E. N. W. is correct in saying, that a semicircular view of London from the top of the Albion Mills, near Blackfriar's bridge, preceded Barker's panoramas. It must have been painted about the year 1793. I saw it at the end of that year, or at the very beginning of 1794. But it was not exhibited in St. Martin's Lane, but in Castle Street, in a rough building--not, I believe, erected for the purpose--at the back of a small house on the eastern side of that street. Perhaps some other of your octogenarian readers may recollect its being there, as well as myself. The scene on the Thames was the water-procession on Lord Mayor's day. W. D. _Chaucer and Gray_ (Vol. iii., p. 492).--MR. THOMS suggests a very interesting parallel between a line in Chaucer, and Gray's "Even in our ashes", &c. Gray himself refers to Petrarch as his original, and the thought occurs in Shakspeare: "In me thou seest the glowing of such fire, That on the ashes of his youth doth lie." And Malone, in a note on the passage (_Supplement to Shakspeare_, 1780, vol. i. p. 640), adduces the passage in Chaucer quoted by MR. THOMS as an illustration. Steevens has mentioned the following passage in Sir P. Sidney's _Arcadia_ "In ashes of despair, though burnt, shall make thee live." Compare, also, _Antony and Cleopatra_, Act V. Sc. 2. J. O. H. To the verse, "Even in our ashes live their wonted fires," Gray has himself appended a note, indicating that it was suggested by Petrarch, sonnet 169.; and "I will take the poet's word for a thousand pounds." It was originally written-- "Awake and faithful to her wonted fires," which has but little to do with Chaucer. VARRO. _Burns and Propertius._--There is a strange inclination to attribute similarity of sentiment to plagiarism; as if it were almost impossible for two men of genius to hit upon the same notions, independently of each other. In Propertius (II. i. 3, 4.) we find-- "Non hæc Calliope, non hæc mihi cantat Apollo, Ingenium nobis ipsa puella facit." In Burns we read-- "O, were I on Parnassus' hill! Or had of Helicon my fill; That I might catch poetic skill To sing how dear I love thee. But Nith maun be my Muse's well, _My Muse maun be thy bonnie sel'_." Had Burns been much of a Latin scholar, he would probably have been accused of stealing from Propertius. VARRO.