. 266., of Nichols's _Literary Anecdotes_, "Memoirs of Mr.
Gough," is the following anecdote of Mr. Gough's precocious talents--

"At the very early age of eleven he commenced a task that would have
reflected credit on any period of life; which, by the indulgence of his
mother, appeared in print under the title of '_The History of the
Bible_, translated from the French by R. G., junior, 1746. London:
Printed by James Waugh in the year 1747.' Of this curious volume,
consisting of 160 sheets in folio, not more than twenty-five copies
were printed, as presents to a few particular friends and when
completed at the press, it is marked by way of colophon, 'Done at
twelve years and a half old.'"

Mr. Nichols in his notes says, that the French edition was printed at
Amsterdam, in 2 vols. folio, with plates, 1700. That by the generosity of
Mr. Gough's worthy relict, he had a copy of the work with Mr. Gough's
corrections in maturer age; and in a note at p. 642. of this volume of the
_Literary Anecdotes_ Mr. Nichols further states, that

"By a singular chance, at a sale of the library of Dr. Guise in
January, 1812, he met with two copies of Mr. Gough's juvenile
translation of the _History of the Bible_; and at the end of one of the
volumes were ten sheets of Mr. Pickering's _Dictionary_, perhaps the
only copy of them in existence."

The Rev. Roger Pickering was Mr. Gough's tutor until he was admitted at
Bene't College, Cambridge, July, 1752, being then in the 17th year of his
age. This Dictionary was compiled on the plan of Calmet, but left
unfinished.

Mr. J. B. Nichols, son of the late venerable octogenarian, having recently
presented me with a copy of Mr. Gough's scarce volume, I am anxious to
learn by whom the original French work was written, and where a copy may be
purchased. It is one of much erudition; sound in doctrine and principle;
pleasing and familiar in its language, and would, I should think, well
repay the publisher of a new edition, after a careful correction of a few
deficiencies in composition, incidental to the early period at which Mr.
Gough translated it. There is nothing in the preface, or in any part of the
volume, to indicate the name of the original author. Should Mr. J. B.
Nichols still possess Mr. Gough's more matured and corrected copy, he might
perhaps discover some reference to the author.

J. M. G.

Worcester, Jan. 1851.

*