j88 Tim LIFE OF Mit TON. About this time, as we learn from one of his familiar epillles, he hail fome thoughts of taking chambers at one of the Inns of Court, for was not very well pleafed with living fo obfcurely in the coun- try : but his mother dying, he prevailed with his father to let him indulge a defire, which he had long entertained, of feeing foreign countries, and particularly Italy : and having communicated his de- fign to S'ir Henry Wotton, who had formerly been embaffador at Venice, and was then Provoll of Eton College, and having alfo fent hinyhis Mafk of which he had not yet publicly acknowledged himfelf the author, he received from him the following friendly letter dated " from the College the loth of April x638. SIRS " It was a fpecial favor, when You lately beftowed upon me here 41 the firfl tafte of Your acquaintance, the' no longer than to make me know, that I wanted more time to value it, and to enjoy it " rightly. And in truth, if I could then have imagined Your far- " ther flay in thefe parts, which I underflood afterwards by Mr. H. " I would have been bold, in our vulgar phrafe, to mend my draught; for You left me with an extreme thirft, and to have begged Your " converfation again jointly with Your raid learned friend, at a poor " meal or two, that we might have banded together fome good authors " of the ancient time, among which I obferved You to have been " familiar. " Since Your going, You have charged me with new obligations, " both for a very kind letter from You, dated the fixth of this month, " and for a dainty piece of entertainment, that came therewith " wherein I fhould much commend the tragical part, if the lyrical " did not ravifh with a certain Doric delicacy in Your Tongs and odes, " wherein I muff plainly confefs to have feen yet nothing parallel in " our language, Ipfa mollifies. But I mull not omit to tell You, that " I, now only owe You thanks for intimating unto me, how modeftly' " ((sever, the true artificer. For the work itfell 1 had viewed fome " good while before with fingular delight, having received it from " our common friend Mr. R. in the very clofe of the late R's poemi " printed at Oxford ; whereunto it is added, as I now fuppofe, that the
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