MEMOIR OF THE AUTHOR. 



XV 



" Edinburgh, l^th May 1798. 



" My Dear Sir, — I now return jon your very valuable 

 manuscripts, together with a couple of sheets of such 

 remarks as occm-red to me on a very attentive perusal of 

 the whole. Of the general merits of the composition I 

 have already told you that I think very highly ; and I am 

 confident this preliminary dissertation will establish your 

 reputation as a judicious biographer and able critic, as 

 much as the work itself will rank you among the best of 

 modern translators. The topics you have treated in this 

 essay have aU of them sufficient connexion with the main 

 subject to justify your introducing them ; and the points 

 of controversy or of criticism which you have handled 

 will be most acceptable to all men of letters, for whom 

 your work is chiefly calculated. The topics yet remain- 

 ing to be treated promise a rich field of pleasing dis- 

 cussions; but I should fear, from the amplitude of some of 

 the subjects, that they might run you into too great length 

 for the due proportion that a preface ought to bear to the 

 work it introduces. Of such nature is, — the progress of 

 the Roman language — the idea of the Roman literature 

 before Augustus — ancient historical composition — that 

 of historical composition in the eighteenth centmy — clas- 

 sical translation : all rich topics of discussion, and ample 

 enough for so many separate dissertations. I am anxious, 

 therefore, to see how you will contrive to range through 

 so wide a field, and admire you for that ardour, and 

 courageous spirit, which can impose on itself such a task 

 as the achievement of such high and perilous adventures. 



" Yours ever, with most sincere regard, 

 "Alex. Fraser Tytler." 



