MR. SINGER will see at once that my interpretation (which I consider
quite consistent with the character of Shakspeare's mind, as well as
quite consistent with the expressions he has used throughout the speech
of the hero), steers clear of his proposal to alter "busie lest," or
"busie least," of the folios of 1623 and 1632, to _busyest_ or
_busiest_; although everybody at all acquainted with our old language
will agree with him in thinking, that if Shakspeare had used "busiest"
at all, which he does not in any of his productions, he might have said
_most busiest_ without a violation of the constant practice of his day.

J. PAYNE COLLIER.

September 24. 1850.

* * * * *

GRAY'S ELEGY.

Perhaps the HERMIT of HOLYPORT will be satisfied with proofs from GRAY
himself as to the time and manner of the first appearance of the
_Elegy_.

GRAY thus writes to Dr. Wharton, under the date of "Dec. 17, 1750." [I
quote Mason's "Life" of its Author, p. 216.]

"The stanzas" [which he afterwards called _Elegy_ at the
suggestion of Mason] "which I now enclose to you have had the
misfortune, by _Mr._ [Horace] _Walpole's fault_, to be made
still more public," &c.