to historians:  “Si Vis me flere, dolendum est prim`um ipsi tibi:”  but, that I may not wander again, nor tire, nor contradict you any more, I will finish now, and shall be glad if you will dine at Strawberry Hill next Sunday and take a bed there, when I will tell you how many more parts of your book have pleased me, than have startled my opinions, or perhaps prejudices.  I have the honour to be, Sir, with regard, etc.

(545) Now first collected.

(546) See Spectator, No. 109.  Will Wimble was a Yorkshire gentleman, whose name was Thomas Morecroll-E.

(547) Pinkerton had said Of Pope, that “he could only rank with ingenious men,” and that his works are superabundant with superfluous and unmeaning verbiage — his translations even replete with tautology, a fault which is to refinement as midnight is to noonday; and, what is truly surprising, that the fourth book of the Dunciad, his last publication, is more full of redundancy and incorrectness than his Pastorals, which are his first."-D.  T.

Letter 291 To John Pinkerton, Esq.(548) Strawberry Hill, July 27, 1785. (page 371)

You thank me much more than the gift deserved, Sir:  my editions; of such pieces as I have left, are waste paper to me.  I will not sell them at the ridiculously advanced prices that are given for them:  indeed, only such as were published for sale, have I sold at all; and therefore the duplicates that remain with me are to me of no value, but when I can oblige a friend with them.  Of a few of my impressions I have no copy but my own set; and, as I could give you only an imperfect collection, the present was really only a parcel of fragments.  My memory was in fault about the Royal and Noble Authors.  I thought I had given them to you.  I recollect now that I only lent you my own copy; but I have others in town, and you shall have them when I go thither.  For Vertue’s manuscript I am in no manner of haste.  I heard on Monday, in London, that the Letters were written by a Mr. Pilhington, probably from a confounded information of Maty’s Review; my chief reason for calling on you twice this week, was to learn what you had heard, and shall be much obliged to you for farther information; as I do not care to be too inquisitive,’ lest I should be suspected of knowing more of the matter.

There are many reasons, Sir, why I cannot come into your idea of printing Greek.  In the first place, I have two or three engagements for my press; and my time of life does not allow me to look but a little way farther.  In the next, I cannot now go into new expenses of purchase:  my fortune is very much reduced, both by my brother’s death, and by the late plan of reformation.  The last reason would weigh with me, had I none of the others.  My admiration of the Greeks was a little like that of the mob on other points, not from sound knowledge.  I never was a good Greek scholar; have long forgotten