which the arts and fciences must attain in a country, where the fon of the king poffeffes genius and erudition, capable of translating and illuftrating with learned notes, the firft of the Roman hiftorians; how few youths amongst the nobility in other countries poffefs the requifite ability or inclination for such a task! The hiftory of Salluft is a performance of great depth, wisdom, and dignity: to understand it well, is no small praise; to explain it properly, is ftill more commendable; but to translate it elegantly, excites admiration. all this had been accomplished by a private individual, he would have merited applause; if by a youth, he would have had a claim to literary honours; but when to the title of youth, that of prince is added, we cannot too highly extol, or too loudly applaud, his diftinguished merit.

If

Many years are elapfed fince I applied myself to the study of your learned language,

but I well remember to have read in it with great delight the heroic poem of Alonzo, the odes of Garcilaffo, and the humorous ftories.

of Cervantes: but I most fincerely declare, that I never perused a more elegant or polished compofition than the translation of Sallust, and I readily fubfcribe to the opinion of the learned author in his preface, that the Spanish language approaches very nearly to the dignity of the Latin. ·

May the accomplished youth continue to deserve well of his country and mankind, and establish his claim to diftinction above all the princes of the age! If I may be allowed to offer my fentiments, I would advise him to study most diligently the divine works of Cicero, which no man, in my opinion, ever perused without improving in eloquence and wifdom. The epiftle which he wrote to his brother Quintus, on the government of a province, deferves to be daily repeated by every sovereign in the world; his books on offices, on moral ends, and the Tufculan questions, merit a hundred perufals; and his orations, nearly fixty in number, deserve to be tranflated into every European language; nor do I fcruple to affirm, that his fixteen books of

letters to Atticus, are fuperior to almost all hiftories, that of Salluft excepted. With respect to your own compofitions, I have read with great attention, and will again read, your most agreeable book. I am informed that you propofe giving a Latin translation of it, and I hope you will do it for the benefit of foreigners. I fee nothing in it which requires alteration,-nothing which is not entitled to praife. I much with that you would publish more of your treatifes on the antiquities of Afia and Africa. I am confident they would be most acceptable to fuch as study those subjects. I have only for the present to conclude by bidding you farewell in my own name, and that of the republic of letters. -Farewell.

* Mr. JONES to G. S. MICHAELIS.

November 1774.

I beg you will do me the justice

to believe that I have read your books with

great attention. I neither entirely admit, nor

reject your opinion on the fables of the Hebrews; but until the fubject be better known and explored, I am unwilling to depart from the received opinions concerning them. Your approbation of my Commentaries gives me fincere pleasure. Nothing is more true than that I have renounced the Afiatic muses and polite literature, and that for twenty years at least I have determined neither to write nor think about them. The Forum is my lot, and the Law engroffes all my attention. Be affured, however, that I fhall ever retain my esteem both for yourself and your works. -Farewell.

Mr. JONES to Lady SPENCER.
MADAM,

Duke Street.

I take the liberty to present your Ladyfhip with a copy of my poems, and cannot refrain from acquainting you with a plain truth, that the first of them, called Solima, would never have been written, if I had never had the honour of knowing your Ladyship.

*

I am just come from Harrow, where it gave me inexpreffible happiness to fee Lord Althorp perfectly well, extremely improved, and deservedly beloved by all, as much as by his real friend, and

The continual hurry occafioned by having a houfe full of company, added to my not having been quite well, has prevented my thanking you fooner for your letter; you cannot doubt of my being much flattered, at your thinking you find any refemblance between my character and that of Solima, and ftill more at your telling the world you do I fhall always look upon that poem, as a model you have fet up for my imitation, and fhall only be forry I do not approach nearer to it, especially after you

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