At a meeting of the Literary Class of the Royal Society, held on Monday 19th April 1784, the Reverend Dr Carlyle read an ode, written by the late Mr William Collins, and addressed to John Home, Esq; (author of Douglas, &c.) on his return to Scotland in 1749. The committee appointed to superintend the publication of the Society's Transactions, having judged this ode to be extremely deserving of a place in that collection, requested Mr Alex. Fraser Tytler, one of their number, to procure from Dr Carlyle every degree of information which he could give concerning it. This information, which forms a proper introduction to the poem itself, is contained in the two following letters.