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.
The next letter in Mason's publication is a letter from "Mr. Gray to Mr.
Walpole" (p. 217.), and is dated "_Cambridge, Feb._ 11, 1751," which
runs thus:--
"As you have brought me into a little sort of distress, you must
assist me, I believe, to get out of it as well as I can.
Yesterday I had the misfortune of receiving a letter from
certain gentlemen (as their bookseller expresses it) who have
taken the Magazine of Magazines into their hands: they tell me
that an {301} _ingenious_ poem, called 'Reflections in a Country
Church-yard,' has been communicated to them, which they are
printing forthwith; that they are informed that the _excellent_
author of it is I by name, and that they beg not only his
_indulgence_, but the _honour_ of his correspondence, &c.... I
therefore am obliged to desire you would make Dodsley print it
immediately _from your copy_, but without my name, &c. He must
correct the press himself ... and the title must be 'Elegy
written in a Country Church-yard.' If he would add a line or two
to say it came into his hand by accident, I should like it
better ... If Dodsley do not do this immediately, he may as well
let it alone."
Dr. Johnson (_Life of Gray_) says:
"His next production, 1750, was his far-famed _Elegy_," &c.
The Doctor adds:
"Several of his [Gray's] pieces were published, 1753, with
designs by Mr. Bentley, and that they might in some form or
other make a book, only one side of each leaf was printed. I
believe the poems and the plates recommended each other so well,
that the whole impression was soon bought."
It contains _six_ poems, one being the _Elegy_. I have before me a copy
of this collection, which is folio. The plates are clever, and very
curious; a copy was sold at the Fonthill sale for 3l. 4s.! The copy,
admirably bound, which I quote, was bought at a bookseller's
front-window stall for 4s. The title of this collection is "_Designs by
Mr._ R. BENTLEY, _for six poems by Mr._ J. GRAY."
According to the title-page, it was "printed for R. DODSLEY, in Pall
Mall, MDCCLIII.," two years previously to the date to which your
correspondent refers. This (1753) collection gives the line,--
"Save where the beetle wheels his _droning_ flight."
In the _Elegant Extracts_ (verse), ed. 1805, which, it must be needless
to mention, was prepared by the able and indefatigable Dr. Vicesimus
Knox, the accomplished scholar gives the line--
"Save where the beetle wheels his _drony_ flight."
Dr. Johnson's _Dictionary_ does not insert the word "droning" or
"drony;" but among his Illustrations attached to the verb "to drone,"
there are two from Dryden, each, it may be seen, using the word
"droning." There is no quotation containing the word "drony." Gray's
language is:
"Save where the beetle wheels his _droning_ flight,
And drowsy _tinklings_ lull the distant folds."
Johnson's second quotation from Dryden may be worth repeating, as
showing that Gray's language is not wholly different from his
predecessor's:--
"Melfoil and honeysuckles pound,
With these alluring savours strew the ground,
And mix with _tinkling_ brass the cymbal's _droning_ sound."
It is perhaps hardly worth noticing, that there is not uniformity even
in the title. Johnson calls it, _Elegy in the Church-yard_; Dodsley
(1753) styles it, _Elegy written in a Country Church-yard_.