To Sir William Forbes, from Aberdeen For the past six weeks he has been totaly engrossed with domestic oncerns but appearances now more favourable. Mrs Beattie slowly gets a little strength. Since November 1st Beattie has done the business of his class without an assistant. During his long confinement, Beattie could transcribe but was in bad state for composition. However, since March he has written 370 pages, including essays on memory, on imagination, and on dreaming. He will read them to his class soon, making about ten lectures of an hour each. At a loss to know what to do with pamphelet on church music. Printed 300 copies not intended for publication. If Creech were to publish 300 or 400 with a good type, Beattie would make some enlargements and destroy the first edition that cost a trifle. He would want to be anonymous because he does not want to give offence. 22 November 1778