and. Ill health has been the sole cause of my
disappointing their expectations. A fever of the nerves ... for these
four years, has rendered me incapable.... In my original proposals I
undertook to publish this work in two books. [In the introduction he
says, as I have just quoted, _one_ book.] Poetical {215} matter hath
increased upon me to such a degree, in the genial climate of Languedoc,
as to have enabled me to compose several more books on this interesting
subject, all which I purpose presenting my subscribers with at the
original price of half a guinea.... Many months ago this Second Book
was printed off; but on my arrival in town from Montauban (whither I
purpose to return), I found there were so many faults and blunders in
it throughout, that I was under the necessity of condemning five
hundred copies to the inglorious purpose of defending pye bottoms from
the dust of an oven.... Profit, my Lord, has not been my motive for
publishing: if it had, I should be egregiously disappointed, for
instead of gaining I shall be a considerable loser by the publication;
and yet many of my subscribers have _given me four, five, and six times
over and above the subscription-price for my Poem. How even the
remaining books will see the light must depend entirely upon my
pecuniary, not my poetical abilities_. The work is well nigh completed;
but not one solitary brother have I throughout the airy regions of Grub
Street who is poorer than I. It is not impossible, however, but when
_some of my partial friends shall know this_, they may _enable me by
their bounty_ to publish out of hand."

This leads me to doubt whether the third book was ever published, for I
think the most "partial" of his friends--those who had given "four, five,
and six times over and above the subscription price"--must have had enough
in two books. If it were not published, it is a curious fact that, in a
poem called _The Battle of Minden_, the battle of Minden is not mentioned;
though not more extraordinary perhaps than the omissions of the
"Explanation of the Apocalypse" in his previous work.

I come now to the question, Why did Junius speak so passionately and
disrespectfully of Swinney, and what are the probabilities that Swinney had
never before (July) 1769 spoken to Lord G. Sackville? These I must defer
till next week.

T. S. J.

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