Nov. ] 
Jearned Sigerus, crowned poet of his Im- 
perial Majefty, and mott worthy rector of 
the univerfity of Wittenburg, yes, I love 
you.” 
CXXI. CONTEMPORARY JUDGMENTS. 
Contemporaries are tolerable judges of . 
temporary merit, but often moit erroneous 
in their eftimate ot lafting fame. Bur- 
met, you know, fpeaks of “* our Prior;”” 
and, Whitlocke of ‘* one Milton, a blind 
man.”’ Burnet and Whitlocke were men 
of reputation themfelves. But what fay 
you of Heath, the obfcure chronicler of 
‘the civil wars? He fays ‘‘ one Milton, 
fince ftricken with blindnels,’? wrote 
againft Salmafius; and compofed “ an 
impudent and blafphemous book, called 
Iconoclattes.”’ 
CXXIl.. EAMILY OF COURTENAY. 
Gibbon’s account of the Courtenay fa- 
mily is inhis ulual mafterly ftyle. Look 
into Mifen’s Travels for a curious epi- 
taph on the laft lord, who died at Padua. 
I need not remind you, that he was ho- 
noured in the affections of Mary and 
Elizabeth. 
Anglia quem genuit, fuexatque habitura Pa- 
tronum, 
Cartoneum celfa hec continet arca Ducem, 
Credita caufa necis Regni afrefata cupido, 
Regine optatum tunc quoque connubium. 
Cui regni Proceres non confenfere, Philippo 
Reginam Regi jungere poffe rati. 
Europa um unde fuit Juveni peragrare nec site, 
Ex quo mors mifero contigit ante diem. 
Anglia fi plorat defunéto Principe tanto, 
Nil mirum, domino deficit illa pio. 
Sed jam Cortoneum celo fruiturque beatis, 
Com doleant Angli, cum fine fing gerant. 
Coxtonei Beghitas igitur, preeftantia, nomen, 
Dum ftabit hoc templum, vivida femper 
erunt. 
Angliaque hine etiam fabit, ftabuatq ue Bri- 
tanni, 
Conjugii optati fama perennis erit, 
Improba Nature legis Libitina refindens, 
Ex zquo juvenes precipi Btabeue fenes *. 
* "Thus tranflaced:— This high cheft 
contains the Duke of Courtenay, born in Eng- 
dand, of which country he had a profpeét of 
becoming the matter. The pees caufe 
of his death was his ambition to feize the 
throng, by marrying the queen; but the 
peers would not confent, preferring Philip a 
royal -hufband. Hence it became neceflary 
for the youth to travel through Europe; and 
in confequence he perifhed by a premagure 
death. It is not furprizing that England 
fhould lament the fate of fuch a prince, and 
droop as for the death of her pious lord. But 
Courtenay now enjoys the happy fociety of 
Heaven, while the Englith lament and groan 
without end,” -é&c. 
MONTHLY Mac. No. XXXVIII,, 
Orizinal Walpoli gaa, No. Viil. 
have had a fevere attacks of the ¢ 
357 
CXXIil. EPISTLE TO CHAMBERS. 
The Compiler having learned that the 
celebrated epiftle to Sir William Chambers 
was fuppoied to be written by Mafon, 
very innocently exprefled to Mr. Walpole 
his furprize that Maton, the general cha- 
raéteriltic of whole poely is “feeble deli- 
Ae but united with a pleafing neat- 
nels, fhould be capable of compoling fo 
{pirited a fatire. Mr. W. with an arch 
A peculiar f{mile, anfwered, that rt 
would be indeed furprizing. An Se 
ftantaneous and unaccountable impreffion 
arole that he was himfelf the author—but 
delicacy prevented the dire&t queftion. 
The compiler has fince heard a fufpicion 
to the fame eifect,-exprefled by competent 
judges. There is at any rate reafon to 
believe that Mr. Walpole had a fhare in 
that compofition. 
‘CXXIV. OPIUM. 
T am furprized at the averfion our me- 
dical men entertain again{t opium. I 
gout, and 
could not fleep. I confulted my pyti- 
cian: he adviled me not to ufe opium. 
As foonas he was gone I fent for fome. 
I took it*, have flept well, and am al- 
moft recovered. 
CXXV. ORIGINAL LETTER. 
Strawberry-Hill, July 27, 1785. 
You thank me much more than the 
gift delerved, Sir. My editions of fuch 
pieces as I have left, are wafte-paper to 
me. I will not fell them at the ridicu- 
loufly advanced prices that are given for 
them ; ue teed only fuch as were published 
for fale, have I-fold at all, and “therefore 
the duplicates that remain with me, are 
to me of no value, but when I can oblige 
afriend with them, Of a few of my im- 
preffions I have rio copy but my own fet ; 
and as I could give you only an imperfect 
collection,gthe. prefent was really only a 
parcel of fragments. My memory was 
in fault about the R. and N. authors ; I 
thor ught I had given them to you; I re- 
colle now that I only lent you my own 
copy; but I have others in town, and 
you fhail have them when I go thither. 
For Vertue’s: MS. I am in no manner of 
hatte. 
* * * * 
My chief reafon for calling on you - 
twice this week was to learn what you 
had heard ; and I fhall be much obliged 
to you for further information, as I’do 
not care to be too inquifitive, left I fhould’ 

* Five grains, ifmemory may be trufted. 
be 
