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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.
That Mr. Brockett has broke his neck, you will have seen in the News-papers; & also that I (your
humble Servant) have kiss'd the K:s hand for his succession. they both are true, but the manner how you know not; only I can assure
you, that I had no hand at all in his fall, & almost as little in the second happy event. he died on the
Sunday, on Wednesday following, his Gr: of Grafton wrote me a very polite letter to say, that his Maj: had commanded him to offer me the vacant Professorship, not only as a reward of &c: but as a credit to &c: with much more too
high for me to transcribe. You are to say, that I owe my nomination to the whole
Cabinet-Council, & my success to the K:s particular knowledge of me. this last he told me himself,
tho' the day was so hot & the ceremony so embarrassing to me, that I hardly know what he said.
I am commission'd to make you an offer, wch, I have told him (not the King) you would not accept, long ago. Mr. Barrett (whom you know) offers to you 100£ a-year with meat, drink, washing, chaise, & lodging, if you will
please to accompany him thro' France into Italy. he has taken such a fancy to you, that I can not but do what he desires me, being
pleased with him for it. I know, it will never do, tho' before you grew a rich fat Rector, I have often wish'd (ay, & fish'd too)
for such an opportunity. no matter! I desire you to write your answer to him yourself as civil, as you think fit, & then let me
know the result. that's all. He lives at Lee near Canterbury.
Adieu! I am to perish here with heat this fortnight yet, & then to Cambridge. Dr M: (Mr Vicecan:) came post hither to ask this vacant office on Wednesday last, & went post to carry the
news back on Saturday. the rest were Delaval, Lort, Peck, & Jebb. as to Lort, he deserved it,
& Delaval is an honest Gentleman: the rest do me no great honor, no more than my Predecessor did: to be sure, my Dignity is a little the worse for wear, but mended & wash'd it will do for me.