, and Hagley, and the circumstance of the co-executorship of Lord
Valentia and Mr. Roberts, would make us naturally look to the library at
Arley as a not unlikely place of deposit for Thomas Lyttelton's papers.
This is not mere conjecture, and brings me immediately to the point at
issue: for, at the sale of the Valentia Library at Arley Castle, in
December last, a manuscript volume made its appearance in a lot with others
thus designated:

"Original Diary of Travels [of Lord Valentia] 4 vols.; Five Memorandum
Books of Journeys and Travels; also _Two Old Folio Volumes of Original
Poetic Pieces_."

One of the folio volumes thus catalogued subsequently came into my hands,
and is evidently one of the manuscripts left by Thomas Lord Lyttelton's
will to the care of Mr. Roberts, since it consists wholly of pieces in
verse and prose of his composition, written either _in his own hand_, as
rough draughts, or copied (apparently by a female scribe) and afterwards
_corrected by himself_. Among the poetry in this MS. I find the greater
part of the long poem printed in the edition of 1780, p. 1., entitled "The
State of England in the year 2199," which is without date in the MS., but
in the edition bears date March 21, 1771; as likewise the "Invitation to
Miss Warb[u]rt[o]n," edit. p. 35., which appears in the MS. without any
name; and the "Extempore Rhapsody, March 21, 1771," edit. p. 37., also
undated in the MS., but which supplies the name of "Yates," expressed in
the edition by asterisks; and also six lines at the end, which were omitted
in the edition on account of their indecency. There are several variations
in the manuscript, which prove that some other copy was followed by the
printer; and many typographical errors in the edition may hence be
corrected. Besides these poems, the following pieces constitute the chief
contents of this manuscript volume:

Draughts of four letters _written by Thomas Lyttelton from Lyons, the
first of which is dated September_ 10, 1769.

Heads of a series of Dialogues, in imitation of "Dialogues of the
Dead," by his father George, first Lord Lyttelton.

Poetical Fragments, imitated from Lucretius.

{33} Two letters addressed by Thomas Lyttelton to his father; and a
third to "Dear George," probably his cousin George Edward Ayscough.

Some Latin lines, not remarkable for their delicacy.

Political letter, _written from Milan_, by Thomas Lyttelton