s Morrison evidently sent a reply expressing his pleasure at
Reynolds' praise of the poem, for on January 8, 1767, Reynolds wrote
again.

Dear Sir,

I am much obliged to you for the compliment you make me in
thinking my approbation of any value, to tell you the truth the
reason of my setting so little value on it myself, proceeds not so
much from modesty, or an opinion that I cannot feel the powers of
Poetry, or distinguish beauties from defects, but from a
consciousness that I am unable to determine (as all excellence in
comparative) what rank it ought to hold in the scale of Art; and
this judgement can be possess'd I think by those only who are
acquainted with what the world has produced of that kind.

I have lately had the pleasure of reading your Poem to several
friends, who have spoken much in its commendation, and Mr. Johnson
who is as severe a Critic as old Dennis approves of it very much,
he thinks it superior to any Poem of the kind that has been
publish'd these many years and will venture to lay a wager that
there is not a better publish'd this year or the next.

The Characters of the several Masters mention'd in the Poem are
truly drawn; and the descriptions of the several kinds of History
Painting shew great imagination and a thorough knowledge of the
Theory of the Art, and that this is deliver'd in Poetry much above
the common standard I have Mr. Johnson's word who concluded his
commendation with Imprimatur meo periculo which order if you have
no objection we will immediately put in execution.

I have scarce left room to subscribe myself

Yours,

J. Reynolds.

There is no record of any copy of the poem, either printed or
manuscript, having been at Yeo Vale; but that the order had indeed been
put in execution became apparent lately when Professor Hilles, on
reading the above letter, recognized the identity of Morrison's poem
with the _Pindarick Ode on Painting_ published in 1767.

The last of the three letters from Reynolds to Morrison is dated March
2, 1771. Notwithstanding the rejection of "Otho," its author had written
a second tragedy, the manuscript of which was among the papers at Yeo
Vale, according to a note made in 1917 by the late Major J. H. Morrison
Kirkwood.

Dear Sir,

Nothing would give me greater uneasiness [than] if you should
suspect that my not answering yo