'Dear Sir,
'Being very well pleased with this day's Spectator I cannot forbear sending you one of them, and desiring your opinion of the story in it. When you have a son I shall be glad to be his Leontine, as my circumstances will probably be like his. I have within this twelvemonth lost a place of £200 per ann., an estate in the Indies of £14,000, and what is worse than all the rest, my mistress. Hear this, and wonder at my philosophy. I find they are going to take away my Irish place from me too: to which I must add, that I have just resigned my fellowship, and that stocks sink every day. If you have any hints or subjects, pray send me up a paper full. I long to talk an evening with you. I believe I shall not go for Ireland this summer, and perhaps would pass a month with you if I knew where. Lady Bellasis is very much your humble servant. Dick Steele and I often remember you.'
I am, Dear Sir, Yours eternally.
To Nos. [453], [461], and [465].
The
Retrospective Review
, vol. xi. for 1825, in a cordially appreciative review of the writings of Marvell, says,
'Captain Thompson was a very incorrect and injudicious editor of Marvell's works. A very contemptible charge of plagiarism is also preferred by the editor against Addison for the insertion of three hymns in the Spectator, Nos. [453], [461], and [465]; no proof whatever is vouchsafed that they belong to Marvell, and the hymn inserted in the Spectator, No. [461], "When Israel freed from Pharaoh's land," is now known to be the noble composition of Dr. Watts.'
Captain Edward Thompson's edition of Marvell in 3 volumes quarto was printed for the editor in 1776. Its great blunder was immediately disposed of in the
Gentleman's Magazine