With considerable exertion, and at a great expense of capital and research, we have been fortunately enabled to gratify the prevalent taste for diaries and correspondence; a gentleman of the highest literary character, moving in the first circles as well of the political as fashionable world, has been kind enough to furnish us with no less than twenty-four volumes of MS. letters and memoranda, the production of all the leading personages of the last and present century. It is from the unreserved communication of their thoughts and feelings that the characters of great men are to be justly appreciated; and with the addition of the notes, explanatory and critical, of our highly-gifted friend, we think we shall do the world a service, and our readers a pleasure, by submitting portions of the great collection entrusted to our care. It must be observed that the whole of the correspondence of which we are possessed is strictly of a private nature, and certainly has never appeared in print before. We give a few specimens:-- No. I. "FROM THE RIGHT HON. WILLIAM PITT TO MR. SMITH. "Mr. Pitt will be glad to see Mr. Smith to-morrow at twelve. "Downing-street, April 4, 1800." I have not been able to ascertain precisely who this Mr. Smith was, and the envelope, which possibly might have shewn the address, has been unfortunately lost--the name of Smith is by no means an uncommon one; it is possible that this note might have been written to a relation of Lord Carrington, who was created a Baron on the 15th of July, 1796. His Lordship married a Miss Bernard, by whom he has had one son and eleven daughters.--ED. No. II. "FROM DAVID GARRICK, ESQ., TO DR. GOLDSMITH. "Southampton-street, April 9, 1775. "DEAR GOLDSMITH,--Mrs. Garrick will be glad to see you here at dinner to-day, at three o'clock. "Yours, D. G." The authenticity of this short letter is unquestionable; for although the initials of this British Roscius only are affixed to it, the date, and the known intimacy which existed between Garrick and Goldsmith, put all doubt at rest as to the real writer. It is a curious transcript of the times, as it marks the hour of dining in the year 1775, in what may be considered the best authority. Garrick retired from the stage in 1777, and died in 1779; his widow survived him nearly half a century. The house at Hampton was purchased by a Mr. Carr, Solicitor, as I believe, to the Excise, one of whose daughters was married to Dr. Lushington.--ED. No. III. "FROM MRS. LETITIA BARBAULD TO MISS HIGGINBOTHAM. "Mrs. Barbauld will thank Miss Higginbotham to let her have the silk gown home by Saturday night at latest. "Thursday evening."