s up to 1753, when it was dropped. The omission was not
made from any objection to the stanza in itself, but simply because
it was too long a parenthesis in this place; on the principle which
he states in a letter to Dr. Beattie: "As to description, I have
always thought that it made the most graceful ornament of poetry, but
never ought to make the subject." The part was sacrificed for the
good of the whole. Mason very justly remarked that "the lines,
however, are in themselves exquisitely fine, and demand
preservation."

[Footnote 8: See next page. The writer in the _North American Review_
is our only authority for the stanza as given above. He appears to
have had the photographic reproduction of the Wrightson MS., but we
cannot vouch for the accuracy of his transcripts from it.]

The first line of the 31st stanza has "and his _heart_ sincere."

The 32d and last stanza is as follows:

"No farther seek his merits to disclose,
Nor seek to draw them from their dread abode--
(His frailties there in trembling hope repose);
The bosom of his Father and his God."[9]

[Footnote 9: The above are all the variations from the present text
in the Wrightson MS. which are noted by the authorities on whom we
have depended; but we suspect that the following readings, mentioned
by Mitford as in the MS., belong to _that_ MS., as they are _not_
found in the other: in the 7th stanza, "sickles" for "sickle;" in
18th, "shrines" for "shrine." Two others (in stanzas 9th and 27th)
are referred to in our account of the Pembroke MS. below.]

The Pembroke MS. has the following variations from the present
version:

In the 1st stanza, "wind" for "winds."

2d stanza, "_Or_ drowsy," etc.

5th stanza, "_and_ the ecchoing horn."

6th stanza, "_Nor_ climb his knees."

9th stanza, "_Awaits_ alike." Probably this is also the reading of
the Wrightson MS. Mitford gives it as noted by Mason, and it is
retained by Gray in the ed. of 1768.

The 10th stanza begins,

"_Forgive_, ye Proud, _th' involuntary_ fault
If Memory _to these_," etc.,

the present readings ("Nor you," "impute to these," and "Mem'ry o'er
their tomb") being inserted in the margin.

The 12th stanza has "_reins_ of empire," with "rod" in the margin.

In the 15th stanza, the word "lands" has been crossed out, and
"fields" written above it.

The 17th has "_Or_ shut the gates," etc.

In the 21st we have "fame and _epitaph_ supply."

The 23d has "_An