"I hope the world tastes them; for its own sake, I hope the world tastes them! The Author I can only guess at. There is but one man, I think, that could write them; I desire not to know his name; but I should rejoice to hear that they succeed; for I would not, for any consideration, that they should be laid down through discouragement.

"I have, from the first five, spoke of them with honour. I have the vanity to think that I have procured them admirers; that is to say, readers. And I am vexed that I have not taken larger draughts of them before, that my zeal for their merit might have been as glowing as now I find it.

"Excuse the overflowing of a heart highly delighted with the subject; and believe me to be an equal friend to Mr. Čave and the Rambler, as well as their most humble servant, S. RICHARDSON."

DEAR SIR,

St. John's Gate, Aug. 29, 1750. "I RECEIVED the pleasure of your letter of the 9th instant at Gloucester; and did intend to answer it from that city, though I had but one sound hand (the cold and rain on my journey having given me the gout); but as soon as I could ride, I went to Whitminster, the seat of Mr. Cambridge, who entertained the Prince there, and, in his boat, on the Severn. He kept me one night, and took me down part of his river to the Severn, where I sailed in one of his boats, and took a view of another of a peculiar make, having two keels, or being rather two long canoes connected by a floor or stage. I was then towed back again to sup and repose. Next morning he explained to me the contrivance of some waterfalls, which seem to come from a piece of water which is four feet lower. The three following days I spent in returning to town, and could not find time to write in an inn.

"I need not tell you that the Prince appeared highly pleased with every thing that Mr. Cambridge shewed, though he called him upon deck often to be seen by the people on the shore, who came in

pro

prodigious crowds, and thronged from place to place, to have a view as often as they could, not satisfied with one; so that many who came between the towing line and the bank of the river were thrown into it; and his Royal Highness could scarce forbear laughing; but sedately said to them, I am sorry for your condition.'

"Excuse this ramble from the purpose of your letter. I return to answer, that Mr. Johnson is the Great Rambler, being, as you observe, the only man who can furnish two such papers in a week, besides his other great business-and has not been assisted with above three.

"I may discover to you, that the world is not so kind to itself as you wish it. The encouragement, as to sale*, is not in proportion to the high character given to the work by the judicious, not to say the raptures expressed by the few who do read it. But its being thus relished in numbers gives hopes that the sets must go off, as it is a fine paper, and, considering the late hour of having the copy, tolerably printed.

"When the Author was to be kept private (which was the first scheme) two gentlemen, belonging to the Prince's Court, came to me to enquire his name, in order to do him service; and also brought a list of seven gentlemen to be served with the Rambler. As I was not at liberty, an inference was drawn, that I was desirous to keep to myself so excellent a Writer. Soon after, Mr. Doddington† sent a letter

* "The sale was very inconsiderable, and seldom more than 500; and it is very remarkable, and a most curious trait of the age, that the only paper which had a prosperous sale, and may be said to have been popular, was one which Dr. Johnson did not write. This was No. 97, Feb. 19, 1750-1, written by Richardson, as Mr. Nichols was assured by Mr. John Payne, the original publisher. Dr. Johnson indeed introduces it to his readers with an elegant compliment, as the production of an author from whom the age has received greater favours, who has enlarged the knowledge of human nature, and taught the passions to move at the command of virtue." Mr. A. Chalmers's Biographical Preface to the Rambler, in the British Essayists, vol. XIX. p. 14. † Afterwards Lord Melcombe,

directed

directed to the Rambler, inviting him to his house, when he should be disposed to enlarge his acquaintance. In a subsequent number a kind of excuse was made, with a hint that a good Writer might not appear to advantage in conversation. Since that time, several circumstances, and Mr. Garrick and others, who knew the Author's powers and style from the first, unadvisedly asserting their (but) suspicions, overturned the scheme of secrecy. (About which there is also one paper.)

"I have had letters of approbation from Dr. Young, Dr. Hartley, Dr. Sharpe, Miss Carter, &c. &c.; most of them, like you, setting thein in a rank equal and some superior, to the Spectators (of which I have not read many, for the reasons which you assign): but, notwithstanding such recommendation, whether the price of two-pence, or the unfavorable season of their first publication, hinders the demand, no boast can be made of it.

"The Author (who thinks highly of your writings) is obliged to you for contributing your endeavours; and so is, for several marks of your friendship, good sir,

"Your admirer, and very humble servant,
"ED. CAVE."

Among the MS Collections of Dr. Birch, in the British Museum *, are several short letters from Mr. Cave on literary subjects. From some of these it appears that Dr. Birch was occasionally a contributor to the "Parliamentary Debates ;" that Mr. Cave had better assistance for that branch of his Magazine than has been generally supposed; that he was indefatigable in getting the Debates made as perfect as he could;-and, by all of them, that Dr. Birch was his steady friend and counsellor.

* Marked 4302, vol. C.

"I trouble

"I trouble you with the inclosed, because you said you could easily correct what is here given for Lord Chesterfield's speech *. I beg you will do so as soon as you can for me, because the month is far advanced."

"July 15, 1737.

"As you remember the Debates so far as to perceive the speeches already printed are not exact; I beg the favour that you will peruse the inclosed; and, in the best manner your memory will serve, correct the mistaken passages, or add any thing that is omitted. I should be very glad to have something of the Duke of Newcastle's speech †, which would be particularly of service. A gentleman has Lord Bathurst's speech, to add some thing to."

"Aug. 12, 1738.

"We still agree on Tuesday; and I think we shall see Claremont, as we did Cannons, and then come to dine at Richmond. Had I best send Mr. Thomson word, that we shall be at such an inn at Richmond by noon, his hour of rising?

"Your humble servant,

ED. CAVE."

Sept. 9, 1741.

"I have put Mr. Johnson's Play into Mr. Gray's hands, in order to sell it to him, if he is inclined to buy it; but I doubt whether he will or not. He would dispose of the copy, and whatever advantage may be made by acting it. Would your Society, or any gentlemen or body of men that you know, take such a bargain? Both he and I are very unfit

* See Gent. Mag. 1736, vol. VI. p. 445.

+ Ibid. p. 377.

‡ Ibid. p. 379.

§ Mr. John Gray, a bookseller of eminence in London.

Not the Royal Society; but the Society for the Encouragement of Learning, of which Dr. Birch was a leading member. Their object was to assist authors in printing expensive Works. Having incurred a considerable debt, it was in a short time dissolved. See vol. II. p. 90.

to

to deal with theatrical persons. Fleetwood was to have acted it last season; but Johnson's diffidence prevented it. I am, Reverend Sir, your most humble servant, "ED. CAVE."

or ....

*

July 3, 1744. "You will see what stupid, low, abominable stuff is put upon your noble and learned Friend's character; such as I should quite reject, and endeavour to do something better towards doing justice to the character. But, as I cannot expect to attain my desires in that respect, it would be a great satisfaction, as well as an honour to our work, to have the favour of the genuine speech. It is a method that several have been pleased to take, as I could shew, but I think myself under a restraint. I shall say so far, that I have had some by a third hand, which I understood well enough to come from the first; others by penny-post, and others by the speakers themselves, who have been pleased to visit St. John's Gate, and shew particular marks of their being pleased."

"Dec. 1747.

"The Ode to Wisdom, in the second volume of Clarissa, was written by Miss Carter: it had been handed about in MS. I had not permission to print it, though I asked for it personally at Deal; and, though I before then had it in manuscript, it was under a promise not to publish it without leave§. "EDWARD CAVE."

Saturday, Oct. 27, [1750].

"I beg that you will send me the page where Mrs. C.'s letter is in the Magazine. Mr. Johnson remembers both the letters; and he says they were the best, and put the affair in a light new to him at that time, and the reasoning excellent.

* There is no erasure here, but a mere blank; to fill up which may be an exercise for ingenious conjecture.

I suppose in the London Magazine.

Doubtless, Lord Hardwicke.

§ See it in Gent. Mag. vol. XVII. 1747, p. 585.