SHENSTONE, William (1714-1763). Poet, essayist, landscape gardener and collector.
Autograph Letter Signed to his cousin [Tom] Sanders, 2 pages 4to, The Leasowes, 24 August 1756.
About the latter's naval career, which Shenstone was evidently trying to promote through [Admiral Thomas Smith] ('Our Admiral'), praising the Admiral's character, advising Sanders how best to advance his own interests, and assuring him of his good opinion, offices and support.

'... It is not quite clear from your Letter whether you are Mate or Midshipman but whatever your post may be I hope and make no doubt that you will endeavour to fill it as it becomes you. Should you happen to be continued in the Admiral's own ship, you will have the honour to serve more immediately under the most generous man alive; whose Penetration will not suffer any Degree of Merit to escape his Notice and who will allow yours the more Consideration on account of his Regard for me. As the best means therefore of promoting your Interest, you will need to concern yourself little further than to deserve well; And this by an uniform course of Diligence & Sobriety, by the strictest attention to Honour & your Duty, & by a Conduct entirely free from all Artifice & Disguise. You have an honest open Countenance; I do not in the least question that you will verify it by your Behaviour. ...'

Letters by Shenstone are relatively scarce: only ten having appeared at auction in the last thirty years.

Admiral Smith (?1707-1762) was the illegitimate son of Sir Thomas Lyttelton whose family were Shenstone's neighbours at nearby Hagley Hall. Shenstone was one of a small group of poets at Pembroke College, Cambridge, known as the 'singing birds'. He inherited The Leasowes in 1745 and began what was really his life's work, beautifying the grounds so that the house and gardens became, according to Dr Johnson, 'a place to be visited by travellers, and copied by designers.'

A separate slip in the handwritng of Nic. Car. de Bogoushefsky of Zapolya, testifies that it was foremerly in the Bovet Collection and that he bought it from 'Ch. A Law of London (the auto[graph] collector)' in 1890

See The Letters, edited by Marjorie Williams, page 456.
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