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rior, and that was the effect of education. Pfalmanazar and D'Eon are not to be compared with him. That, at his timid and fociable age, when other children are almost afraid to be left alone, C. fhould wrap his arms round him, ftand aloof from the whole world, and never lean upon a fingle individual for fociety in his fchemes (in schemes, too, neither odious nor criminal), is with me almoft more more wonderful than the fchemes which I firmly believe him, without any affiftance, to have planned and executed. It fhall make a trait in the character of a general, if he have ftrength of mind enough not to communicate his plans to his firft favourite, till the communition is no longer dangerous. Shall not a boy of eighteen, of seventeen, of fixteen, have merit for fecrecy much more fingular?'

In this letter, from which I will detain you no longer, you will find his fifter mentions fome books fhe fent him to London. She told me many of them were in languages and in hands (types. fhe meant), which fhe could not underftand--that they were numerous---and that with them fhe fent a catalogue of the books he had read to the amount of many hundreds.

To this I fhould add, that, when C. tells the kory of Aftrea Brokage in a letter to the Town

and

and Country Magazine, dated "Bristol, Jan. 3, 1770."---at the conclufion, Aftrea writes thus : "Having told you I do not like this uncivilizea

Bristolian, you may imagine a tendresse for "fome other has made his faults more confpicu*ous. You will not be far from the truth. A young author who has read more than Magliabechi, and wrote more love letters than Ovid, is continually invoking the Nine to defcribe me."

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In one part of the fifter's letter, you will not fail to recollect Dryden, who speaks of the alli ance between understanding and madnefs.--I am fure that love and madnefs are near relations.

"Concious, of my own inabilitys to write to a man of letters. And reluctant to engage in the painfull recollection of the particulars of the life of my dear deceafed brother. together with the ill ftate of health I've enjoyed fince it has been required of me, are, Sir, the real caufes of my not writing fooner. But I am in wited to write as to a friend, inspired with the facred name, I will forget the incorrectness of my epistel and proceed.

My brother very early discover'd a thurft for preheminence I remember before he was 5 years old he would always prefide over his playmates as their master and they his hired fervants. He was dull in learning not knowing many letters at 4 years old and always objected to read in a small book. He learnt the Alphabet from an old Folio mufick book of father's my mother was then tearing up for waft paper, the capitals at the beginning of the verses. I affifted in teaching him. I recollect nothing remarkable till he went into the school, which was in his 8th year. Excepting his promiseing my mother and me a deal of finery when

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He grew up as a reward of her care. About his roth year he be gan (with the trifle my mother allowed him for pocket money) to hire books from the circulating library and we were informed by the ufher made rapid progress in arithmatick. Between his 11th and 12th year he wrote a caterlogue of the books he had read to the number of 70. History and divinity were the chief subjects, his fchool mates informd us he retired to read at the hours allotted for play. At 12 years old he was confirmed by the Bishop, he made very fenciable serious remarks on the awfullness of the ceremony and his own feelings and convictions during it. Soon after this in the week he was door-keeper he made fome verses on the laft day, I think about 18 lines, paraphrased the 9 chapter of Job and not long after fome chapters in Ifaith. He had been gloomy from the time he began to learn, but we remark'd he was more chearfull afte after he began to write poetry. Some faterical peicis we faw foon after. His intimates in the fchool were but few and they folid lads and except the next neighbour's fons I know of none acquaintance he had out. He was 14 the 20th of Novr. and bound apprentice the ift of July following. Soon after his apprenticeship he correfponded with one of his school mates that had been his bedfellow, and was I believe bound to a merchhant at New-York. He read a letter at home that he wrote to his friend, a collection of all the hard words in the English language, and requested him to anfwer it. He was a lover of truth from the earlyest dawn of reason, and nothing would move him so much as being bely'd. When in the fchool we were informed by the usher, his mafter depended on his verafity on all occations. Till this time he was remarkably indifferent to females. one day he was remarking to me the tendency fever study had to four the temper and declared he had always seen all the fex with equal indifference but those that nature made dear, he thought of makeing an acquaintance with a girl in the neighbourhood, fuppofeing it night foften the aufterity of temper study had ocationd, he wrote a poem to her and they commenced corrlf

ponding

ponding acquaintance. About this time the parchments bélonging to my father that was left of covering his boys books, my brother carried to the office. He would often fpeak in great raptures of the undoubted fuccefs of his plan for future life. He was introduced to Mr. Barret, Mr. Catcot, his ambition increas'd dayly. His fpirits was rather uneven. fome times fo gloom'd that for many days together he would fay very little and that by constraint. At other times ex.eeding chearfull. When in fpirits he wo ld injoy his rifing fame. confilent of advancement he would promife my mother and me fhould be partakers of his fuccefs. Mr. Barret lent him many books on furgery and I beleive he bought many more as I remember to have packt them up to fend to him when in London and no demand was ever made for them. About this time he wrote feveral faterical poems. one in the papers on Mr. Catcot's putting the pewter plates in St. Nicholas tower. He began to be univerfally known among the young men. He had many cap acquaintance but I am confident but few intimates. At about 17, he became acquainted with Mr. Clayfield, diftiiler in Cale-freet, who lent, him many books on aftronomy. Mr. Cator. likewife affifted him with books on that fubject. from thence he applyd himself to that ftudy. His hours in the office was from 8 in the morning to 8 in the evening. He had little of his mafters bufinefs to do. fometimes not 2 hours in a day, which gave him an opportunity to purfue his genius. He boarded at Mr. Lamberts, but we faw him moft evenings before 9 o'clock and would in general ftay to the limits of his time which was 10. o'clock. He was feldom 2 evenings together without feeing us. I had almoft forgot to add, we had heard him frequently say that he found he ftudied beft toward the full of the moon and would often fit up all night and write by moon light. A few months before he left Bristol he wrote letters to feveral bookfellers in London I believe to learn if there was any probility of his getting an employment there but that I can't affirm as the subject was a fecret

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fecret at home. He wrote one letter to Sir Horace Warpool, and except his corrispondence with Mifs Rumfey, the girl I before mentioned, I know of no other. He would frequently walk the Colledge green with the young girls that statedly paraded there to shew their finery. But I realy beleive he was no debauchee (tho fome have reported it). the dear unhappy boy had faults enough I faw with concern. he was proud and exceedingly impetious but that of venality he could not be justly accufed with. Mrs. Lambert informed me not 2 months before he left Bristol, he had never been once found out of the office in the ftated hours as they frequently fent the footman and other fervants there to fee Nor but once frayd out till 11 o'clock; then he had leave, as we entertained fome friends at our house at Christmas.

Thus Sir have I given you, as before the great fearcher of hearts the whole truth as far as my memory have been faithfull the particulars of my dear brother, The task have been painfull, and for want of earlyer recollection much have been nay the greatest part have been loft. My mother joins with me in best respects

which conclude me,

Bristol. Somerfetfhire fquare.

Sept. 22, 1778,

Sir

Your very humble fervant,

Mary Newton."

To proceed with some fort of regularity, you will next read the earlieft production of Chatterton which I have been able to find. It is tranfcribed from an old pocket-book in his mother's poffeffion, It appears to be his firft, perhaps his only, copy of it; and is evidently his hand writing. By the date he was eleven + years and almoft

Tickell, in the preface to Addison's works, speaks of his acas count of the greatest English poets," printed in the miscellanies,

while

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