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Julian
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This letter is part of the correspondence calendar of the complete correspondence of Thomas Gray. The calendar contains detailed bibliographic records for all known original, copied, or published letters written by or to the poet as well as the full-text, where available. Each record is accompanied by digitised images of the manuscript, where available, or digitised images of the first printed edition.
It was hardly worth while to trouble you with a letter, till I had seen somewhat in Town; not that I have seen anything now, but what you have heard of before, that is, Atalanta; there are only four Men, & two women in it; the first is a common Scene of a wood, & does not change at all, till the end of the last Act, when there appears the temple of Hymen, with illuminations; there is a row of blue fires burning in order along the ascent to the temple; a fountain of fire spouts up out of the ground to the ceiling, & two more cross each other obliquely from the sides of the stage; on the top is a wheel, that whirls always about, & throws out a shower of gold-colour, silver, & blue fiery rain: Conti I like excessively in every thing, but his mouth; which is thus, ; but this is hardly minded, when Strada stands by him: Opera's & Plays, and all things else at present are beat off the Stage, & are forced to yield to Spring-garden, where last night were above fifteen-hundred people; I won't say more of it, till I have seen it myself; but as the beauty of the place, when lighted up, and a little musick are the only diversions of it, I don't suppose, it will be an[y] long time in vogue: I beg your excuse; that I have not yet [execu]ted my commission at Chenevix, but sometime the next week, I will take care to do my duty; I have also a commission for your Man, (with your leave) that is, to call at Crow's for me, & bid him send me Atalanta with all the speed he possibly can, which I must owe him for, till I come down again, wch won't (I believe) be a vast while: pray, bid Ashton write, & I hope you'll write yourself; Adieu!