| Administrative History | William Mason (1725 - 1797) was a poet and garden designer. Mason translated 'De arte graphica', which was Charles Alfonse Du Fresnoy's Latin poem of 1667 on colour theory. According to the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, after a period of indecision lasting more than a year, during which he served as private secretary to Lord Holdernesse, Mason was ordained deacon on 17 November 1754 in St Margaret's, Westminster, made a priest a week later, and was then presented by Holdernesse on 27 November 1754 to the living of Aston, West Riding of Yorkshire, where he remained rector for forty - three years. For some years until his 1768 inheritance Mason actively pursued preferment, holding five church offices by 1777. Through the duke of Devonshire, he was made a royal chaplain in 1757, relinquishing the post in 1772. His most significant post was as precentor of York Minster, held for thirty - five years from 1762, in which his activities, compositions, and writings affected the development of provincial church music (see N. Temperley, ‘Jonathan Gray and church music in York, 1770–1840’, Borthwick Papers, 51, University of York, 1977, 7 – 8). |
| Description | Copies by James Beattie of two letters, dated York, 17 October 1771 & Cambridge 20 November 1771, from Reverend W Mason about Thomas Gray's works.
Letter, dated 17 October 1771, regarding Gray's works, which he bequeathed to Mason and the discovery of some of Beattie's letters among Gray's papers. Letter praises the first book of Beattie's 'The Minstrel' and his 'Essay on the Immutability of Truth', and criticises David Hume. Mason writes that he is happy the remaining books of Beattie's Minstrel will soon be published. Letter talks about how England has lost a writer such as Beattie.
Letter, dated 20 November 1771, regarding Mason's business relating to Gray's works. Mason writes about his disappointment in not seeing Beattie in York and the good use Beattie would have been in selecting Gray's works for publishing. Letter mentions Dr Hurd, who had helped Mason select some of Gray's works for publication and who admires Beattie's 'Essay'. Letter provides a list of Gray's poetical pieces - a sonnet on the death of a friend; stanzas in alternate rhyme to Mr Bentley [?Richard Bentley (bap. 1708, d. 1782), writer and artist] and an epitaph on Sir William Williams [this must refer to Sir William Williams, first baronet (1633/4 - 1700), lawyer and politician], plus fragments of poems - opening scene of a tragedy 'Agrippina'; an address to Ignorance; beginning of an Ethical Essay on Education and Government and a few stanzas of an ode on 'the pleasure that man receives from the vicissitude of the seasons'. Also, letter talks about Gray's classical translations and works written in Latin. Mason writes that there are more of Gray's works and Beattie is welcome to have copies. Mason also writes that he found two more of Beattie's letters, which he will deliver to Mr Dilly.
Letter annotated with 'Copies of 2 letters from The Revd Mr Mason of York To J Be'. |