lf the
education of a prince."

The year after his entrance at college, he accepted a proposal that was
made him to undertake the education of Lord Althorpe, then a child about
seven years old; and for that purpose spent much of his time at
Wimbledon, where he composed many of his English poems, and studied
attentively the Hebrew Bible, particularly the prophetical writings, and
the book of Job.

In the summer of 1766, a fellowship of University College unexpectedly
became vacant; and being conferred on Jones, secured him the enjoyment
of that independence which he had so much desired. With independence he
seems to have been satisfied; for, on his return to Wimbledon, he
declined an offer made him by the Duke of Grafton, then first Lord of
the Treasury, of the place of interpreter for eastern languages. The
same answer which conveyed his refusal recommended in earnest terms his
friend Mirza as one fitted to perform the duties of the office, but the
application remained unnoticed; and he regretted that his inexperience
in such matters had prevented him from adopting the expedient of
nominally accepting the employment for himself, and consigning the
profits of it to the Syrian.

In 1767 he began his treatise De Poesi Asiatica, on the plan of Lowth's
Praelectiones, and composed a Persian grammar for the use of a
school-fellow, who was about to go to India. His usual course of study was
for a short time interrupted by an attendance on Earl Spencer, the father
of his pupil, to Spa. The ardour of his curiosity as a linguist made him
gladly seize the opportunity afforded him by this expedition of
obtaining some knowledge of German. Nor was he so indifferent to
slighter accomplishments as not to avail himself of the instructions of
a celebrated dancing master at Aix-la-Chapelle. He had before taken
lessons from Gallini in that trifling art. From a pensioner at Chelsea
he had learnt the use of the broadsword. He afterwards made an attempt,
in which, however, he does not seem to have persevered, to become a
performer on the national instrument of his forefathers, the harp.
Ambition of such various attainments reminds us of what is related
concerning the Admirable Crichton, and Pico of Mirandola.

Christian the Seventh, King of Denmark, who in 1768 was on a visit to
this country, had brought with him a Persian history of Nadir Shah in
manuscript, which he was desirous to have translated from that language
into the French. On