ead Heath_, August 42th [Transcriber's Note: 12th],
1780.

"SIR,

"I have borrowed the following books for your use--Dr.
Farmer's copy of Ames, with MS. notes by himself, and an
interleaved Maunsell's Catalogue, with yet more considerable
additions by Baker the antiquary. The latter I have promised
to return at the end of this month, as it belongs to our
University Library. I should not choose to transmit either
of these volumes by any uncertain conveyance; and therefore
shall be glad if you will let me know how they may be safely
put into your hands. If you can fix a time when you shall be
in London, my servant shall wait on you with them; but I
must entreat that our library book may be detained as short
a time as possible. I flatter myself that it will prove of
some service to you, and am,

"Your very humble Servant,

"G. STEEVENS."

The following was Herbert's reply.

"_Cheshunt_, August 20th, 1780.

"SIR,

"As it must give you great satisfaction to know that the
books were received safe by me last night, it affords me
equal pleasure to send you the earliest assurance of it. I
thank you sincerely for the liberty you have allowed me of
keeping them till I come to London, on Monday, the 4th of
September; when I shall bring them with me, and hope to
return them safe at Mr. Longman's, between 10 and 11
o'clock; where, if it may be convenient to you, I shall be
very happy to meet you, and personally to thank you for the
kind assistance you have afforded me. If that may not suit
you, I will gladly wait on you where you shall appoint by a
line left there for me; and shall ever esteem myself,

"Your most obliged humble Servant,

"W. HERBERT."

The following, and the last, epistolary specimen of the
renowned G. Steevens--with which I shall treat my reader--is
of a general gossipping black-letter cast; and was written
two years before the preceding.

_Hampstead Heath_, June 26th, 1788.

"DEAR SIR,

"A desire to know how you do, and why so long a time has
elapsed since you were seen in London, together with a few
queries which necessity compels me to trouble you with, must
be my apology for this invasion of your retirement. Can you
furnish me with a transcript of the title-page to Wats