" SAYINGS THAT WERE NEVER UTTERED" [To the Editor of
THE SPECTATOR.] SIE,—In his interesting article, "Sayings that .Were 'never uttered," Mr. W. A. Hirst is unquestionably correct'When he states that Wolfe's 'remark on Gray's Elegy was not made during the night of the attack on Quebec, when strict silence was essential. But as regards the authenticity of the episode, even on " the night before the battle while making the rounds "
• there are some phints which seem to have escaped_ your correspondent.
In the first place there is not a syllable of contemporary evidence for the incident in any form. No one had ever heard of the Elegy story until forty-five years after the Battle of Quebec. It was then that Professor Robison released the story to a Mr. William Currie (see Memoirs of the Life; Writings and Correspondence of James Currie, Vol. II, -pp. 248); The absence of any contemporary reference, though it does not destroy, certainly seems to me to weaken the authenticity of the episode even in the restricted form above given. ,
• In the second place Professor Robison had never been a midshipman as Mr. Hirst alleges. He had been shipped as tutor to AdMiral Knowles's son in the 'Neptune,' and accom- panied his pupil when the latter was transferred to the " Royal William... Your correspondent is therefore in error when he says that Robison" served as a midshipman in the expedition."
When Mr. Hirst states that the famous remark was made by Wolfe the night before the battle " while making the rounds " the impression is left that your correspondent believes that Wolfe's army was then on land. Actually, however, the great bulk of it, and Wolfe himself, were, and had been for over a week, in Holmes' ships in mid-stream above Quebee.—I am, Sir, &c., , . F. E. Wrurrosz (Lieut.-Colonel).
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