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| Artist: | Thomas Gray (1716-1771) |
| Title: | Odes |
| Description: | Strawberry Hill Press, 1757 |
On 4 August 1757 Walpole wrote to Mann, "I send you two copies (1 for Dr Cocchi) of a very honourable opening of my press-two amazing odes of Mr Gray-they are Greek, they are Pindaric, they are sublime-consequently, I fear a little obscure." They were The Progress of Poesy and The Bard, considered to be their author's highest poetical achievement. This copy was extra-illustrated by Richard Bull who used as a frontispiece an etching of Gray by William Doughty (d. 1782), after the drawing by Gray's biographer, William Mason (1725-1797). Walpole printed 2000 copies, not 1000, as stated on the title-page.