I  have  reason  to  believe  that  he  intended  the  latter,
and  might  in  time  have  undertaken  the  former,  if  he
could  have  found  leisure,  as  he  had  certainly  a  capa*
city  for  it. The  Greek  poets,  which  gave  us  the
most  emplojonent,  were  Theocritus,  Homer,  and  Pin-
dar. I  do  not  remember  that  we  ever  meddled  with
Sophocles,  which  I  have  been  something  surprised
at. We  generally  read  translations  with  these,  and
indeed  with  most  of  the  other  classics. I  do  not
remember  that  we  ever  read  in  our  public  course  any
Greek  history,  oratory,  or  philosophy. The  variety
of  our  other  business  might  be  some  excuse  for  it,
but  had  Mr. Jennings,  either  himself,  or  by  proxy,
reviewed  the  most  celebrated  of  the  classics,  both
Greek  and  Latin,  drawn  up  a  catalogue  of  the  finest
and  most  improving  passages,  and  assigned  to  each
of  us  some  lessons  out  of  them  once  a  week  (which
might  have  employed  us  in  our  closets  about  an  hour
a  day),  directing  us  to  make  critical  observations  upon
them,  and  communicate  them  to  each  other  in  the
intervals  of  our  other  business,  and  to  himself,  if  he
should  think  fit  to  require  it,  it  would  have  been  a
charming  entertainment  to  us,  and  would  probably
have  turned  to  very  valuable  account. And  by  the

H  H  2


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468  DIARY  AND  CORRESPONDENCE

way,  if  you,  sir,  would  take  a  review  of  the  most
considerable  classics  (and  I  may  add  of  the  fathers
too),  with  which  it  is  universally  known  you  have
formed  a  very  intimate  and  happy  acquaintance,  and
draw  up  such  a  catalogue  as  I  have  now  men-
tioned, it  may  be  of  great  use  to  many  young  stu-
dents, whose  time  and  circumstances  will  not  allow
of  a  full  perusal  of  them,  and  who  are  afraid  of
being  lost  in  that  paradise,  if  they  should  venture
into  it  without  a  guide. If  you  should  think  fit,  at
some  leisure  time,  to  comply  with  this  suggestion,
I  desire  you  would  send  me  the  papers,  which  I
will  thankfully  transcribe,  and  carefully  return. You
will  please,  sir,  to  pardon  this  digression,  and  then
I  will  pursue  my  story,  without  staying  to  make  an
apology  for  it. For  the  history  of  Englandy  we  read
Browne's,  in  two  volumes  octavo,  which  we  found  in
the  main  very  good. 