I pray heaven for a lazy and lucrative office, and then I
shall with alacrity turn my shop out of the window.
A curious controversy occurred in 1778 between Mr. Mason, executor of
Thomas Gray the poet, and Mr. Murray, who had published a "Poetical
Miscellany," in which were quoted fifty lines from three passages in
Gray's works.
Mr. Murray wrote a pamphlet in his own defence, and the incident is
mentioned in the following passage from Boswell's "Life":
"Somebody mentioned the Rev. Mr. Mason's prosecution of Mr. Murray, the
bookseller, for having inserted in a collection only fifty lines of
Gray's Poems, of which Mr. Mason had still the exclusive property, under
the Statute of Queen Anne; and that Mr. Mason had persevered,
notwithstanding his being requested to name his own terms of
compensation. Johnson signified his displeasure at Mr. Mason's conduct
very strongly; but added, by way of showing that he was not surprised at
it, 'Mason's a Whig.' Mrs. Knowles (not hearing distinctly): 'What! a
prig, Sir?' Johnson: 'Worse, Madam; a Whig! But he is both!'"
Mr. Murray had considerable intercourse with the publishers of
Edinburgh, among the chief of whom were Messrs.
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