Dear Sir

Your obliging Favours of 22^d. past came to hand some days ago, when the one for M^r. Pope was forwarded as desired after paying the postage.

M^r. Gough writes me of your visiting him and the promised indulgence to be allowed of seing [sic] M^r. Lows M.SS. Your improved Scheme in altering part of his plan bids fairest for the publick reception, which shall be communicated to him in Course, to which he must most readily agree, I presume the chief reason of his referring to [...]dson's Flora Angli. is because he had it by him & M^r Lightfoots Flora Scotica had not made it's appearance, but he can easily substitute the one in place of the other.

I am concerned at what you write of the base treatment M^r. Lightfoot has met with,¹ the avarice & mean arts used by the Booksellers and other hackney scribblers in their pay is most detestable, their endeavours and attempts to blast the merits of the truly learned & ingenious because they do not reap the real profits deserves the severest chatisement [sic]: how changed are they from ^in sentiments of ^those of their branch of Employment in former times; as the Aldi & Stephani² &^c. published works for the Improvement of the world, while those of our days will exhibit nothing but what shall bring a full pocket & that frequently to the hurt of the meritorious Author: Auri sacra fames!³

M^r Low has my Copy of D^r. Percy's translation of Mallet's northern Antiquities, it has been by him these several Years presume it may suffice what he may occasionaly want from the Edda.

If you please to cause leave the M.S or what else (you incline to transmit for M^r. Low) at M^r Cadel's Bookseller London it may be put up into any Parcel for his Correspondent Bookseller here, in this way all will safely reach me as I am known to the whole Trade here, and any are ready enough to oblige me: please let it be paper'd & addrest to me.

It is with pleasure that you will receive the agreeable Intelligence that D^r. Ramsay is better this was the return I had to day of the message inquiring of his state of health, hope he will get better after this severe stormy weather blows over.

I am
Dear Sir
Your most obed^t Serv^t.

GPaton

Custom house Edinburgh
5 March 1778.

---

Editorial notes

1. In his letter of February 22 1778, Pennant had alluded to what he felt to be a dishonest review of Lightfoot's Flora Scotica in the Critical Review.
2. The Aldi and Stephani were fifteenth-century families who established renowned printing houses in Venice and Paris respectively. They were thus credited by some with the promotion of classical literature in renaissance Europe.
3. A Latin phrase from Virgil's Aeneid (111, 56-57), meaning the 'cursed hunger for gold'.