* * * * *

ANTONY ALSOP.

"R.H." (No. 14, p. 215.) will find all, I believe, that is known
respecting Antony Alsop, in that rich storehouse of materials for the
literary history of the last century, Nichols's _Anecdotes_, or in
Chalmers (_Biog. Dict._), who has merely transcribed from it. The volume
of _Latin Odes_ your correspondent mentions, was published by Sir
Francis Bernard, and printed by Bowyer. Some notice of Sir Francis
Bernard will also be found in Nichols.

The _Odes_ were long circulated in MS.; and I have a copy that once
belonged to Thomas Warton, which seems to have been written by G.
Crochly, of Christchurch College, in 1736. It contains, however, nothing
that is not to be found in the printed volume. The Dedication to the
Duke of Newcastle was written by Bernard, who had intended to have given
a preface and copious notes, as appears by the prospectus he published:
but, to our great regret, he was dissuaded from his purpose.

Alsop was a favourite with that worthy man and elegant scholar Dean
Aldrich, at whose instance he published his pleasing little volume,
_Fabularum Æsopicarum Delectus_, Oxon. 1698. In the preface Bentley is
thus designated--"Richardum quendam Bentleium Virum in volvendis Lexicus
satis diligentem:" and there is a severe attack upon him in one of the
fables, which was not forgotten by the great scholar, who affects to
speak of Tony Alsop the fabulist with great contempt.

I have never seen the volume of _Latin and English Poems_ published in