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Thomas Gray to James Brown, 31 October 1767

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To The Revd Mr Brown, President of Pembroke Hall Cambridge

Dear Sr

I have received a letter from Howe, another from Mr Beattie, & a third, wch was a printed Catalogue, from London. the parcel sent to Cambridge was a set of Algarotti's works for your Library, wch need not be impatient, if it remain unopen'd, till I come. the Doctor & I came hither on Saturday last: he return'd on Wednesday, & I set out for London (pray for me!) at ten o'clock tomorrow night. you will please to direct to me at Roberts's, as usual, & when it is convenient I shall be glad of my Bill. I will trouble you also to give notice of my motions to Miss Antrobus, as soon as you can.

Here has been Ld Holdernesse's ugly face, since I was here, & here actually is Mr Weddell, who enquires after you. Pa: is in London with his Brother, who is desperate: if he dies, We shall not be a shilling the better, so we are really very sorrowful. Mason desires his love to you.

Adieu! the Minster-bell rings! I am ever
Yours
T G

I rejoice greatly at N:'s good luck.

Letter ID: letters.0510 (Source: TEI/XML)

Correspondents

Writer: Gray, Thomas, 1716-1771
Writer's age: 50
Addressee: Brown, James, 1709-1784
Addressee's age: 58[?]

Dates

Date of composition: 31 October 1767
Date (on letter): Sat: 31. Oct: 1767
Calendar: Gregorian

Places

Place of composition: York, United Kingdom
Address (on letter): York
Place of addressee: [Cambridge, United Kingdom]

Physical description

Addressed: To The Revd Mr Brown, President of Pembroke Hall Cambridge

Content

Language: English
Incipit: I have received a letter from Howe, another from Mr Beattie, & a third...
Mentioned: Algarotti, Francesco, Conte, 1712-1764
Algarotti, Francesco, Conte, 1712-1764
Antrobus, Mary, b. 1732
Beattie, James, 1735-1803
Beattie, James, 1735-1803
How, William Taylor, d. 1777
Nicholls, Norton, c. 1742-1809
Palgrave, William, 1735-1799
Wharton, Thomas, 1717-1794

Holding Institution

Location:
(confirmed)
Frederick W. Hilles Manuscript Collection, Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Yale University Library , New Haven, CT (Beinecke)/Farmington, CT (Lewis Walpole), USA <http://www.library.yale.edu/>
Availability: The original letter is extant and usually available for academic research purposes

Print Versions

  • 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 CXVIII, 409-411
  • 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. CCCXII, vol. iii, 160
  • 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. 454, vol. iii, 978-979