510 RICHMOND COUNTY. 



it to you, your acquaintance with the society of Savannah 

 will perhaps enable you to inform ine to whom I should ad- 

 dress myself, &c., &c. 



Richard Henry Wilde. 



To Anthony Barclay, Esq., of Savannah, now in New-York. 



To which Mr. Barclay replied : 



New-York, Jan. 24, 1835. 

 My Dear Sir — I was not apprised, when I addresed you 

 on the ninth instant, nor for some days after, that my prose 

 translation into Greek of your beautiful ode, beginning 

 " My life is like the summer rose," 



had been published, otherwise I could not at that short time 

 have passed over the circumstance in utter silence. It was 

 written for the individual amusement, exclusively, of half a dozen 

 acquaintances in Savannah, and without the slightest intention 

 of its going further. This assertion will account for the 

 abundant defects, and they will vouch for its truth. I as little 

 believed that any credit beyond the hour of surprise among my 

 acquaintance before mentioned, would be awarded to my crude 

 translation, as I apprehended that any doubt could be created 

 concerning the originality of your finished production. Metre 

 and prosodaical quantity were designedly disregarded ; and this 

 fact was sufficient to detect the spuriousness of the attempt, 

 and to vindicate me from any suspicion of expecting a success- 

 ful deception. If that effect in any degree has been brought 

 about, 1 must repeat (to employ your own language), that 

 a result has been produced the reverse of my intentions, as far 

 as regards yourself, from whose brow I have had good reason 

 to believe, for the last sixteen years or more, that modesty 

 alone detained thqipoetic wreath. I cannot say how extremely 

 I regret the indiscreet publication. Truly reluctant, however, 

 as I am to come before the public, I shall feel strong induce- 

 ment to be resigned, if the translator succeed in dragging his 

 author out of concealment, and in that event contribute to 

 strip all masks, and to bestow honour where honour is due. 

 With great truth and regard, I remain, &c. 



Anthony Barclay. 

 Hon. Richard Henry Wilde, Washington City. 



