From the Bishop of St. ASAPH to Mr. JONES. DEAR SIR, May 28, 1781. You have my best and ear lieft thanks for your ode in the true Grecian taste and spirit. I remember to have seen a fragment of Alcæus, but I cannot find it in Ariftides, of whom I have only Cantern's fmall edition. The feed you found there you have quickened by the warmth of true genius into a noble production. I cannot help obferving that Alcæus, like other good poets and patriots, was condemned for life to be in the minority. I am, &c. J. ST. ASAPH. Or say, that, preferring fair Thames to fair Tivy, Love can alone make it blissful to live. I hope you will not forget, that when you have leifure, your friends at Twyford will be very happy to see you. Mr. BURKE to Mr. JONES. I do not know how I can justify myself in the liberty I take with you, but confiding in your humanity and condefcenfion, I beg, if you have leifure for it, that you would be so kind as to breakfast with me, and affift me with your opinion and advice on the conduct of the Bengal Bill. The natives of the East, to whose literature you have done fo much justice, are particularly under your protection for their rights. I have the honour to be, with the highest esteem and regard, dear Sir, Your most faithful and obedient humble fervant, EDMUND BURKE. r. JONES to H. A. SCHULTENS. June, 1781. You are not ignorant of my fentiments on this most abominable war; the enclosed imitation of an ode of Alcæus will clearly prove my deteftation of tyranny, my zeal and exertions in the cause of liberty. Literature, which is, and ought to be, ever connected with humanity, will never, I trust, be degraded by a fratricidal war between the learned, particularly thofe who pursue the fame ftudies. Do you therefore, though a native of Holland, preserve that affection for me, which I, an Englishman, have, and fhall ever retain for you. I have tranflated into English, without the omiffion of a fingle line, the feven fufpended poems of our Arabs, and mean to publish the whole with notes, and a differtation on the ancient monuments of Arabia, in the next fummer vacation. I poffefs the Commentary of Tabrizi; and * Appendix, No. 37. I have been obligingly furnished from Trinity College, Cambridge, with theraphrase of Zouzini, and his short and excellent notes. At Oxford, we have the notes and Perfic verfion of Sadi, the Scholia of Ansari, and the fine edition of Obeidolla; but I am anxious to inspect all editions and commentaries. Your illuftrious grandfather, for whose memory, as in duty bound, I preferve the greatest refpect, pronounces these poems worthy of immortality, and fays, if I do not mistake, that he transcribed the manuscript of Nahafi, at Leyden, for his own ufe. I alfo obferved in the copious catalogue of the Schultenfian library, (one copy of which I delivered to my friend Hunter) thefe words, "6990. The feven Moallakat "Arabic, most beautifully written." Has this been purchased by any one? at what price will it be difpofed of? I lament that I did not buy it, but being tied up at that time myfelf, by various important occupations, I could not bestow a thought on the fufpended poems. Affift me, I befeech you, in the name of the Muses, with materials for perfecting my work; collect from your ftores any notes, or various readings which you may poffefs, and communicate them to me. I have mentioned in my preliminary difcourfe, your Philarabic family*, and have more to say about it both * Albert Schultens the grandfather, and J. J. Schultens, the father of the person to whom this letter is addressed, were both distinguished for their knowledge of Oriental, particularly Arabic, literature. The former was a German divine, born at Groningen, and taught Hebrew and the Oriental languages at Leyden, with great reputation for many years before his death, which happened in 1741. He composed many works which shew profound learning and just criticism. Biog. Brit. He translated and explained the fifty dissertations of Hariri, although he sent abroad but few of them, and published Ancient Memorials of Arabia, which Sir William Jones notices in an anniversary discourse delivered before the Asiatic society, in Calcutta, as the most pleasing of all his works. Of J. J. Schultens his son, I have little information. In Reiske's correspondence, published by his widow, there is one letter from him dated Herborn, 1748, which manifests no ordinary zeal in the writer for the promotion of Arabic literature. I have no account of any publications by him, excepting two academical dissertations. The learning and labours of H. A. Schultens, are sufficiently apparent from his own letters and those of Mr. Jones. |