‘Dear Sir,—I received safely by coach your manuscript, which shall be perused with all the accuracy of friendship, after having turned partiality out of doors. My impatience about whatever concerns you has already made me read a part of your work, and enables me to prophesy well concerning it. Pray be not fearful about the execution of your plan, which seems to me a good one; authors must be careful but not fearful; we have a proverb in husbandry (as old, I think, as Henry VII.’s time), which deserves to be written in letters of gold: "He that’s afraid of a blade of grass must not sleep in a meadow." ‘I like one part of your manuscript exceedingly; it is in truth the only thing wanted, and yet the only thing too often omitted, I mean the idea and calculation of the outgoing expenses. M. Patulle felt this as folly as you do, and as good wit will jump, hit upon a part of your plan. You therefore must see that book, as the French say, _coûte que coûte_; I have, I believe, almost the only copy in England, which shall be conveyed to you in a week’s time. ‘I am, dearest Sir, ‘Your affectionate friend, ‘WALTER HARTE.’ Mr. Harte published a volume of religious poems called ‘Amaranth,’ which he sent me. He took great pains about the decoration of this book by a young artist of his own forming, but it had no success. In 1766 my daughter Mary was born, and I remained at Bradfield, with the exception of several journeys to Lynn. ----- Footnote 13: The following notes are taken from a small memorandum-book appended to memorials:— ‘1761. July 23.—Leak in full (meaning debts), 5_l._ 5_s._ Sept. 22.—Coronation. ” 28.—To Court. Oct. 9.—Blackheath; cards. Dec. —To London with Ed. Allen. ” 31.—Debts 62_l._ (My) History of the War published.’ Footnote 14: Dr. Kenrick, critic of the _Monthly Review_, attacked Dr. Johnson, who said, ‘I do not think myself bound by Kenrick’s rules.’ Footnote 15: Joseph and Mary Collier; the first, author of a _History of England_. Footnote 16: Gesner Solomon, born at Zurich, 1730. Footnote 17: _The Jealous Wife._ Footnote 18: _The Alchemist._ Footnote 19: _The Provoked Wife._ Footnote 20: _The Man of Mode._ Footnote 21: _The Rehearsal._ Footnote 22: _Love Makes a Man._ Footnote 23: _The Wonder._ Footnote 24: _The Suspicious Husband._ Footnote 25: _The Beaux’ Stratagem._ Footnote 26: _She Stoops to Conquer._ This last play seems to have been first acted in 1773. See Brewer’s _Reader’s Handbook_. Footnote 27: ‘The coarse pot-house valour of Sir John Brute, Garrick’s famous part, is finely contrasted with the fine lady airs and affectation of his wife.’—_Chambers’s English Literature._ Footnote 28: