Thomas Gray to Richard Hurd (25 August 1757) Alexander Huber Editor Thomas Gray Archive
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 UK Windsor Eton College College Library MS 350

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 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. 247, vol. ii, 519-521 http://www.e-enlightenment.com/search/letters/print/?printref_sourceedition=graythOU0084&printref_docnumber=247 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 XXIII, 94-97 https://www.thomasgray.org/texts/diglib/primary/MiJ_1853/1/94 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 xxvi, section iv, 249-251 https://www.thomasgray.org/texts/diglib/primary/1775/1/249 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. CXLVII, vol. i, 346-347 https://www.thomasgray.org/texts/diglib/primary/ToD_1900i/1/346 The Works of Thomas Gray, 2 vols. Ed. by John Mitford. London: J. Mawman, 1816, section IV, letter LXIII, vol. ii, 287-288 https://www.thomasgray.org/texts/diglib/primary/MiJ_1816ii/1/287 The Works of Thomas Gray, 5 vols. Ed. by John Mitford. London: W. Pickering, 1835-1843, section IV, letter LXXI, vol. iii, 166-168 https://www.thomasgray.org/texts/diglib/primary/MiJ_1843iii/1/166 The Letters of Thomas Gray, 2 vols. in one. London: J. Sharpe, 1819, letter XCVII, vol. ii, 19-21 https://www.thomasgray.org/texts/diglib/primary/1819/2/19 The Works of Thomas Gray, 2 vols. Ed. by Thomas James Mathias. London: William Bulmer, 1814, section IV, letter XXVI, vol. i, 357-359 https://www.thomasgray.org/texts/diglib/primary/MaW_1814i/1/357 Gray, Thomas, 1716-1771 Stoke Poges, United Kingdom Hurd, Richard, 1720-1808

Gregorian

 English Mason, William, 1724-1797 Odes by Mr. Gray (1757) Leicestershire

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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.

 Library of Congress Name Authority File (LCNAF) Stoke, August 25, 1757. Dear Sir –

I do not know why you should thank me for what you had a right and title to; but attribute it to the excess of your politeness, and the more so because almost no one else has made me the same compliment. As your acquaintance in the University (you say) do me the honour to admire, it would be ungenerous in me not to give them notice that they are doing a very unfashionable thing, for all people of condition are agreed not to admire, nor even to understand: one very great man, writing to an acquaintance of his and mine, says that he had read them seven or eight times, and that now, when he next sees him, he shall not have above thirty questions to ask. Another, a peer, believes that the last stanza of the Second Ode relates to King Charles the First and Oliver Cromwell. Even my friends tell me they do not succeed, and write me moving topics of consolation on that head; in short, I have heard of nobody but a player and a doctor of divinity that profess their esteem for them. Oh yes! a lady of quality, a friend of Mason's, who is a great reader. She knew there was a compliment to Dryden, but never suspected there was anything said about Shakspeare or Milton, till it was explained to her; and wishes that there had been titles prefixed to tell what they were about.

From this mention of Mason's name you may think, perhaps, we are great correspondents; no such thing; I have not heard from him these two months. I will be sure to scold in my own name as well as in yours. I rejoice to hear you are so ripe for the press, and so voluminous, –not for my own sake only, whom you flatter with the hopes of seeing your labours both public and private, – but for yours too, for to be employed is to be happy. This principle of mine, and I am convinced of its truth, has, as usual, no influence on my practice. I am alone and ennuyé to the last degree, yet do nothing; indeed I have one excuse; my health, which you so kindly enquire after, is not extraordinary, ever since I came hither. It is no great malady, but several little ones, that seem brewing no good to me.

It will be a particular pleasure to me to hear whether Content dwells in Leicestershire, and how she entertains herself there; only do not be too happy, nor forget entirely the quiet ugliness of Cambridge.

I am, dear sir, Your friend and obliged humble servant. T. GRAY.

If Mr. Brown falls in your way, be so good to shew him the beginning of this letter, and it will save me the labour of writing the same thing twice. His first letter, I believe, was in the mail that was robbed, for it was delayed many days; his second I have just received.