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INTRODUCTORY ESSAY. 13

to judge as I am. Gray evidently believes that
Ashton was put up by Walpole to act a part about it,
and to pretend that it had made Mm indignant when
it did nothing of the sort. Perhaps again, Ashton
was one of those 'mediators' who, according to Gray's
experience, are best away. Cunningham tells us that
Ashton died at Bath in 1775, but that 'his friendship
with Walpole had ceased long before'. Walpole ad-
dressed to him the Poetical 'Epistle' from Florence ;
and we learn from Gray's letters that he wrote a book
against Conyers Middleton, and that Gray thought it
had some things new and ingenious, but rather too
prolix, and the style here and there savouring too
strongly of sermon⁵¹.

The second part of my scheme is to collect all the
remains of the beloved and unfortunate Eichard Vest.
This is an act of vicarious piety ; it was designed, as
far as West's compositions are concerned, by Gray him-
self; and was also an unfulfilled project of Mitford's,
who writes (Correspondence of Gray and Mason,
Preface, p. xxvii) "Why Gray left his design unaccom-
plished is not known; but it may be endeavoured,
with the assistance of new materials, not indeed to
supply the office which he left unfulfilled, but to raise
the best monument to the memory of West from his
own works, which, at so late a period, can be done." I
am sorry that neither the plan of Mr Gosse's edition,
¹ Ghrav's Works fed. Gosse). ii. 210.



	INTRODUCTORY ESSAY. 13 to judge as I am. Gray evidently believes that Ashton was put up by Walpole to act a part about it, and to pretend that it had made Mm indignant when it did nothing of the sort. Perhaps again, Ashton was one of those 'mediators' who, according to Gray's experience, are best away. Cunningham tells us that Ashton died at Bath in 1775, but that 'his friendship with Walpole had ceased long before'. Walpole ad- dressed to him the Poetical 'Epistle' from Florence ; and we learn from Gray's letters that he wrote a book against Conyers Middleton, and that Gray thought it had some things new and ingenious, but rather too prolix, and the style here and there savouring too strongly of sermon⁵¹. The second part of my scheme is to collect all the remains of the beloved and unfortunate Eichard Vest. This is an act of vicarious piety ; it was designed, as far as West's compositions are concerned, by Gray him- self; and was also an unfulfilled project of Mitford's, who writes (Correspondence of Gray and Mason, Preface, p. xxvii) "Why Gray left his design unaccom- plished is not known; but it may be endeavoured, with the assistance of new materials, not indeed to supply the office which he left unfulfilled, but to raise the best monument to the memory of West from his own works, which, at so late a period, can be done." I am sorry that neither the plan of Mr Gosse's edition, ¹ Ghrav's Works fed. Gosse). ii. 210.