T 1 1 0 M A S C II A T TER T O N . 
4‘>5 
notice. He wrote a letter to the honourable Horace Walpole, well 
known for his curious researches in literature and the arts, ojdering- 
to furnish him with some accounts of a series of eminent painters who 
had flourished at Bristol ; at the same time mentioning the discovery 
of the old poems, and enclosing two small pieces as a specimen. To 
a very polite reply, requesting further information, Chatterton returned 
an answer stating his condition in life, and hinting a wish to be freed 
from an irksome and servile profession, and placed in a situation more 
favourable to the pursuit of elegant studies. Mr. Walpole communi- 
cated the papers to Gray and Mason, who, without hesitation, pro- 
nounced them forgeries. This occasioned a cold and monitory letter 
from him to Chatterton, which so offended the high-spirited youth, 
that he immediately demanded baek the manuscripts, alleging that 
they were the property of another. Walpole, then about to depart 
for Paris, neglected to send them back ; and on his return found a 
very resentful letter from Chatterton, peremptorily requiring the papers, 
and telling Walpole, “ that he had not dared to use him so, had he 
not been acquainted with the narrowness of his circumstances.’' Wal- 
pole then enclosed them in a blank cover, and thus the correspondence 
ended. 
Walpole’s conduct on this occasion has subjected him to much oblo- 
quy, and he has been charged with suffering this flower of genius to be 
blighted by neglect, and even has been made remotely accessary to 
Chatterton’s unhappy end. But to this he has very properly replied, 
that Chatterton could appear to him in no other light than that of a 
young man disgusted with his prbper profession, and attempting to 
obtain his notice by passing a forgery upon him. Whatever were 
the merits of the pieces, as he himself imputed them to another, they 
implied no singular abilities in him. The neglect of returning them 
was, however, a fault, though one apparently of no very great con- 
sequence. 
Chatterton had before this time commenced a correspondence with 
the Town and Country Magazine; and various communications from 
him were printed in the numbers for that work in 1769, consisting of 
matters relating to antiquity, of extracts from the pretended Rowley, 
and of pieces entitled Saxon Poems, written in the style of Ossian. 
He also became a very prolific writer in satire, particularly of the 
political kind. In March, 1770, he composed a satirical poem of 
1300 lines, entitled, Kew Gardens, the object of which was to abuse 
the princess dowager of Wales and lord Bute, together with the princi- 
pal partisans of the ministry, in Bristol ; nor did he spare some of his 
own friends and patrons. His character, indeed, upon developing 
himself, did not appear in the most favourable light. His confidence 
in his powers rendered him proud and imperious; and some of his 
productions shew great laxity of principle, though it is affirmed that 
his conduct was sufficiently regular. He had openly renounced his 
belief in the Christian religion, one effect of which was to render the 
idea of suicide no longer a horror to him. A declared intention 
of this kind was the immediate cause of his leaving the service of 
Mr. Lambert, the person to whom he was apprenticed. Upon his 
desk was found a paper, entitled, “ The last Will and Testament of 
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