Sir,

Your Letter was extremely agreable to Me, tho' I wish it had not been so long in coming.
The high Idea I have formd to my self of M^r Voltaire's Genius, & the wonderful Things I heard of his Alzire, made me set my heart upon it; & I wish I had not, since I very possibly may not have the satisfaction to bring it upon the English stage. I find I had flatter'd my self too far, in imagining that I shou'd be favour'd with some of the scenes in Manuscripts; or that some of them (printed) would be sent me by the Post. You are so obliging as to promise me Alzire by a Courier, but I have not yet been favour'd with y^r Present. However, a very worthy Gentleman who honours me with his Friendship, was so kind as to send me that Tragedy, which I believe came to my Hands before any other Person in England had receiv'd it. — The perusal of it gave me inexpressible pleasure, & confirm'd me in my Resolution to attempt it in English. I immediately applied to a person of Quality, who was so good as to employ his interest with the Master of Drury Lane; & I accordingly was desir'd to attempt one of y^e scenes in English. This I have done, & am now going to give it in. You also will be troubled with a Copy of it. So many Copies have been ask'd for, that my hand, & that of my Amanuensis, are almost tir'd & therefore am desir'd to print it, which I now have an opportunity to do very much to my Advantage. A poem of mine (David's Lamentation over Saul & Jonathan) has been lately perform'd, (musically,) in the Academy of Music; & the Members of it have done me the honour (which I no ways deserv'd) to desire it may be printed at their Request; & there being a second Edition of it now coming out, I intend to annex my Translation of one of the scenes of Alzire. — As I am not yet master enough of the subject, & have only attempted this detach'd scene, & consequently have not rais'd that Fire in Me, which I shou'd feel, were I to go regularly thro' it; you perhaps will not find that Warmth in my Version which I possibly may give it by & by . . . . T'is in Writing as in Love. To heighten the Rapture of actual Enjoyment, we begin by surveying, by touching & kissing the more apparent Beauties of the belov'd Object; & by that means blow up, in our selves, the strongest Flame. — When I set about Alzire, I resolv'd to give it as pure as the English Language, & my Abilities, wou'd permit; in a word to express my self (so far as I am capable) as the author wou'd have done, had he writ in our Tongue. Hence you will believe that I did not intend to got upon Poetical Stilts, & rant & fustian it away like the Author of Hurlothrumbo. This may please a few tasteless People; but the Beauties of Nature, only, are capable of Delighting, generally; & particularly Persons of the most refin'd Imagination. But this I needed not to have hinted to you who are so good a Judge of Works of Wit . . . . I have not yet been able to procure M^r Duncomb's Version of Brutus, which, I find, was printed at his own Expence . . . . It may not become me to tell you what I hear say, or what I my self think, of this & other Versions, especially as I my self may stand so much in need to the Indulgence of y^e public.

I intended to have devoted all this summer, (in the Country) to Alzire, but this I shall not do unless I am encourag'd, by Paris as well as London, to proceed in it & for this Reason: I have such a multitude of Business upon my Hands, that I must give up a considerable part of it shou'd I go upon Alzire, & so might run the hazard of losing four score or a hundred Pounds Sterling. For these eighteen months I have been employ'd in writing Nonsense of my own Growth, or in Compiling: & having been very fortunate in my Endeavours, I shall not go about such a Work as y^e translation of Alzire for the Stage, unless I know my self to be upon Terra Firma: & tho' the way should be smooth'd over so much for me by my Friends, yet such Difficulties wou'd remain, that I almost shudder at the thoughts of the Attempt.

By this time you doubtless must think me a most teizing Egotist, & therefore t'will be proper for me to turn to other Matters. — Alzire has hitherto been applauded universally in London; & I am told that three Booksellers, (Nourse, Dunoyer & Vaillant) have each printed a French Edition of it here. —A Legion of Translators are going to give it us in English (à leur mode;) but not, as you will suppose, for the Stage. — This puts me in mind of the many Cities which so strongly contended for Homer's Birth. — Some friend has been so kind as to bespeak the Public in my favour, by inserting in the News Papers, that I was preparing Alzire for the Town, which procur'd me a great many unmerited Compliments; & may perhaps involve me in what I mortally hate (a Paper War;) & yet I could, methinks, play off a Hogshead of Ink, to preserve to my self the Possession of the beautiful French Helen.

Our now Princess of Wales has attracted the eyes of the whole City, & people flock as much to see her as if Venus were descended from the Skies. I had the pleasure to gaze upon her beauties full two Hours, last Drawing Room night, as she was playing at Quadrille with her Majesty &c. — The Lords have agreed to carry on their Opera this year with Farinello &c., & M^r Hendal will still carry on one separately from them. T'is said that Senesino & Cuzzoni are going to leave us, & that the Lords have again engag'd Faustina . . . . M^r Hendal has procur'd a new singer from Italy (signior Conti) who pleased very much. That great Master of Music has been very unsuccessful in some Particulars; this Royal Highness having gone to Drury Lane, on those very nights in which M^r Hendal play'd off his fine singer . . . . This occasions much speculation among the musical Gentry . . . . I suppose you have read M^r Fielding's Pasquin by this time. It has had a prodigious Run, this being the fifth second night of y^e Representation. Mr Fielding is now like Moliere, both Poet & Player; & has a Company of Comedians under him, who will act at y^e little Theatre in y^e Haymarket till next Bartholomew Tide.

I cou'd write many more things, was I not afraid of tiring your Patience. I therefore shall trouble you with no more particulars but to inform you that I read y^r obliging Letter to Major Cleland, at y^e same time that I carried my scene of Alzira to him. That Gentleman took y^r compliment very kindly, & desired his service to you. Mr Pope has not been in Toun lately, so I have not yet had an opportunity to see him, but have sent y^e Particulars to him relating to L'abbé Du Renel, to whom I wish success in his arduously-noble undertaking.

I should be glad of y^r opinion of my scene as soon as possible, as well as that of y^r English Friends at Paris, (especially of mr Jansson, to whom I have very great obligations.) Should I be so happy (which I can scarse flatter my self tho hopes of) to meet with some little Encouragement from you, it wou'd animate me to such a Degree, that it then might perhaps exhibit Alzire, in a Dress not quite unworthy of Mr Voltaire, to whom I desire humble services may be given, as well a to y^r self & y^e Gentlemen abovemention'd. But I now begin to be as much tir'd as you must be; & therefore t'is high time that I conclude my self

S^r

Y^r most humble serv^t

J. Lockman

13 May O. S. [24 May n. s.] 1736 Hanover Street, Long Acre