibliography of Gray 1917-51.  Philadelphia 1953, 1969, 1977.  A continuation of Northup, above 1977 edn has an index. 
  • Basden, E. B.  Thomas Gray in Buckinghamshire: a supplementary bibliography.  St Albans 1962.  Fifty copies for private circulation rpt Notes and Queries July August September 1962. 
  • McKenzie, A. T.  Thomas Gray: a reference guide.  Boston 1982.  A selective continuation of Northup above, and Starr above. 
  • Mell, D. C.  Thomas Gray (1716-1771).  In English poetry, 1660-1800: a guide to information sources vol 40 238-51.  Detroit 1982. 
  • Jackson, W.  Thomas Gray (26 December 1716-30 July 1771).  In Eighteenth-century British poets, second ser 168-82.  Ed J. Sitter.  Detroit and London 1999. 
  • Huber, A.  The Thomas Gray Archive.  Oxford 2000-ongoing.  <www.thomasgray.org>. 

Collections

  • Gray, Thomas.  The poems of Mr Gray, with memoirs prefixed.  Ed W. Mason.  York 1775.  1775, 2 vols Dublin 1775, 4 vols York 1778, 2 vols 1807, 1820, 1821, 2 vols 1827. Contains posthumous poems and fragments; Mason's memoirs are largely composed from Gray's letters, many in a garbled form.  (ESTC 1775: T107045 1775 2nd: T125123 1775 Dublin: T125261 1778: T90575) 
    Reviews: Annual Register 18 1775 226-9, CR 39 1775 378-88 and 460-8, GM 45 1775 285-90, London Magazine 44 1775 253, London Review 1 1775 406-14 and 477-90, MR 52 1775 377-87, MR 53 1775 1-11 and 97-104, Town & Country Magazine 7 1775 324.
  • Gray, Thomas.  The poems of Mr Gray, with notes [and life].  Ed G. Wakefield.  1786.  (ESTC T42615) 
    Reviews: CR 62 1786 132-6, GM 56 1786 591-3, MR 76 1787 505-13, New Annual Register 7.3 1786 279.
  • Gray, Thomas.  Poetical works.  Ed S. Jones.  1799.  With life and notes. 1800 (enlarged). Contains previously uncollected poems.  (ESTC 1799: N12054 1800: T124916) 
    Reviews: European Magazine 36 1799 326, GM 69 1799 877-8, Lady's Monthly Museum 3 1799 320-2, Monthly Mirror 8 1799 156-7, New London Review 2 1799 288.
  • Gray, Thomas.  The poems of Gray.  1800.  1801, with engravings designed by Hamilton and Fuseli.  (ESTC 1800: N12189) 
    Reviews: Anti-Jacobin Review 7 1800 417, British Critic 16 1800 318, CR 30 1800 347, GM 71 1801 157-8, Monthly Magazine and British Register 10 1800 609, MR n.s. 34 1801 95.
  • Gray, Thomas.  Poems, with critical notes, a life of the author and an essay on his poetry.  Ed J. Mitford.  1814. 
  • Gray, Thomas.  Works, with memoirs by William Mason, to which are subjoined extracts philosophical, political and critical. 2 vols.  Ed T. J. Mathias.  1814.  Vol 1 adds letters from Gray to Walpole to Mason's edn and life; vol 2 contains extracts from Gray's commonplace book and postscript by Mathias on Gray. 
    Reviews: MR n.s. 78 1815 384-97, Classical Jnl 11 1815 183-6.
  • Gray, Thomas.  Works. 2 vols.  Ed J. Mitford.  1816.  Vol 1, poems; vol 2, letters. 
  • Gray, Thomas.  Poetical Works.  Philadelphia 1818. 
  • Gray, Thomas.  The Poems of Thomas Gray.  1821.  With engravings from the designs of Richard Westall. 
  • Gray, Thomas.  Gray's letters and poems, with a life of the author.  New York 1821.  1827. 
  • Gray, Thomas.  The poems of Gray and Jago.  Chiswick 1822.  Vol 55 of The British Poets. 
  • Gray, Thomas.  The works of Thomas Gray. 2 vols.  1825. 
  • Gray, Thomas.  The poetical works of Milton, Young, Gray, Beattie, and Collins.  Philadelphia 1831.  1847. 
  • Gray, Thomas.  Works. 4 vols.  Ed J. Mitford.  1835-7.  1857-8. Vol 1, poems; vols 2-4, letters, many pbd for first time. Aldine edn. Gray's Correspondence with Nicholls, 1843 (Letters, below) was also issued as vol 5 of this edn. 
  • Gray, Thomas.  Poetical works.  Ed J. Moultrie.  Eton 1845.  1847 (adds An original life of Gray by J. Mitford). 
    Reviews: Athenaeum Aug 2 1845 765, GM n.s. 24 1845 219-35.
  • Gray, Thomas.  Poetical works.  Ed R. A. Wilmott.  London and New York 1854.  Berlin 1854 (illustr Foster and Corbould),1855 (2nd edn),1883, 1885. With Parnell, Collins, Green and T. Warton. 
    Reviews: Athenaeum Aug 26 1854 1040.
  • Gray, Thomas.  The life and poems.  Ed G. Gilfillan.  Edinburgh 1855.  London, Dublin, New York. With Johnson, Parnell and Smollett. 
  • Gray, Thomas.  Select poems.  Ed W. J. Rolfe.  New York 1876.  Inc The life of Thomas Gray by Robert Carruthers. 
  • Gray, Thomas.  Works in prose and verse. 4 vols.  Ed E. Gosse.  1884.  Vol 1, poems, journals, and essays; vols 2-3, letters; vol 4 notes on Aristophanes and Plato. 2 vols 1884, 4 vols Providence 1884, 1902-6, New York 1902-12, New York 1968 with index. 
    Reviews: Academy 27 1885 53, Athenaeum Jan 10 1885 44-5, Atlantic monthly 55 1885 566-8, Critic n.s.3 1885 74-5, Literary world 16 1885 75-6, Nation 40 1885 204-6, Saturday review 59 1885 121-2, Spectator 58 1885 612-3.
  • Gray, Thomas.  Poetical works, with introduction, life, notes and bibliography.  Ed J. Bradshaw.  1891.  New York. 
    Reviews: Critic n.s. 17 1892 33, Literary world 23 1892 14, Nation 54 1892 74, Spectator 67 1891 733, Westminster Rev 137 1892 111.
  • Gray, Thomas.  Selections from the poetry and prose.  Ed W. L. Phelps.  Boston 1894. 
    Reviews: Critic 24 1894 373, Harvard graduates' mag 3 1894 143-4.
  • Gray, Thomas.  Gray's English poems.  Ed D. C. Tovey.  Cambridge 1898.  1922. 
    Reviews: Academy 54 1898 243, Athenaeum June 25 1898 820, EStudien 27 1900 285, Revue critique n.s. 46 332-3.
  • Gray, Thomas.  Essays and criticisms.  Ed C. S. Northup.  Boston and London 1911. 
    Reviews: MLR 9 1914 113-5, Spectator 108 1912 586-7, TLS 10 1911 308.
  • Gray, Thomas.  Poems.  Ed J. Drinkwater.  London and New York 1912.  (EL) With letters and essays. 
  • Gray, Thomas.  The poetical works of Gray and Collins.  Ed A. L. Poole.  Oxford 1917.  1937 (rev L. Whibley) The poems of Gray and Collins. 
  • Gray, Thomas.  Poetry and prose.  Ed J. Crofts.  Oxford 1926.  1928. With essays by Johnson, Goldsmith and others. 
    Reviews: EStudien 66 1931 276.
  • Gray, Thomas.  Gray, Collins and their circle.  Ed W. T. Williams and G. H. Vallins.  [1937]. 
  • Gray, Thomas.  Poems.  Ed L. Whibley.  Oxford 1939.  (WC). 
  • Gray, Thomas.  Poems in Latin.  Ed J. Sparrow.  Oxford 1941. 
  • Gray, Thomas.  Complete poems, English, Latin and Greek.  Ed H. W. Starr and J. R. Hendrickson.  Oxford 1966.  Rptd with corrections 1972. 
    Reviews: Church quarterly review 168 1967 252, EIC 17 1967 213-21, English studies 52 1971 180-1, MLR 63 1968 199, N & Q n.s. 14 1967 434-6, RES 19 1968 209-11, TLS 29 Sep 1966 898.
  • Gray, Thomas.  Selected poems of Gray and William Collins.  Ed A. Johnston.  1967. 
    Reviews: Etudes anglaises 3 1967 326.
  • Gray, Thomas.  Poems.  Ed R. H. Lonsdale.  1969.  With Collins and Goldsmith. Rptd 1976. 
    Reviews: MLR 65 1970 879, RES 21 1970 506.
  • Gray, Thomas.  Complete English poems.  Ed J. Reeves.  1973.  New York. 
  • Gray, Thomas.  Poetical works.  Ed R. H. Lonsdale.  Oxford and New York 1977.  With Collins. OSA. Rptd Oxford paperbacks 1989. 
    Reviews: MLR 75 1981 173, RES 29 1978 483.
  • Gray, Thomas.  Selected poems.  Ed J. Heath-Stubbs.  Manchester 1981. 
  • Gray, Thomas.  Thomas Gray.  Ed R. Mack.  1996.  Everyman's poetry library. 
  • Gray, Thomas.  Selected poems.  Ed K. Turner.  London and New York 1997.  Pen 1998. With Churchill and Cowper. 
  • Gray, Thomas.  [collections].  Also Johnson 56; Anderson 10; Chalmers 14. 

Individual works

  • Gray, Thomas.  Ode on a distant prospect of Eton College.  1747.  (anon), Oxford 1924 (facs).  (ESTC T41948) 
  • Gray, Thomas.  Ode [on the spring]; Ode on the death of a favourite cat.  1748.  etc. In Dodsley's Collection of poems, vol 2. Anon, with Eton ode, above.  (ESTC T124507, T115891 2nd edn) 
  • Gray, Thomas.  An elegy wrote in a country church yard.  1751.  (anon). 5 edns in 1751 and 8 more pbd by Dodsley 1752-71. 3rd and 8th edns rev Gray. 3rd and later edns entitled An elegy written in a country churchyard. For a full account of the mss and all printings 1771, see edns by F. G. Stokes, Oxford 1929, and R. Fukuhara and H. Bergen, 1933. Rptd Oxford 1927 (facs); facs of 1st edn and Eton ms in edn by G. Sherburn, Los Angeles 1951 (Augustan Rpt Soc); ed H. Walpole 1938; ed D. Flower and A. N. L. Munby 1938 (in their English poetical autographs, with facs of Wharton ms); ed R. P. T. Coffin, New York 1940; facs of Eton ms and 1st edn in edn by Alastair MacDonald, Ilkley and London, 1976; Durham 2003.  (ESTC T71256, T71257 2nd edn, T71258 3d edn, T71258 4th edn, T71259 4th edn, N1278 5th edn, N46458 pir according to Northup) 
    Reviews: MR 4 1751 309.
  • Gray, Thomas.  Designs by Mr R. Bentley for six poems by Mr T. Gray.  1753.  Adds to the above A long story and Hymn to adversity. Rptd with Odes, 1757, 1765, 1766, 1775, 1789.  (ESTC T122525, T75219 2nd edn according to Hazen, N34030 3d edn according to Hazen, T127826 1765, N9933 1766, T129266 1775, N9937 1789) 
    Reviews: MR 8 1753 p.477.
  • Gray, Thomas.  Poems by Mr T. Gray.  Dublin 1756.  Rpts 6 poems in Bentley edn.  (ESTC T124743) 
  • Gray, Thomas.  Odes, by Mr Gray.  Strawberry Hill 1757.  The Progress of poesy and The bard. Dublin 1757. See A. T. Hazen, A bibliography of the Strawberry Hill press, New Haven 1942.  (ESTC T42023, N61348 Kirgate rpt, N10432 Dublin) 
    Reviews: CR 4 1757 167-70, Literary Magazine 2 1757 422-6, 466-8, MR 17 1757 239-43.
  • Gray, Thomas.  Epitaph on Mrs Clerke.  In GM 29 485.  Oct 1759. 
  • Gray, Thomas.  The union.  Dublin 1761.  Contains poems in the Bentley edn and adds the Odes, 1757.  (ESTC T133850) 
  • Gray, Thomas.  Poems by Mr Gray.  1768.  1768, Glasgow 1768, Dublin 1768, Cork 1768, 1770, Dublin 1771, 1771, Edinburgh 1773 (British poets, vol 42) with Lyttelton, 1774 (with life), Dublin 1775, Edinburgh 1775, 1776, Glasgow 1777, 1778, Dublin 1779, 1779, Glasgow 1782, 1786, 1787, 1788, 1790, Parma 1793. Adds The fatal sisters, The descent of Odin, and The triumphs of Owen, but omits A long story. Facs of Glasgow 1768 edn in edn by Arthur Sherbo, Menston and London 1973.  (ESTC T136298 1768, T55125 1768, T127821 Glasgow 1768, T60059 Cork 1768, T59849 Dublin 1768, T55692 Dublin 1768, N21057 Dublin 1768, T55124 1770, N11876 Dublin 1771, N11877 Dublin 1771, T204982 1771, T132037 Glasgow 1773, T173112 Glasgow 1773, T173112 Glasgow 1773, T144910 Edinburgh 1773, T124502 1774, N40595 Dublin 1775, T59850 Dublin 1775, N21059 Edinburgh 1775, T125811 1776, T78239 Glasgow 1777, N11839 1778, T173115 Dublin 1779, N11840 1779, T106331 Glasgow 1782, T132351 1786, T71273 1787, N28608 1788, T124973 1790, N21107 Parma 1793, N21109 Parma 1793) 
    Reviews: CR 25 1768 366-71, London Magazine 37 1768 157, MR 38 1768 408, Scots Mag 30 1768 361.
  • Gray, Thomas.  Ode performed in the Senate-House at Cambridge July 1 1769, at the installation of his Grace Augustus Henry Fitzroy, Duke of Grafton, Chancellor of the University.  Cambridge 1769.  1769. Anon.  (ESTC T96942, T41970) 
    Reviews: CR 28 1769 233-4, MR 41 1769 159-60.
  • Gray, Thomas.  On Lord Holland's seat near Margate, Kent.  1769.  Anon and unauthorized, as Inscription for a villa of a decayed statesman on the sea coast, in The new foundling hospital for wit pt 3 34-5. 
  • Gray, Thomas.  The candidate.  Feb 1777.  Apparently first pbd, without title, in London Evening Post. The flysheet containing the poem and once thought to have been circulated in Cambridge in 1764, when the poem was written, was printed after Gray's death, perhaps as late as 1787.  (ESTC T118227) 
  • Gray, Thomas.  Ode on the pleasure arising from vicissitude. 2 vols.  Ed L. Whibley.  San Francisco 1933.  Facs of Mason's trial printing of the text (with his own ending) ptd in his Memoirs of Gray in 1775. 

Personal papers

  • Gray, Thomas.  See Collections, above. 
  • Gray, Thomas.  The works of Horatio Walpole, Earl of Orford.  1798.  Vol 5. Gray's letters to Walpole.  (ESTC T149673) 
  • Gray, Thomas.  The correspondence of Gray and the Rev Norton Nicholls.  Ed J. Mitford.  1843.  Inc Nicholls's reminiscences of Gray. 
  • Gray, Thomas.  The correspondence of Gray and William Mason, with letters to James Brown.  Ed J. Mitford.  1853.  1855 (with addl notes). 
  • Gray, Thomas.  Letters. 3 vols.  Ed D. C. Tovey.  1900-12. 
  • Gray, Thomas.  The correspondence of Gray, Walpole, West and Ashton 1734-71. 2 vols.  Ed P. Toynbee.  Oxford 1915.  Rptd 1980. 
  • Gray, Thomas.  Correspondence. 3 vols.  Ed P. Toynbee and L. Whibley.  Oxford 1935.  1971 lithographic rpt with corrections and additions by H. W. Starr. 
  • Gray, Thomas.  Walpole's correspondence with Gray, West and Ashton.  Ed W. S. Lewis, G. L. Lam and C. H. Bennett.  New Haven 1948.  Vols 13-14 of Yale edn of Walpole's correspondence, rptd 1970. 
  • Gray, Thomas.  Selected letters.  Ed J. W. Krutch.  New York 1952. 

Biographies

  • Gray, Thomas.  The poems of Mr Gray, with memoirs prefixed.  Ed W. Mason.  York 1775.  1775, 2 vols Dublin 1775, 4 vols York 1778, 2 vols 1807, 1820, 1821, 2 vols 1827. Contains posthumous poems and fragments; Mason's memoirs are largely composed from Gray's letters, many in a garbled form. See above, Collections.  (ESTC 1775: T107045 1775 2nd: T125123 1775 Dublin: T125261 1778: T90575) 
    Reviews: Annual Register 18 1775 226-9, CR 39 1775 378-88 and 460-8, GM 45 1775 285-90, London Magazine 44 1775 253, London Review 1 1775 406-14 and 477-90, MR 52 1775 377-87, MR 53 1775 1-11 and 97-104, Town & Country Magazine 7 1775 324.
  • Mack, R. L.  Thomas Gray: A life.  New Haven and London 2000. 

Pre-1920 criticism

  • Johnson, S.  In his Lives of the poets.  1779-81.  (ESTC T116665, T116666, T146734) 
  • Potter, R.  An inquiry into some passages in Dr Johnson's Lives of the poets, particularly on the odes of Gray.  1783.  (ESTC T2862) 
  • Gosse, E.  Gray.  1882.  (EML). 
  • Arnold, M.  In T. H. Ward's English poets vol 33.  1884.  Rptd in his Essays in criticism ser 2, 1888. 

Production and reception

  • Dowden, E.  The text of Gray's poems.  MLR 2 1907, 165.
  • Straus, R.  Dodsley, Gray, and Horace Walpole.  In Robert Dodsley, poet, publisher & playwright. 1910, 153-68.
  • De Ricci, S.  In The book collector's guide, a practical handbook of British and American bibliography.  Philadelphia 1921. 
  • Draper, J. W.  Queen Anne's Act: a note on English copyright.  MLN 36 1921, 149-53.
  • Walpole, H.  In Journal of the printing-office at Strawberry Hill.  1923.  Printed from the ms of Horace Walpole, with notes by Paget Toynbee. 
  • Draper, J. W.  In William Mason, a study in eighteenth-century culture.  New York 1924. 
  • Whibley, L.  William Mason, poet and biographer.  Blackwood's Magazine 222 1927, 514-27.
  • Jones, W. P.  The contemporary reception of Gray's Odes.  MP 28 1930, 61-82.
  • Eastman, J. A.  Thomas Gray -- in and out of the library.  Bull of the New York Public Library 42 1938, 743-9.
  • Hazen, A. T.  In A bibliography of the Strawberry Hill press.  New Haven and Oxford 1942. 
  • Garrod, H. W.  Note on the composition of Gray's Elegy.  In Essays on the eighteenth century presented to David Nichol Smith. Oxford 1945, 111-6.
  • Walpole, H.  Walpole's correspondence with Gray, West and Ashton.  Ed W. S. Lewis, G. L. Lam and C. H. Bennett.  New Haven 1948.  Vols 13-14 of Yale edn of Walpole's correspondence, rptd 1970. See above, Personal Papers. 
  • Hazen, A. T.  In A bibliography of Horace Walpole.  New Haven, London, Oxford 1948. 
  • Hazen, A. T.  New steps in typography.  In The age of Johnson: essays presented to C. B. Tinker. New Haven 1949, 407-9.
  • Gaskell, P.  In The first editions of William Mason.  Cambridge 1951. 
  • Walpole, H.  Walpole's correspondence with Mason.  Ed W. S. Lewis, G. Cronin, Jr., and C. Bennett.  New Haven 1955.  Vol 28 of Yale edn of Walpole's correspondence. 
  • Tayler, I.  Blake's illustrations to the poems of Gray.  London and Princeton 1971. 
  • Hinnant, C. H.  Changing perspectives on the past: The reception of Thomas Gray's The Bard.  Clio 3 1974, 315-29.
  • Gleckner, R. F.  Blake, Gray and the Illustrations.  Criticism 19 1977, 118-40.
  • Griffin, D.  Gray's Audiences.  EIC 28 1978, 208-15.
  • Jestin, L.  The answer to the lyre: Richard Bentley's illustrations for Thomas Gray's poems.  Philadelphia 1990. 
  • Zionkowski, L.  Bridging the gulf between: the poet and the audience in the work of Gray.  ELH 58 1991, 331-50.
  • Zionkowski, L.  Gray, the marketplace, and the masculine poet.  Criticism 35 1993, 589-608.
  • McCarthy, B. E.  Gray's music for The Bard: autograph manuscript by Thomas Gray.  RES 48 1997, 19-32.
  • Zachs, W.  'A litigious and disputatious nature': copyright battles of an eighteenth-century publisher.  Journal of Scholarly Publishing 28 1997, 171-9.
  • Thomson, H.  The poet and the publisher in Thomas Gray's correspondence.  YES 28 1998, 163-80.
  • Grossman, C.  The Trianon Press's William Blake's Water-Colour Designs for the Poems of Thomas Gray.  Printing History 21 2001, 19-36.
  • Bidwell, J.  Designs by Mr. J. Baskerville for Six Poems by Mr. T. Gray.  BC 51 2002, 355-71.
  • Hess, S.  'Approach and Read': Gray's Elegy, print culture, and authorial identity.  Age of Johnson 13 2002, 207-37.
  • Thomson, H.  The editor's subject: William Mason's construction of Thomas Gray.  In Books and bibliography: Essays in commemoration of Don McKenzie, ed J. Thomson. Wellington 2002, 103-15.

Abbreviations

addl
additional
anon
anonymous
BC
Book Collector
Bull
Bulletin
CR
Critical Review
ed
edited by
edn
edition
EIC
Essays in Criticism
EL
Everyman's Library
ELH
A Journal of English Literary History
EML
English Men of Letters
ESTC
English Short Title Catalogue
EStudien
Englische Studien
facs
facsimile
GM
Gentleman's Magazine
illustr
illustrated by
inc
includes
Jnl
Journal
Mag
Magazine
MLN
Modern Language Notes
MLR
Modern Language Review
MP
Modern Philology
MR
Monthly Review
ms
manuscript
N & C
Notes and Queries
n.s.
new series
OSA
Oxford Standard Authors
p
page
pbd
published
Pen
Penguin Classics
pir
pirated
pt
part
ptd
printed
RES
Review of English Studies
rev
revised (by)
rptd
reprinted
ser
series
TLS
Times Literary Supplement
vol
volume
WC
World's Classics
YES
Yearbook of English Studies

Acknowledgements

This bibliography was compiled by Heidi Thomson, School of English, Film, Theatre and Media Studies, Victoria University of Wellington. It was originally intended for publication in the planned volume 3 of The Cambridge Bibliography of English Literature third edition. It is published here for the first time.