THE EDINBURGH MAGAZINE, OR LITERARY MISCELLANY, FOR JULY 1793. With a VIEW of LANARK COTTON MILLS from the South Eaft*. ORIGINAL LETTERS OF DAVID MALLET, ESQ. EFORE I received your laft, wrote you word that I had finished my poem, and fent it to Mr Frafer, defiring him, if he thought fit, to transmit it to you. But I have not heard from him fince; for what reafon I know not. I have inclofed ano ther copy for you, and leave you to do with it as you think beft, either to publish, or commit it to the flames. You will find, that I have made Cha If you publish it, I beg that you will order the printer to follow my way of pointing exactly, and to print, as I have written, feveral words in a different character from the rest. I find by experience, that it is vey difficult to write an hiftorical, or ry poem narrative of this kind. The from making ufe of a great many emfeverity of the fubject hinders one bellishments that are admitted into other writings. And yet I have that of Time fhaking your arches, and fome images purely poetical, fuch as rity address a confolatory fpeech to with his imaginary companion, Simouldering your piles; as alfo Ruin, Learning, in which, by way of pro- lence. I have already taken notice of phecy, I have made her relate Mr Frafer's bounty to your univerfity. Learning and Charity. The meanAnd this method, as it is the mofting, and beauty of those short alpoetical, fo, perhaps, it is the moft art-legories, will be obvious to every ful, and least shocking to the good fenfe of the perfon prais'd. There is an impropriety in this expreffion, th' inftructing trade; but I let it ftand, for the fake of the line that follows it. A taken notice of the books that Mr reader of a tolerable tafte. I have Frazer has gifted to your Library; and, if I have guefs'd right, the lines are perhaps the best in the whole poem. If you are not fatisfied with the alterations I have made in the En * See defcription, p. 6. glish |