George Dyer, 6 Clifford’s Inn, to Messrs. Vernor and Hood, Booksellers, Poultry, postmarked 24 July 1806.

To be read tomorrow, when you are at Liberty.

Dr Sir,

   I shall be much obliged to you to read this Letter very deliberately. I have looked over the poetry, and after a few things, which I took the liberty to correct; I think the poetical department, will be respectable: with respect to the request I made that every thing designed for the printer, should be first sent to me, proceeds from a desire that every thing that is supposed to pass thro’ my hands may be correct. You need not be apprehensive, that I should willingly, disoblige any of your correspondents by setting their papers aside, without the most solid reasons and I shall always ^be^ happy to confer with you on the grounds of preference, and the respective merits of your old correspondents, whom certainly we would willingly oblige where we can. You may assure yourself, (if I continue the editor) I shall, in all matters, study the consistency and respectability of the work. You must allow me to add, that I cannot engage; for the most delicate reasons, to furnish you with any living biographies, nor is it in my power to furnish solutions to Characters and things of that kind. This I do not consider as belonging to my department, as what I am not equal to, and as what does not go into our agreement. I will pay the utmost attention, you may assure yourself to the duty of an editor, which is selecting, arranging, ^correcting,^ correcting [sic] the press, &c: and the poetry I shall pay ^great^ attention to. As yr poetry I shall also occasionally make an extract from a book. As to what you said about my writing the old woman, that you will to settle as suits you and Dr Mavor. I should have no objection to continue it, under that title, if it should be discontinued by Dr M:

   So far as our matters now go, our agreement, I think, was, that I should receive 75£ a year from the time I commenced. This if you please I will receive quarterly.

                     Yrs truly,

                                 G. Dyer.

N. 6 Cliffords Inn.

Fleet Street.

P.S. I shall call next week for ye papers

Text: MS. Montagu d. 4, fol. 193, Bodleian Library, Oxford.