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2 INTRODTJCTOBY ESSAY.

in print before, will only appear now in the form
of connecting links.

Although what is printed here of Ashton's is, all
but certain verses, entirely new, it has seemed ad-
visable to treat some of his letters in the same way.
To have given them in full would have been to add
to the heavier material of my volume, and I could
not persuade myself that I have in his case
the same kind of obligation as in the case of
Gray or "West. Even West has a place (though a
very subordinate place) in literature; Ashton has
scarcely any. Letters are not interesting simply
because they are old; and distance lends no enchant-
ment to dulness. In transcribing Ashton's letters,
I came to the conclusion that he could be a very
ponderous young person, but I cannot convince
readers of this, except at their expense arid that of
my volume, which might sink under his weight.
I am therefore contented to indicate where all these
letters are to be found¹. Ashton was dubbed ' Plato'^aby his Eton friends; why, I cannot tell, except in
as far as he was supposed to have some skill in
Greek³; his temper, with a great affectation of

¹ Mitford's Common Place Books ad. fin, (Add. Mss. Brit.
Mus, 32,562.)

² See note infra p. 81.

3 Walpole to West from Florence Oct. 2,1740, suggests that
Ashton shall turn into Greek Buondelmonti's * Spesso Amor
&c.' which Gray had Latinized.



	2 INTRODTJCTOBY ESSAY. in print before, will only appear now in the form of connecting links. Although what is printed here of Ashton's is, all but certain verses, entirely new, it has seemed ad- visable to treat some of his letters in the same way. To have given them in full would have been to add to the heavier material of my volume, and I could not persuade myself that I have in his case the same kind of obligation as in the case of Gray or "West. Even West has a place (though a very subordinate place) in literature; Ashton has scarcely any. Letters are not interesting simply because they are old; and distance lends no enchant- ment to dulness. In transcribing Ashton's letters, I came to the conclusion that he could be a very ponderous young person, but I cannot convince readers of this, except at their expense arid that of my volume, which might sink under his weight. I am therefore contented to indicate where all these letters are to be found¹. Ashton was dubbed ' Plato'^aby his Eton friends; why, I cannot tell, except in as far as he was supposed to have some skill in Greek³; his temper, with a great affectation of ¹ Mitford's Common Place Books ad. fin, (Add. Mss. Brit. Mus, 32,562.) ² See note infra p. 81. 3 Walpole to West from Florence Oct. 2,1740, suggests that Ashton shall turn into Greek Buondelmonti's * Spesso Amor &c.' which Gray had Latinized.