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            <title>Thomas Gray to Robert Dodsley (12 February 1753)</title>
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               <name ref="#AH">Alexander Huber</name>
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            <pubPlace>Oxford</pubPlace>
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                  <country>UK</country>
                  <settlement>Windsor</settlement>
                  <institution key="ETON">Eton College</institution>
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                     <note>tipped into a copy of Bentley's <hi rend="it">Designs</hi>
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                        <title>Correspondence of Thomas Gray</title>, 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. 172, vol. i, 371
				<ref type="url">http://www.e-enlightenment.com/search/letters/print/?printref_sourceedition=graythOU0084&amp;printref_docnumber=172</ref>
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                     <bibl>
                        <title>The Letters of Thomas Gray, including the correspondence of Gray and Mason</title>, 3 vols. Ed. by Duncan C. Tovey. London: George Bell and Sons, 1900-12, letter no. CII, vol. i, 230-231
				<ref type="url">https://www.thomasgray.org/texts/diglib/primary/ToD_1900i/1/230</ref>
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                     <bibl>
                        <title>The Works of Thomas Gray</title>, 5 vols. Ed. by John Mitford. London: W. Pickering, 1835-1843, section IV, letter CXLVII, vol. iv, 103-104
				<ref type="url">https://www.thomasgray.org/texts/diglib/primary/MiJ_1843iv/1/103</ref>
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               <persName cert="high" ref="http://viaf.org/viaf/9889965">Gray, Thomas, 1716-1771</persName>
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               <persName cert="high" ref="http://viaf.org/viaf/47589">Dodsley, Robert, 1703-1764</persName>
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               <mentioned n="person">Walpole, Horace, 1717-1797</mentioned>
               <mentioned n="person">Wharton, Thomas, 1717-1794</mentioned>
               <mentioned n="edition">Designs by Mr. R. Bentley (1753)</mentioned>
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            <p>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.</p>
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               <addrLine>To</addrLine>
               <addrLine>Mr Dodsley</addrLine>
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         <opener>
            <dateline>Feb: 12. Camb:ge</dateline>
            <salute>Sr </salute>
         </opener>
         <p>I am not at all satisfied with the Title. to have it conceived, that I publish a Collection of <hi rend="italic">Poems</hi> (half
					a dozen little Matters, four of wch too have already been printed again &amp; again) thus pompously adorned would make me appear very
					justly ridiculous. I desire it may be understood (wch is the truth) that the Verses are only subordinate, &amp; explanatory to the
					Drawings, &amp; suffer'd by me to come out thus only for that reason. therefore if you yourself prefix'd this Title, I desire it may be
					alter'd; or if Mr W: order'd it so, that you would tell him, why I wish it were changed in the manner I mention'd to you at first, or
					to that purpose: for the more I consider it, the less I can bear it, as it now stands. I even think, there is an uncommon sort of
					Simplicity, that looks like affectation, in putting our plain Christian &amp; Surnames without a Mr before them; but this (if it signifies any thing) I easily give up; the other I can not. you need not apprehend, that
					this Change in the Title will be any prejudice to the Sale of the book. a showy title-page may serve to sell a Pamphlet of a shilling
					or two; but this is not of a price for chance-customers, whose eye is caught in passing by a window; &amp; could never sell but from
					the notion the Town may entertain of the Merit of the Drawings, wch they will be instructed in by some, that understand such
					things.</p>
         <p>I thank you for the Offer you make me, but I shall be contented with three Copies, two of wch you will send me, &amp; keep the third,
					till I acquaint you where to send it. if you will let me know the exact day they will come out a little time beforehand, I will give
					you a direction. you will remember to send two copies to Dr Thomas Wharton, M:D: at Durham. perhaps you may have burnt my Letter, so I
					will again put down the Title </p>
         <q>
            <p>Designs by Mr R: Bentley <lb/> for six Poems of <lb/> Mr T: Gray.</p>
         </q>
         <closer>
            <salute>I am, Sr,<lb/> Your humble Servt </salute>
            <signed>T G: </signed>
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