but in a style so highly poetical as surprised the whole audience. Mr. Hamilton, as his cuftom was, complimented the orator upon his performance, and pointed out to the students the most masterly ftriking parts of it; but at last, turning to Mr. Thomson, he told him, fmiling, that if he thought of being useful in the miniftry, he must keep a stricter rein upon his imagination, and express himself in language more intelligible to an ordinary congregation.

This gave Mr. Thomson to understand, that his expectations from the study of theology might be very precarious,even though the Church had been more his free choice than probably it was: fo that having, foon after, received fome encouragement from a lady of quality, a friend of his mother's, then in London, he quickly prepared himself for his journey: and although this encouragement ended in nothing beneficial, it ferved, for the present, as a good pretext, to cover the imprudence of committing himself to the wide world, unfriended and unpatronized, and with the flender stock of money he was then poffeffed of.

But hismerit did not long lie concealed. Mr. Forbes, afterwards Lord Prefident of the Seffion, then attending the fervice of Parliament, having feen a specimen of Mr. Thomfon's poetry in Scotland, received him very kindly, and recommended him to fome of his friends, particularly to Mr. Aikman, who lived in great

intimacy with many perfons of diftinguished rank and worth. This gentleman, from a connoiffeur in painting, was become a profeffed painter; and his taste being no lefs just and delicate in the kindred art of defcriptive poetry than in his own, no wonder that he foon conceived a friendship for our Author. What a warm return he met with, and how Mr. Thomfon was affected by his friend's premature death, appears in the copy of verses which he wrote on that occafion.

In the mean time our Author's reception, whereever he was introduced, emboldened him to rifque the publication of his Winter; in which, as he himself was a mere novice in such matters, he was kindly affifted by Mr. Mallet, then private tutor to his Grace the Duke of Montrofe, and his brother the Lord George Graham, fo well known afterwards as an able and gallant fea-officer. To Mr. Mallet he likewife owed his first acquaintance with several of the wits of that time, an exact information of their characters, perfonal and poetical, and how they ftood affected to each other.

The poem of Winter, published in March 1726, was no fooner read than univerfally admired, thofe only excepted who had not been used to feel or to look for any thing in poetry beyond a point of fatirical or epigrammatic wit, a smart antithefis richly trimmed with rhyme, or the softness of an elegiac complaint. To such

his manly claffical spirit could not readily recommend itself, till, after a more attentive perusal, they had got the better of their prejudices, and either acquired or affected a truer taste. A few others flood aloof, merely because they had long before fixed the articles of their poetical creed, and refigned themselves to an abfolute despair of ever feeing any thing new and original. These were fomewhat mortified to find their notions disturbed by the appearance of a Poet, who seemed to owe nothing but to Nature and his own genius: but, in a short time, the applaufe became unanimous, every one wondering how fo many pictures, and pictures fo familiar, fhould have moved them but faintly to what they felt in his descriptions. His digreffions, too, the overflowings of a tender benevolent heart, charmed the reader no lefs, leaving him in doubt whether he should more admire the Poet or love the Man.

From that time Mr. Thomson's acquaintance was courted by all men of tafte, and feveral ladies of high rank and diftinction became his declared patroneffes; the Countefs of Hertford, Mifs Drelincourt, afterwards Viscountess Primrose, Mrs. Stanley,and others. But the chief happiness which his Winter procured him was, that it brought him acquainted with Dr. Rundle, afterwards Lord Bishop of Derry, who, upon converfing with Mr. Thomson, and finding in him qualities greater ftill, and of more value, than thofe of

poet, received him into his intimate confidence 1 friendship, promoted his character every where, roduced him to his great friend the Lord ChancelTalbot, and, fome years after, when the eldest fon hat nobleman was to make his tour of travelling, ommended Mr. Thomson as a proper companion him. His affection and gratitude to Dr. Rundle, his indignation at the treatment that worthy prehad met with, are finely expreffed in his poem to Memory of Lord Talbot. The true caufe of that leferved treatment has been fecreted from the pubaswell as the dark manœuvres that were employed; : Mr. Thomson, who had accefs to the beft infortion, places it to the account of

Slanderous zeal, and politics infirm,

Jealous of worth.

Mean while our Poet's chief care had been, in ren for the public favour, to finifh the plan which ir wishes laid out for him; and the expectations ich his Winter had raised were fully satisfied by fucceffive publication of the other Seafons; of mmer in the year 1727, of Spring in the beginng of the following year, and of Autumn in a arto edition of his works printed in 1730.

In that edition the Seafons are placed in their naral order, and crowned with that inimitable Hymn, which we view them in their beautiful fucceffion, one whole, the immediate effect of infinite power Volume I.

B

and goodness. In imitation of the Hebrew bard, all Nature is called forth to do homage to the Creator, and the reader is left enraptured in filent adoration and praise *.

Excellent as the works of Mr. Thomfon are, it is remarkable that there has not been any confiderable criticifm on his merits and character; and therefore we will take the liberty of tranfcribing, pretty largely, from an ingenious and elegant writer (Fay on the writings and genius of Pope), who is the only one we know of that has fpoken particularly to them; "It would be "unpardonable," fays he, "to conclude thefe Remarks on de"fcriptive poetry, without taking notice of the Seafons of "Thomfon, who had peculiar and powerful talents for this fpe"cies of compofition. Thomfon was blefied with a strong and copious fancy; he hath enriched poetry with a variety of new "and original images which he painted from Nature itself, and "from his own actual obfervations: his defcriptions have, there"fore, a diftinétnefs and truth which are utterly wanting to "thofe of poets who have only copied from each other, and "have never looked abroad on the objects themfelves. Thomson "was accustomed to wander away into the country for days and "for weeks, attentive to each rural fight, each rural found; "while many a poet, who has dwelt for years in the Strand, has "attempted to defcribe fields and rivers, and generally fucceeded "accordingly. Hence that naufeous repetition of the fame cir"cumftances; hence that difgufting impropriety of introducing "what may be called a fet of hereditary images, without proper "regard to the age, or climate, or occafion, in which they were formerly used. Though the diétion of the Seafons is fometimes "harth and inharmonious, and fometimes turgid and obfcure; "and though, in many inftances, the numbers are not fufficiently

diverfified by different paufes, yet is this Poem on the whole, "from the numberlefs ftrokes of Nature in which it abounds, "one of the moft captivating and amufing in our language; and "which, as its beauties are not of a fugacious kind, as depend"ing on particular cuftoms and manners, will ever be perufed "with delight. The frenes of Thomson are frequently as wild "and romantic as thofe of Salvator Rofa, pleafingly varied with "precipices, and torrents, and caitled cliffs, and deep vallies, "with piny mountains, and the gloomieft caverns. Innume"rable are the little circumftances in his defcriptions, totally