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LETTERS TO MR. WAKEFIELD

FROM

PROFESSORS HEYNE AND JACOBS.

Professor HEYNE to Mr. WAKEFIELD.

TRANSFERENDUM curavi ad te, vir doctissime, cujus ingenium et eruditionem a multo inde tempore admiratus sum, libellum viri docti, Jacobs, ex mea disciplina progressi, quandoquidem ille et colit et amat te, et vestigia tua in nonnullis premit. Nihil eorum, quæ a te aguntur, et quæ ad tua consilia spectant, a me non sedulo anquiritur, quantum quidem ex scriptis tuis aut ex recensibus indiciisque aliorum consequi possum. Non itaque levis et temere concepta esse potest ea qua te prosequor voluntas, amor et studium. Tu ut valeas, et res tuas ex animo agas, precor.

Scr. Gottingæ d. xii. Dec. c1515CCXCVII.2

2 I have transmitted to you, learned Sir, whose genius and erudition have long been the object of my admiration, a small

Viro doctissimo GILBERTO WAKEFIELD

S

C. G. HEYNE.

CUM antea, affectu animi nescio quo, erga te, vir præstantissime, ferrer; nunc multo majore animi studio incensum me sentio, ex quo Lucretium tuum perlegi. Etsi enim haud diffiteor, hanc ipsam tuam benevolentiam, quam litteris tuis humanissimis mihi es testatus, 'eam vim ad animum meum habuisse, ut etiam alienam a te voluntatem expugnare ea potuisset; nunc autem proclive meum in te studium multo magis inclinare et impellere ea debuit: admi

tract written by that distinguished scholar Jacobs, whom I am proud to have had for my pupil; since he both highly honours you, and entertains the greatest esteem for you, and in many particulars treads in your footsteps. I spare no trouble to make myself acquainted with any literary object in which you may, from time to time, be engaged, as far as it is in my power, either by hints in your own works, from reviews, or by information from others. The great esteem and affection, therefore, which I have conceived for you, ought by no means to be con. sidered as hastily taken up, or as founded upon slight and trivial considerations. Farewell, and may you meet with success and prosperity in all your concerns.

CH. G. HEYNE, Prof. Acad. Ge. Aug,

Gottingen, Dec. 12, 1797.

Utinam ex incredibili

ratione tamen ingenii tui doctrinæque exquisitæ, et omni literarum copia instructæ ita percussus ex ea lectione recessi, ut etiam dubitarem, sitne voluptas et fructus, quem inde percepi, cum ea comparandus: certe utroque animi sensu ita contactum me sentii, ut inter jucundissima fortunæ munera numerem, quod contulit illa mihi opportunitatem compellandi te, et contrahendi hanc litterarum studiorum-, que necessitudinem. tuo de litteris antiquis merendi studio fructus consequaris uberrimos! Nihil video quod mihi auditu jucundius futurum esse possit, quam te speratum meritis tuis favorem, et operæ in Lucretium expensæ premia tulisse largissima! Quam vellem consilium tuum ejusque fortunam non premi temporum iniquitate! Comparatione enim aliarum terrarum facile licet conjectare, quæ litterarum bonarum esse possit auctoritas apud Britannos. Providebit tamen bonis consiliis bonum providumque numen. Vale, et quod ingressus es favoris benevolentiæque tuæ stadium ita emetiendum tibi esse puta, ut tibi constantiæ laudem ceteris laudibus adjiciendum esse memineris in diligendo eo cui semel benevolentiam tuam egregio voluntatis pignore es testatus. Cum primum belli furor resederit, mittam tibi meæ voluntatis testem iteratam Pindari, et tertiam Tibulli editionem a me cu

ratam. Nunc in Iliade exprimenda operæ brariorum occupantur., Vale."

li

My bosom previously glowing with a certain undefinable affection for you, most learned Sir, I now feel its warmth very considerably increased on my perusal of your Lucretius. For, although I scruple not to avow that the kind and friendly sentiments expressed in your polite letter to me, had on my mind an influence sufficient even to have overcome a disposi tion averse to you, if such a disposition could have existed, and therefore unavoidably tending to give a decisive impulse to my heart, already biassed in your favour; yet, so powerfully did the contents of those volumes excite my admiration of your genius, and of your rare and universal erudition, that I even felt a doubt, whether the sensations produced by the pleasure and improvement which I reaped from your pages, could bear any comparison with it. So strong indeed has been the united effect of both, that I reckon as one of the most grateful boons of fortune, her kindness in favouring me with an opportunity of addressing you; and of thus entering with you into the intimacy of literary correspondence. Heaven grant that your surprizing exertions in serving the cause of antient literature, may prove productive to you of a rich harvest of advantage! I cannot anticipate any event of which the intelligence will come more pleasing to my ear, than that you have experienced the public countenance in a degree commensurate with what your merits entitle you to expect, and that you have received the most ample rewards of the attention and labour which you have bestowed upon Lucretius.' How fervently do I wish, that the unpropitious aspect of the times may not frown upon your undertaking, and darken the prospect of its success! For, from the example of other countries, it becomes easy to conjecture what share of estimation the belles lettres are likely to enjoy in Great Britain. But the all-graci

Professor JACOBS to Mr. WAKEFIELD.

Gotha, June 29, 1797.

SIR,

By the kindness of the learned Mr. Heyne you will receive this letter, joined to one of my newest publications, which I hope you will do me the honour of accepting, as a mark of my esteem and gratitude for the pleasure the perusal of your ingenious works has given me.

In presenting you this little performance, I cannot forbear signifying the wish to obtain

ous and all-provident Being will not fail to extend his benign protection to laudable intentions. Farewell! and since you have thus entered upon the career of good-will and kindness towards me, may it be your care so steadily to pursue it, that to your other praises may be added that of constancy in affectionate regard for him whom you once have honoured with a valuable testimony of your friendly disposition. So soon as the tumult of war shall have subsided, 1 will send to you, as a pledge of my affection, a second edition of my Pindar, and a third of my Tibullus. I have one of the Iliad at this time in the press. Adieu.

This letter is without a date, but was received July 10,

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