Richard West to Thomas Gray (April 1740) Alexander Huber Editor Thomas Gray Archive
info@thomasgray.org https://www.thomasgray.org/
Oxford

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The original letter is unlocated, a copy, transcription, or published version survives

 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. 84, vol. i, 151-152 http://www.e-enlightenment.com/search/letters/print/?printref_sourceedition=graythOU0084&printref_docnumber=84 The Poems of Mr. Gray. To which are prefixed Memoirs of his Life and Writings by W[illiam]. Mason. York: printed by A. Ward; and sold by J. Dodsley, London; and J. Todd, York, 1775, letter xvi, section ii, 76-77 https://www.thomasgray.org/texts/diglib/primary/1775/1/76 The Correspondence of Gray, Walpole, West and Ashton (1734-1771), 2 vols. Chronologically arranged and edited with introduction, notes, and index by Paget Toynbee. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1915, letter no. 115, vol. i, 288-289 https://www.thomasgray.org/texts/diglib/primary/TyP_1915i/1/288 The Works of Thomas Gray, 2 vols. Ed. by John Mitford. London: J. Mawman, 1816, section II, letter XVI, vol. ii, 69-70 https://www.thomasgray.org/texts/diglib/primary/MiJ_1816ii/1/69 The Works of Thomas Gray, 5 vols. Ed. by John Mitford. London: W. Pickering, 1835-1843, section II, letter XVI, vol. ii, 82-83 https://www.thomasgray.org/texts/diglib/primary/MiJ_1843ii/2/82 The Letters of Thomas Gray, 2 vols. in one. London: J. Sharpe, 1819, letter XXXIV, vol. i, 71-72 https://www.thomasgray.org/texts/diglib/primary/1819/1/71 The Works of Thomas Gray, 2 vols. Ed. by Thomas James Mathias. London: William Bulmer, 1814, section II, letter XVI, vol. i, 201-202 https://www.thomasgray.org/texts/diglib/primary/MaW_1814i/1/201 West, Richard, 1716-1742 London, United Kingdom Gray, Thomas, 1716-1771 Rome, Italy

Julian

 Latin Walpole, Horace, 1717-1797

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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.

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ELEGIA.

Ergo desidiæ videor tibi crimine dignus; Et meritò: victas do tibi sponte manus. Arguor & veteres nimium contemnere Musas, Irata et nobis est Medicæa Venus. Mene igitur statuas & inania saxa vereri! Stultule! marmoreâ quid mihi cum Venere? Hìc veræ, hìc vivæ Veneres, & mille per urbem, Quarum nulla queat non placuisse Jovi. Cedite Romanæ formosæ et cedite Graiæ, Sintque oblita Helenæ nomen et Hermionæ! Et, quascunque refert ætas vetus, Heroinæ: Unus honor nostris jam venit Angliasin. Oh quales vultus, Oh quantum numen ocellis! I nunc & Tuscas improbe confer opes. Ne tamen hæc obtusa nimis præcordia credas, Neu me adeo nullâ Pallade progenitum: Testor Pieridumque umbras & flumina Pindi Me quoque Calliopes semper amasse choros; Et dudum Ausonias urbes, & visere Graias Cura est, ingenio si licet ire meo: Sive est Phidiacum marmor, seu Mentoris æra, Seu paries Coo nobilis e calamo; Nec minus artificum magna argumenta recentûm Romanique decus nominis & Veneti: Quà Furor & Mavors & sævo in Marmore vultus, Quàque et formoso mollior ære Venus. Quàque loquax spirat fucus, vivique labores, Et quicquid calamo dulciùs ausa manus: Hìc nemora, et solâ mærens Melibœus in umbrâ, Lymphaque muscoso prosiliens lapide; Illìc majus opus, faciesque in pariete major Exurgens, Divûm & numina Cœlicolûm; O vos fælices, quibus hæc cognoscere fas est, Et totâ Italiâ, quà patet usque, frui! Nulla dies vobis eat injucunda, nec usquam Norîtis quid sit tempora amara pati.