Authors in Flower-Myfterious Mother.

At Strawberry Hill, 19th Sept. 1784, Mr. Walpole remarked that, at a certain time of their lives, men of genius feemed to be in flower. Gray was in flower three years, when he wrote his odes, &c. This starting the idea of the American aloe, fome kinds of whichare faid to flower only once in a century, he obferved; laughing, that had Gray lived a hun-dred years longer, perhaps he would have been in flower again. Sir Charles Hanbury Williams bore only one bloffom; he was in flower only for one ode.

Next evening about eleven o'clock, Mr. Walpole gave me the Mysterious Mother to read, while he went to Mrs. Clive's for an hour or two, The date was remarkable, as the play hinges on an anniversary twentieth of September..

but often as returns

The twentieth of September, &c.

This odd circumftance confpired with the complete folitude of the Gothic apartments, to lénd an additional impreffion to the fuperftitious parts of that tragedy. In point of language, and the true expreffion of paffion and feeling,. the new and just delineation of monaftic fraud, tyranny, and cruelty; it deferves the greatest. praife. But it is furprifing that a man of his tafte and judgment should have added to the improbability of the tale, inftead of mellowing it with fofter fhades. This might be cured by altering one page of the countess's confession in the laft act.-The ftory, as told in Luther's

Table

3

Table Talk, feems more ancient than that in the Tales of the Queen of Navarre.

On Mr. Walpole's return, he said he had printed a few copies of this tragedy at Strawberry Hill, to give to his friends, Some of them falling into improper hands, two furreptitious editions were advertised. Mr. W. in confe quence defired Dodfley to print an edition 1781, and even caufed it to be advertised:. But finding that the flolen impreffions were of course dropped, he ordered his not to be issued,, and none were ever fold.

Gray's Politics..

I never rightly understood Mr. Gray's political opinions. Sometimes he feemed to incline to the fide of authority; fometimes to that of the people.

This is indeed natural to an ingenuous and candid mind. When a portion of the people fhews grofs vices, or idle fedition, arifing from mere ignorance or prejudice; one wishes it checked by authority. When the governors purfue wicked plans, or weak measures, one wifhes a fpirited oppofition by the people at large,

Dr. Robertfon.

Dr. Robertfon called on me t'other day. We talked of fome political affairs; and he concluded his opinion with, "for you must know, fir, that I look upon myself as a moderate whig." My anfwer was, "Yes, doctor, I look on you as a very moderate whig."

British

British Empire.

We now talk of the British empire, and of Titus and Trajan, who were abfolute emperors. In my time it was the British monarchy. What is this mighty empire over ten or twelve millions of people, and a few trading colonies? People fhut up in an island have always pride enough-but this is too ridiculous even for flattery to invent, and the abfolute power of a Roman emperor to fwallow, along with an apotheofis.

Don Quixotte.

Don Quixotte is no favourite of mine. When a man is once fo mad, as to mistake a wind-mill for a giant, what more is to be faid, but an infipid repetition of mistakes, or an uncharacteristic deviation from them?

[This judgment was furely too harsh. It is the minute defcription of life and character, as they occur in Spain, that interefts us in reading Don Quixotte, and make us pardon the extravagance of the chief character, and the infipidity of the paftoral fcenes. The epifodes. are bad; except the tale of the Spanish captive and his Moorifh miftrefs, which is wrought. with great truth and nature.]

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Voltaire.

Soon after I had publifhed my "Hiftoric Doubts on the reign of Richard III." Voltaire happening to fee and like the book, fent

me

me a letter, mentioning how much the work answered his ideas concerning the uncertainty of history, as expreffed in his Hiftoire Generale. He added many praises of my book; and concluded with entreating my amitié.

As I had, in the preface to the Castle of Otranto, ridiculed Voltaire's conduct towards Shakspeare, I thought it proper first to send Voltaire that book; and let him understand that, if after perufing it, he persisted in offering me his amitié, I had no objections, but fhould efteem myself honoured by the friendfhip of fo great a

man.

Some time after I received from my acquaintance the Duchefs of Choifeul, at Paris, a letter, inclofing one from Voltaire to her, wherein he faid that I had fent him a book, in the preface to which he was loaded with reproaches, and all on account de fon Bouffon de Shakspeare*. He ftated nothing of the real tranfaction, but only mentioned the fending of the Castle of Otranto, as if this had been the very first step.

New Idea of a Novel.

I am firmly convinced that a story might be written, of which all the incidents fhould appear supernatural, yet turn out natural.

[This remark was made in 1784.]

Coals to Newcastle.

The chief apprehenfion of the Duke of Newcastle, (the minifter), was that of catch

Of his buffoon Shakspeare.

ing

ing cold. Often in the heat of fummer the debates, in the Houfe of Lords, would ftand ftill, till fome window were fhut, in confequence of the Duke's orders. The Peers would all be melting in sweat, that the Duke might not catch cold.

When fir Jofeph Yorke was ambassador at the Hague, a curious inftance happened of this idle apprehenfion. The late King going to Hanover, the Duke must go with him, that his foes might not injure him in his absence. The day they were to pafs the fea, a meffenger came, at five o'clock in the morning, and drew Sir Jofeph's bed curtains. Sir Jofeph ftarting, asked what was the matter.

The man faid he came from the Duke of Newcastle. "For God's fake," exclaimed Sir Joseph, "what is it? Is the King ill?" No. After feveral fruitlefs questions, the meffenger at length faid, "The Duke fent me to fee you in bed, for in this bed he means to fleep."

Two Minifters.

His

Mr. Pitt's plan, when he had the gout, was to have no fire in his room, but to load himself with bed-clothes. At his houfe at Hayes he fteeped in a long room; at one end of which was his bed, and his lady's at the other. way was, when he thought the Duke of Newcaftle had fallen into any mistake, to fend for him, and read him a lecture. The Duke was fent for once, and came, when Mr. Pitt was confined to bed by the gout. ufual, no fire in the room; the chilly, and the Duke, as ufual,

There was, as day was very afraid of catch