Thomas Gray to Horace Walpole, 24 December 1767

Surely as the letter is address'd to a Lady, & subscribed, Your most humble Son, it can be to nobody but his Mother. I do not remember, that there is any superscription to it, for the original is not the letter itself, but a transcript of it set down in a great register-book belonging to the Privy-seal Office, in wch this stands very near to the beginning. I have mark'd the number of the Mss, & of the article, if you chuse to consult the Musæum about it. I told you false, when I said the letter was dated: but the reason I concluded so was, that the articles, as I remember, go on regularly in the book in order of time & many come after it, that belong to the first year of his reign.

In the page, that contains his letter about Jane Shore, at a little distance below it are some abbreviated words in a cramp hand thus –ffin by [ ] Thom Drury date A° IX° Henrici sept [ ] per Copiam [ ] [ ] wch seem to say something about the 9th year of Henry 7th, but I think they relate not to this letter (wch is directed to the Bp of Lincoln, his Chaunc:r;; now Russel Bp of Lincoln was his Chancellor, & not so to H: 7th.) & the few succeeding articles are really of H: 7th & H: 8th's time, so I suppose the words to relate to them only.

Mr Anstey's satyr seems to aim chiefly at this University, the patrons that protect it, the clients that make their court to them, their dedications, & clumsy flattery, their method of education, & style of politicks, &c: he has not indeed refused any thing else ridiculous, that came across him. I like it but little: the only things, that made me laugh, were

and the High-Sheriffs frizzled Lady, when she meets her Husband, after he is knighted, at a ball.

I have been confined to my room, eversince I came hither, but not very ill.