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MR. PINKERTON TO THE EARL OF BUCHAN.

Hampstead, Jan. 30th, 1794.

Mr. Sibbald, bookseller in Edinburgh, is reprinting the Evergreen, and wishes to insert some unpublished pieces from the Bannatyne manuscript in the Advocates' Library. As he has met with some difficulty, I am induced, by your lordship's zeal for our literature, to petition that the goodness you showed to me on similar occasions may be extended to him.

Your lordship's letters gave me great pleasure; and I am happy that my dedicatory letter was, as I wished, accepted as a sincere monument of gratitude. The research concerning the date of James II. will be of infinite service to me, and gratefully acknowledged.

My "History of Scotland, from the earliest accounts to the death of James V." is in great forwardness, and within two years may be ready for publication; but, if this wild war continue, it will be no season to publish books.

MR. PINKERTON TO THE EARL OF BUCHAN.

Hampstead, April 5th, 1794.

I am highly indebted to your lordship for your two last letters of the 16th and 30th ult.

For your wishes to assist Mr. Sibbald I return my best thanks. Your Essay on the life and writings

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of Copernicus will, I doubt not, do you great honor.

As to the decoration of my history with genuine portraits, I shall certainly recommend this object to the bookseller, and am much obliged to your lordship for the various information you have given me on this matter, which I shall gratefully mention. In about two years my book will be ready for the press; but, if the war and consequent want of cash and commerce continue, it will not be advisable to publish so large a work even then. It will form two volumes 4to, and extends from the earliest records to the death of James V. Hardly is there a reign of which I have not discovered new records and facts: even the period illustrated by the accurate hand of Lord Hailes I shall be able considerably to improve. Your lordship will hardly believe the chronological defects of our history, from the accession of the Stuarts to 1542. They are indeed incredible; and I have sometimes been tempted to believe that our Lindsays, Lesleys, and Buchanans, did not know that chronology is an essential part of history; it being vain to detail facts without their proper order, as in this case they become fabulous in respect to motives and circumstances. The labor I have bestowed in the chronology from 1370 to 1542, has been extreme; and often have I found letters, charters, and other records move events from one to ten years sooner or later than the dates assigned by our writers. My reign of James V. is, in particular, a great curiosity, being almost entirely detailed from the original letters of the

actors. He was certainly, even when tried in this crucible, a great prince; and an intimate acquaintance with the Stuarts will leave a favorable impression of them all, except James III.

My good friend, Gibbon, is dead; and his plan has perished with him. It was, to reprint, in about 12 folio volumes, all the early English historians preceding the year 1500. He had, in the most flattering manner, sought my acquaintance on the occasion, and made over the entire management to me. He was, however, to prepare a prospectus, and to write prefaces to the several volumes. I doubted its success, even with his name. Lord Sheffield intends, I hear, to print the prospectus, for which I furnished the materials: if so, I shall send your lordship a copy. The periodical prints have, as usual, erred widely in mentioning this great design, which some of them even suppose to have originated with me. It was solely Mr. Gibbon's; and it was my Inquiry into the History of Scotland which recommended me to him as the most proper editor. editor. Of that book he always professed the most favorable opinion, as the only one which had given him precise and authentic ideas of our early history.

I beg pardon for saying so much relating to self, and return to your lordship's first letter. The drawing of Cardinal Innes, with Bishop Geddes' biography, will be highly acceptable. A drawing from Lord Scarborough's picture I should highly value; but the expense of sending an artist so far must be great.

Your lordship's second letter gave me great

pleasure and surprise. I can never sufficiently express my gratitude to your lordship, and to Mr. Millar. The goodness of Mr. M., to whom I am personally unknown, quite overwhelms me. In truth I had not written to him; because, for three months, I have been occupied in laborious researches in the Museum, relating to a part of our history which I had designedly left till I had thoroughly examined the rest. I now write, and beg your lordship will have the goodness to read the letter, and send it to him.

His promised assistance, by his clerk Mr. Dillon, in examining some records, was in itself a singular favor; but his mention of me as librarian to the Faculty I regard as a high honor, and deserving of my warmest gratitude. I did not even know the death or resignation of Mr. Brown; and, if I had, I could not have thought of aspiring to the office, living as I do so remote, and unknown to that most respectable society. At present it seems rather too late to offer myself a candidate; but I should be happy to learn if a strict and constant residence be required, or if certain portions of the year would be sufficient, provided a proper deputy were paid by the librarian, in order that I may be prepared, in case of any future vacancy; for an office in my own country, and an office respectable in itself, and rendered yet more so by the names of Ruddiman and Hume, I should prefer to one more opulent any where else.

THE EARL OF ORFORD TO MR. PINKERTON.

Berkeley Square, April 11th, 1794.

I have carefully gone through your Manuscripts with great delight; and, with the few trifling corrections that I have found occasion to make, I shall be ready to restore them to you whenever it shall be convenient to you to call for them; for I own I find them too valuable to be trusted to any other hand.

As I hope I am now able to begin to take the air, I beg you not to call between eleven and one, when you would not be likely to find me at home.

MR. PARK TO MR. PINKERTON.*

No. 33 Piccadilly, April 20th, 1794.

Though, with the advice of Lord Buchan, (who first suggested the undertaking) I have relinquished the honor I had proposed to myself of becoming Drummond's editor, my avowed partiality for that elegant and amiable writer still keeps its ground; and, having met with a copy of his poems in the 4to edition, which seems to differ in some respects from what I recollect of yours, I should be pleased

* Thos. Park, Esq., Editor of the Harleian Miscellany, of Walpole's Royal and Noble Authors, of Ritson's English Songs, &c., which he has illustrated and enlarged by his knowledge, and taste, and judgment.

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