I by no means would be understood to decline your obliging offer, Sir: on the contrary, I accept it joyfully, if you can trust me with your manuscript for a little time, should I have leisure to read it but by small snatches, which would be wronging you, and would break all connexion in my head. Criticism you are too great a writer to want; and to read critically is far beyond my present power. Can a scrivener, or a scrivener's hearer be a judge of composition, style, profound reasoning, and new lights and discoveries, &c.? But my weary hand and breast must finish. May I ask the favor of your calling on me any morning, when you shall happen to come to town? You will find the new-old lord exactly the same admirer of yours.

DR. THORKELIN TO MR. PINKERTON.

Copenhagen, January 18th, 1792.

Nothing but illness could have prevented me from returning my warmest thanks to you for your very kind letters of Oct. 24th and Nov. 26th. Nothing indeed else could have withheld me so long from testifying the inward joy which I sincerely feel on account of the increase of your family, and the prosperous state which your family enjoys, and which, I pray Heaven, you may long share with the best partner, and those blooming roseate pledges of conjugal affection which surround you.

Voluspa and Diarium Wadstenense I have got for you, and will send both in the spring. Colgan's Acta and Trias are not to be had here; nor can they be suffered to go abroad, even if they should appear; because these legends are wanted in every one of our libraries. I am certainly willing to translate the Russian Annals of Nestor, provided I could get an editor who would pay the labor. In the mean time I am setting about to publish the ancient laws of Norway and Iceland, under the auspices of his excellency Count Bernstorff, and the Royal Society of Sciences, who have done me the honor of receiving me as a fellow. For which reason I have been obliged to write an essay, without which the society does not admit any body. The subject of my writing is the state of Ireland, previous to and about the coming of the Ostmen to that unhappy country. Your introduction has on this occasion been of much use to me, which I will not fail to acknowledge, and at the same time concur publicly in that praise, which every man of solid erudition pays it as due among us. The chamberlain, Suhm, is entirely of your opinion, which is no small encomium. He is at present divided between his History of Denmark in the 13th century and Scriptores Danici. He requests me to give you his best compliments, and to conjure you to publish, as soon as possible, your History of Scotland.

As to the rest, you will see, about September next, a large body of the Icelandic Annals from the birth of Christ to the middle of the 13th century; and perhaps the fourth volume of Suorro will then

be ready. So much for the history; in which perhaps we do faintly copy and follow you Britons. I say copy you, this is our study; and truly our literary ambassade to the interior parts of Africa owes its birth to your African Society. Thus his excellency the Chevalier Bulow, Marshal to his Royal Highness the Heir-apparent, has, at his own expense, sent a gentleman well versed in natural history and drawing to the remoter parts of Africa, in order to convey to the public a true and clear account of those unknown regions. The accounts which this nobleman has already received are very promising, and will no doubt prove acceptable to the public. Happy it is, that the above-mentioned gentleman is a confidential friend of his Royal Highness, who continues with unabated zeal to support the learning and rising spirit of his country.

Thousand thanks for your kind offers with respect to the sketch of the character of his Royal Highness, &c. for certain circumstances I must defer the execution of my intention till the beginning of March. In the mean time I will collect materials and desire you to make mention in your review of the last letter of the Sketch. Besides, I beg you will order Mr. Ridgeway to send me five copies.

I am astonished to see in the London Chronicle, that Denmark is said to have entered into a treaty with the Princes at Coblentz. Here is that affair unknown; and we are sure of leaving every thing what concerns France to Providence, without interfering in matters which do not con

cern us. The truth is, that the Prince Royal and his friends have nothing more at heart than the real happiness of our country, which is never promoted by wars. In short we take neither an active or passive part in the troubles of France: we only lament that the natives shall cut their throats and seek to ruin the fairest part of Europe. The next month will be productive of many news. The Diet at Geffle, a wretched sea-port on the confines of Finland, is the topic of the day: undoubtedly Gustave III. will move every stone against the rebellious French; and you, I hope, will at once blow away the storm, which threatens your shores: "nam tua res agitur paries cum proximus ardet."

I long to hear from you, from Mr. Southgate, Mr. Douce, and others of our friends, to whom I beg I may be respectfully remembered. The Greenland affairs disturbed by your countrymen, I will send explained, along with the books.

DR. JAMES ANDERSON TO MR. PINKERTON.

Edinburgh, Jan. 25th, 1792.

I thank you for your obliging letter of the 16th inst., and am much obliged to you for your

James Anderson, LL.D. of Edinburgh, a writer of much celebrity, especially on the subject of agriculture, died 1808, aged 69. Among his publications, which are very numerous, are selections from his correspondence with General Washington; six volumes, entitled Recreations in Agriculture, Natural

friendly hints, of which I shall endeavor to avail myself to the best of my power. I am no stranger to your abilities, and shall think myself much favored by any communications you shall think proper to send me.

You cannot have a poorer opinion of the spirit of our countrymen than I myself have. I never yet could find words that could sufficiently express the contempt I feel for that time-serving meanness which so generally pervades the whole mass. Yet I see symptoms of its beginning to decline. Our manufacturers are beginning to get wealth in spite of John Bull; and some of them already feel the weight that gives them. They will, by and by, think for themselves, in spite of lairds and lords, and ministerial servants, who have for so many ages borne sway in Scotland. But they have been so long accustomed to think in a grovelling manner, that these first efforts at independence are conducted in a grovelling style. I shall do the best I can to help them forward; but unpleasant is the lot of that man whose ideas get a little before the mode of thinking of those among whom he lives. There is scarcely a man in Scotland can comprehend that there can be any intermediate line of conduct to be pursued between that of supporting a minister per fas et nefas, or of opposing him in all things. Hence it is that I,

History, Arts, and Miscellaneous Literature; and the singularly interesting collection of Essays, Philosophical and Miscellaneous, which appeared in 6 vols. 8vo. 1791-1794, under the name of the Bee.