First Line: Vah, tenero quodcunque potest obsistere amori,
Language: Latin
First Published: 1890
References: Starr/Hendrickson (eds.), Complete Poems (1966), 115-117, 250-251 (with English prose translation and the original English version); Lonsdale (ed.), Poems (1969), 287-290 (with English prose translation and the original English version)
Summary: Written probably as a school exercise at Eton between 1725 and 1734. First published, untitled, in Tovey (ed.), Gray and his Friends (1890), 298-300.
References: Smith (ed.), Index (1989), item GrT 146, 93; Catalogue of a Sotheby's sale (29 February 1960), lot 67
Contents: Autograph in pencil and inked over, here untitled, bound into a copy of James Boswell, Life of Samuel Johnson (London, 1791), owned (1966) by Charles W. Traylen Booksellers (out of business since 2003).
References: Smith (ed.), Index (1989), item GrT 147, 93; Starr/Hendrickson (eds.), Complete Poems (1966), 250
Contents: Transcript in the hand of John Mitford, untitled, but identified "N.B. The above is a free Translation of Gilb. Coopers Ode / Away let Nought to Love displeasing / ..." and annotated "The following Poem is written with Ink by Mason over Gray's Pencil, which was very faint, in order apparently to preserve it." and "N.B. Grays writing perceptible below the Ink-letters", in John Mitford, Note-Books, vol. III "Mitford. Extracts from Mr Grays Common-place books", ff. 86-87.
Related Material: MS 0176 apparently transcribed from MS 0175.
Contents: Poem in English, beginning "Away! let nought to love displeasing", and Latin verse translation beginning "Vah! tenero quodcunque potest obsistere amori", from the G. E. Solly and Mrs. M. A. Carew sale of Garrick MSS at Sotheby's, June 18-21, 1928.