42 
live _ with the respect sand: affection’ 
that were due to, a patriarch, for. the 
breath of. discord: never interrupted 
our communications: This reflection 
has often sweetened my professional 
difficulties amidst the instability 1 of 
worldly friendships; and the injustice 
with which I have been assailed in 
certain departments of public office 
has here found its balm. 
Newcastle-on-Tyne; May 13, 1822. 
: ————— 
To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
SIR, 
EVERAL letters having appeared 
in your miscellany, respecting the 
favourite song, ‘‘ Auld Robin Gray,” 
E beg the insertion of the following 
communication, which will probably 
satisfactorily clear up the doubts re- 
Specting the composer of the music of 
that ballad. 
Ihave now before me the printed 
title-page to some airs, published: se- 
veral years ago, from which, and from, 
tlie dedication and preface, I hand 
you some extracts. 
“Six Sacred Airs, intended as a do- 
mestic Sunday Evening Recreation,” &c. 
‘composed by the Rev. William Leeves ; 
together with a corrected copy, in its ori- 
ginal simplicity of the well-known ballad, 
«Auld Robin Gray,’ &c. London: printed 
for I’. Birchall, New Bond-street.” 
(From the Dedication. ) 
“To THOMAS HAMMERSLEY, ESQ. 
«* Anxious as you have ever been for the 
rule of right, as well as for the fair fame 
of your friends, you have more than once 
solicited ‘that I would publicly claim an 
offspring, which for more than forty years 
bas been of uncertain origin. Nothing 
could: have induced me to undertake this 
at my period of life; but the offer of your 
kind testimony to the genuineness of this 
my early production,* which an acquain- 
tance with it in manuscript, long before it 
surreptitionsly found its way to the public 
eye, enables you so convincingly to bear. 
As to the story, you may remember that 
I received it from the Hon. Mrs. Byron, 
and understood it to have been written by 
Lady Ann Lindsay,” &e. 
Signed, “ Wo. LEEVES.” 
Dated—“‘ Wrington, June 12, 1812.” 
(From.the Preface.) 
‘ That this little attempt was_never-in- 
tended as an imposture on the musical 
world, the open acknowledgment of it, at 
the time it first appeared, will sufficiently 
prove,” &e. 
I amin possession of additional 
be Meaning the music of “ Auid Robin 
Gray.” sey 
‘« Auld Robin: Gray:'—=Contemporary Criticism. 
[July 4, 
evidence, lately. received, proving Mr. 
Leeves to. be the composer of this airy, 
which itis not deemed. necessary to 
state, asthe above, will probably. be; 
sufficient for the purpose of ascertain- 
ing what appears to | have, been very 
little known. A. €., R. 
May 21, 1822. 
—<__——— 2 
For the Monthly. Magazine. 
THE PHILOSOPHY OF CONTEM- 
PORARY CRITICISM. 
NO. XXIIy 
Retrospective Review, No: 9: 
: IGHLY as we appreciate the 
excellence of the former: num= 
bers of the Retrospective Review, we 
are compelled to acknowledge ‘this to 
be superior to them all. : 
The first article is CAvENDISH'S 
Life of Wolsey, one of the most cele+ 
brated and interesting specimens of 
English biography. The pen of Ca= 
vendish is a lively and an elegant 
one; and all that came under his own 
observation he has deseribed with 
fidelity and accuracy. In the course 
of his narrative, he has interwoven 
some events, as he heard them de- 
scribed by the Cardinal himself, and 
dwells with manifest delight upon the 
“pomp and cireumstance” of this 
magnificent prelate. The work was 
evidently not unknown to Shakspeare; 
and the reader will be frequently re- 
minded of some of the finest passages 
of his “Henry the Eighth,’ in the 
perusal of the article before us. . 
The Poetical Works of Sir Joun 
Davies, the lawyer, the bard, the his 
torian, and the statesman, form the 
subject of the second paper. ©The 
principal piece, entitled’ ‘* Nosce teip- 
sum,” is said to be one of the earliest 
philosophical poems in our language. 
Though presenting few discoveries in 
philosophy,and labouring under the dis- 
advantage of a somewhat monotonous , 
and unpleasing stanza, it contains many 
passages of beautiful poetical illustra- 
tion. His poem ‘‘on Dancing” possesses 
great merit; and*the graceful liveli- 
ness of its tone and metre, contrasted 
with the philosophical sobriety of his 
greater work, affords a striking in- 
stance of the versatility of his talents: 
The ‘‘Hymns to Astrea,” (id est; 
Queen Elizabeth,) are among the 
best acrostics* we have ever seen. 
* Mr. D'Israeli could not surely have 
seen these when he spoke so slightingly of 
acrostics, in his ‘* Curiosities of Litera= 
ture,” vol. iii. p. 216, Fic. 8v0,- ; 
The 
