Congratulations on PE's various preferments. Museum Criticum No 8 about to be printed, inc. a review by B of PE's Bacchae (intended for last no.). Will add a review of Hermann's Bacchae. Has glanced at PE's OC. He only does Greek in the summer vacations in the country.
Inadequacy of own work. Sorry to hear of PE's change of plan re Sophocles. Praise for first sheet of OT (sent by Collingwood). PE should assert claim to emendations etc. which have been forestalled in Erdfurt's edition - should also publish Aj. Or OC, neither of which Erdfurt has yet done. G. has just been ordained.
Canvassing PE's support for the father-in-law of a friend, Mr Carstairs, in his candidacy for a directorship of the East India Company. Bekker's Theognis - not sure of genuineness of 159 additional verses from the Modena ms., but will print them anyway as an appendix to vol. 1 of Poetae Minores. Vol. 2 to be ready by Christmas - printers busy with index - asks PE for his observations on Archilochus.
PE a candidate for the preachership of Lincoln's Inn (and several other letters re canvassing and counting votes). NB Lincoln's Inn not mentioned by Hallam in any of these letters - see note at 68 Charles Watkin Williams-Wynn.
Advises against taking precipitate steps. PE is unlikely to succeed - PE has had insufficient opportunity and no encouragement, and there is disparity of age and character. Failure will bring disagreeable consequences, coupled with the 'late business, which is by no means grown stale.'