References: Starr/Hendrickson (eds.), Complete Poems (1966), 138-140 (with English prose translation); Lonsdale (ed.), Poems (1969), 306-308 (with English prose translation)
Summary: Written at Cambridge when Gray was about to join Richard West (Favonius) at the Inner Temple, where they intended to study law together. First published, untitled but referred to in a footnote as a "Sapphic Ode", in Mason'sMemoirs (1775), section I, letter no. XIV. Mason is the only source for this letter, dated June 1738, in which Gray originally sent the poem to West. MS translation into English by Thomas Wharton.
Contents: Transcript in an unidentified neat and legible hand, entitled "Ode on Mr. West's leaving the University" (p. 1) ("Ode. I." [p. 3]). The poem is part of a section called "Latin Pieces", which is separately paginated and has its own table of contents (p. 24), in a volume entitled Gray's Poems. The book carries the bookplate of Gray's friend and biographer William Mason.
References: Starr/Hendrickson (eds.), Complete Poems (1966), 144-145 (with English prose translation); Lonsdale (ed.), Poems (1969), 310-312 (with English prose translation)
Summary: Written at Rome in the Spring of 1740 while on the Grand Tour with Horace Walpole. First published, untitled but referred to in a footnote as "Ad C. Favonium Zephyrinum", in Mason'sMemoirs (1775), section II, letter no. XXI. Mason is the only source for this letter, dated May 1740, in which Gray originally sent the poem to West (Favonius). MS translation into English by Thomas Wharton.
References: Smith (ed.), Index (1989), 79; Crum (ed.), First-Line Index (1969), vol. II, 668, item O754; Nelson (ed.), Union First Line Index. Mar. 2010. Folger Shakespeare Library. 19 March 2010. <http://firstlines.folger.edu/detail.php?id=76914>
Contents: Transcript in the hand of John Phillipps (f. 43), followed by an English translation headed "Translation" (ff. 43v-44r), in a volume of collected verse, copied from manuscripts, printed editions and newspapers, by John Phillipps of the Middle Temple and Exeter College, Oxford, 1776-1804 (Summary Catalogue, 45759).
Surrogates: Digital facsimile [JPEG] from original MS available online.
Contents: Transcript in an unidentified neat and legible hand, entitled "Ode to Caius Favonius Zephyrinus" (p. 7) ("Ode II." [p. 9]). The poem is part of a section called "Latin Pieces", which is separately paginated and has its own table of contents (p. 24), in a volume entitled Gray's Poems. The book carries the bookplate of Gray's friend and biographer William Mason.
References: Starr/Hendrickson (eds.), Complete Poems (1966), 151-152 (with English prose translation); Lonsdale (ed.), Poems (1969), 317-318 (with English prose translation)
Summary:Gray wrote this poem in the album of the monastery of the Grande Chartreuse on this second visit on 21 August 1741, during his journey from Turin to Lyon, when he was returning alone from the Grand Tour. First published, as "Ode", in Mason'sMemoirs (1775), 117-118. MS translation into English by Thomas Wharton.
References: Smith (ed.), Index (1989), 79; Northup, Bibliography (1917), item 1997
Contents: Transcript, entitled "Gray's Ode on visiting The Grand Chartreuse – written in The Album of the Fathers", in the hand of Joseph Hunter, in a volume prefaced "Silva Poetica" (1807).
References: Smith (ed.), Index (1989), 79; Sutton (ed.), Location Register (1995), 414; Crum (ed.), First-Line Index (1969), vol. II, 674, item O877; Nelson (ed.), Union First Line Index. Mar. 2010. Folger Shakespeare Library. 19 March 2010. <http://firstlines.folger.edu/detail.php?id=77055>
Contents: Transcript in the hand of John Phillipps (f. 42), followed by an English translation headed "Translation" (ff. 42v-43r), in a volume of collected verse, copied from manuscripts, printed editions and newspapers, by John Phillipps of the Middle Temple and Exeter College, Oxford, 1776-1804 (Summary Catalogue, 45759).
Surrogates: Digital facsimile [JPEG] from original MS available online.
Contents: Transcript in an unidentified neat and legible hand, entitled "Ode composed at the Grande Chartreuse" (p. 13) ("Ode III." [p. 15]). The poem is part of a section called "Latin Pieces", which is separately paginated and has its own table of contents (p. 24), in a volume entitled Gray's Poems. The book carries the bookplate of Gray's friend and biographer William Mason.
De Principiis Cogitandi. Liber Primus. Ad Favonium.
Contents: Transcript of variant readings (18 lines) in the hand of John Mitford, in John Mitford, Note-Books, vol. III "Mitford. Extracts from Mr Grays Common-place books", ff. 191r, 192r.
First Line: Gratia magna tuae fraudi quod Pectore, Nice
Language: Latin
First Published: 1890
References: Starr/Hendrickson (eds.), Complete Poems (1966), 134-137 (with English prose translation); Lonsdale (ed.), Poems (1969), 303-306 (with English prose translation)
Summary: Written probably in 1737 or 1738 when Gray was corresponding and exchanging poetry with Richard West who was then at Christ Church, Oxford. First published, untitled, in Tovey (ed.), Gray and his Friends (1890), 296-298.
References: Smith (ed.), Index (1989), item GrT 60, 84
Contents: Transcript in the hand of John Mitford of an unfinished draft, untitled but headed "MS Poem", in John Mitford, Note-Books, vol. III "Mitford. Extracts from Mr Grays Common-place books", ff. 83-85.
References: Starr/Hendrickson (eds.), Complete Poems (1966), 112-114 (with English prose translation); Lonsdale (ed.), Poems (1969), 285-287 (with English prose translation)
Summary: Written probably as a school exercise at Eton between 1725 and 1734, possibly Gray's earliest complete composition. First published, ll. 1-20 only, in The Gentleman's Magazine N.S. 32 (October 1849), 343, published in full, as "Early Alcaics of Gray", in Tovey (ed.), Gray and his Friends (1890), 300-301.
References: Smith (ed.), Index (1989), item GrT 111, 90
Contents: Transcript in the hand of John Mitford, untitled, subscribed "The above is the 84th Psalm" and "[N.B. The above Ode is written in Mr Grays Hand: but evidently when young, the hand being unformed, & like a Schoolboys, tho' very plain & careful. The Leaf on which it is written, apparently torn from a Copy-book. Some of the Expressions resemble those in the Gr. Chartreuse Ode.]", in John Mitford, Note-Books, vol. III "Mitford. Extracts from Mr Grays Common-place books", ff. 67-68.
First Line: Egregium accipio promissi Munus amoris,
Language: Latin
First Published: 1775
References: Starr/Hendrickson (eds.), Complete Poems (1966), 153-156 (with English prose translation); Lonsdale (ed.), Poems (1969), 318-321 (with English prose translation)
Summary: Written before mid-May 1742. First published in Mason'sMemoirs (1775), section III, letter X. Mason is the only source for this (probably conflated) letter, dated [27 May 1742], in which Gray originally sent the poem to Richard West.
Contents: Transcript in an unidentified neat and legible hand, entitled "Sophonisba Massinissae. Epistola" (p. 17) ("Epistola." [p. 19]). The poem, which contains three variant readings ("fata" for "fama" [l. 15], "Consideramque" for "Credideramque" [l. 44] and "resurgat" for "recursat" [l. 51]), is part of a section called "Latin Pieces", which is separately paginated and has its own table of contents (p. 24), in a volume entitled Gray's Poems. The book carries the bookplate of Gray's friend and biographer William Mason.
"[Translation of Ode 'Away; let nought to love displeasing']"
First Line: Vah, tenero quodcunque potest obsistere amori,
Language: Latin
First Published: 1890
References: Starr/Hendrickson (eds.), Complete Poems (1966), 115-117, 250-251 (with English prose translation and the original English version); Lonsdale (ed.), Poems (1969), 287-290 (with English prose translation and the original English version)
Summary: Written probably as a school exercise at Eton between 1725 and 1734. First published, untitled, in Tovey (ed.), Gray and his Friends (1890), 298-300.
References: Smith (ed.), Index (1989), item GrT 147, 93; Starr/Hendrickson (eds.), Complete Poems (1966), 250
Contents: Transcript in the hand of John Mitford, untitled, but identified "N.B. The above is a free Translation of Gilb. Coopers Ode / Away let Nought to Love displeasing / ..." and annotated "The following Poem is written with Ink by Mason over Gray's Pencil, which was very faint, in order apparently to preserve it." and "N.B. Grays writing perceptible below the Ink-letters", in John Mitford, Note-Books, vol. III "Mitford. Extracts from Mr Grays Common-place books", ff. 86-87.
Related Material: MS 0176 apparently transcribed from MS 0175.
Contents: Poem in English, beginning "Away! let nought to love displeasing", and Latin verse translation beginning "Vah! tenero quodcunque potest obsistere amori", from the G. E. Solly and Mrs. M. A. Carew sale of Garrick MSS at Sotheby's, June 18-21, 1928.