ious cause of so amazing an effect. So much for
criticism.

Soon after I received your letter I was down at Cambridge, where I had
the good fortune to meet with Mr. Gray, the poet, and spent an afternoon
with him at his chambers. Our discourse turned on you and the Welsh
poetry: I shewed him your letter, and he desired leave to transcribe the
passage relating to King Edward's massacre of the Welsh bards. All the
authority he had before, it seems, was only a short hint in Carte's
history: he seemed very glad of this authentic extract. We both join'd
in wishing a speedy conclusion to your historical labours, that you might
be at leisure to enter upon this far more noble field of ancient British
poetry. Excuse me if I think the recovery of particular facts from
oblivion, any further than as they contribute to throw light upon
compositions, not half of so much consequence to the world, as to recover
the compositions themselves.

Your nation and ours are now happily consolidated in one firm
indissoluble mass, and it is of very little importance, whether Llewelyn
or Edward had the advantage in such a particular encounter. At least
very few (even learned and inquisitive readers) will interest themselves
in such an enquiry,--whereas the productions of genius, let them come
from what quarter they will, are sure to attract the attention of all.
Every reader of taste, of whatever country or faction, listens with
pleasure, and forms a higher or meaner opinion of any people, in
proportion as they are affected by this exertion of their intellectual
powers. To give an instance, that is parallel to your own case, the
Danes and Swedes have, for this century past, been rescuing their ancient
writings from oblivion; they have printed off their Icelandic Histories,
and collected what they could of their ancient Runic Poems. The latter
have attracted the attention of all Europe; while the former are no
otherwise regarded, than as they contribute to throw light on the latter.
A very celebrated Frenchman has lately translated some curious specimens
of them into his own language; and Mr. Dodsley will soon print a curious
Spicilegium of the same kind in English, of which I will procure a copy
and send you when printed off. But who will be at the pains (except a
few northern antiquaries) to give a careful perusal to the other? I have
this moment a voluminous _corpus_ of them (lately borrowed) before me.
Even curious and inquisitive, a