Dodsley, the leading publisher,
was discouraged for want of acquaintance with his condition and
responsibility. He then essayed Horace Walpole, sending an ode on King
Richard I. for his work "Anecdotes of Painting," and undertaking to
furnish the names of several great painters, natives of Bristol. This
application was signed "John Abbot of St. Austin's Minster, Bristol."
In the letter he drew attention to the "Bristowe Tragedie" and other
Rowlie poems. Walpole, who was as cold as urbane, expressed some
curiosity to see these productions, which, when sent, he referred to
Gray and Mason. These pronounced them forgeries. Whereupon Walpole, in
the meantime informed of the real author and his condition, paid no
further attention to the papers for a while, even to the request to
return them. Enraged but undaunted by this failure he continued his
work, both in old and contemporary English speech, producing "Aella,"
"Goddwyn," "Battle of Hastings," "Consuliad," "Revenge," etc. At
length he grew restless to a degree beyond endurance. With the few
acquaintances of his own age he talked of suicide. Feeling himself a
stranger in that society, often spending whole nights in wakeful
dreams instead of restful sleep, incensed with limitless ambition, he
did indeed meditate upon making an end of himself. Among the papers on
his desk one day was found his will, a singular document, containing
among other things most incoherent bequests to several acquaintances,
as of his "vigor and fire of youth" to George Catcall, the
schoolmaster; "his humility" to the Rev. Mr. Camplin; his "prosody and
grammar" and a "moiety" of his "modesty" to Mr. Burgum; concluding
with directions to Paull Farr and John Flower, "at their own expense"
to erect a monument upon his grave with this inscription: "To the
memory of Thomas Chatterton. Reader, judge not. If thou art a
Christian, believe that he shall be judged by a Supreme Power; to that
power alone is he now answerable."

[Illustration: The Death of Chatterton, the Young Poet.]

This document led to his dismissal by the attorney, who, in April
1770, returned to him his indentures. He at once set out for London
with his manuscripts and a small sum of money raised by a few persons
in Bristol. Through the help of a female relative he got board at the
house of one Walmsley, a plasterer, in Shoreditch. In the history of
literature nothing can be found so much to be compassionated as the
life led by him duri