but in a style so highly poetical as surprised the whole audience. Mr. Hamilton, as his custom was, complimented the orator upon his performance, and pointed out to the students the most masterly striking parts of it; but at last, turning to Mr. Thomson, he told him, smiling, that if he thought of being useful in the ministry, 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: so 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 served, 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 lieconcealed. Mr. Forbes, afterwards Lord President of the Seffion, then attending the service of Parliament, having seen a specimen of Mr. Thomson's poetry in Scotland, received him very kindly, and recommended him to some of his friends, particularly to Mr. Aikman, who lived in great

intimacy with many persons of distinguished rank and worth. This gentleman, from a connoisseur in painting, was become a professed painter; and his taste being no less 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 risque 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 Montrose, and his brother the Lord George Graham, so well known afterwards as an able and gallant sea-officer. To Mr. Mallet he likewise owed his first acquaintance with several of the wits of that time, an exact information of their characters, perfonal and poetical, and how they stood affected to cach other.

The poem of Winter, published in March 1726, was no sooner read than universally admired, those 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 antithesis richly trimmed with rhyme, or the softness of an elegiac complaint. To such

his manly classical 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 stood aloof, merely because they had long before fixed the articles of their poetical creed, and resigned themselves to an absolute despair of ever feeing any thing new and original. These were somewhat 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 applause became unanimous, every one wondering how so many pictures, and pictures so familiar, should 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 less, 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 several ladies of high rank and diftinction became his declared patronesses; the Countess of Hertford, Miss 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 still, and of more value, than those 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 cause of that leserved treatment has been secreted from the pubaswell as the dark manœuvres that were employed; : Mr. Thomson, who had access to the best infortion, places it to the account of

Slanderous zeal, and polities infirm,

Jealous of worth.

Mean while our Poet's chief care had been, in ren for the public favour, to finish the plan which ir wishes laid out for him; and the expectations sich his Winter had raised were fully fatisfied by fucceffive publication of the other Seafons; of mmer in the year 1727, of Spring in the beginag 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 succession, 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. Thomson are, it is remarkable that there has not been any confiderable criticism on his merits and character; and therefore we will take the liberty of tranfcribing, pretty largely, from an ingenious and elegant writer (Ffjay on the writings and genius of Pope), who is the only one we know of that has spoken particularly to them; "It would be "unpardonable," says he, "to conclude these Remarks on de"fcriptive poetry, without taking notice of the Seasons of "Thomson, who had peculiar and powerful talents for this fpe"cies of compofition. Thomson was blessed with a ftrong 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 observations: his descriptions have, there"fore, a diftinétness and truth which are utterly wanting to "those of poets who have only copied froin each other, and "have never looked abroad on the objects themselves. Thomfon " 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 naufcous repetition of the fame cir"cumstances; 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 diction of the Seafons is fometimes "harsh and inharmonious, and sometimes turgid and obfcure; "and though, in many instances, the numbers are not fufficiently "diverfified by different pauses, yet is this Poem on the whole, "from the numberless strokes of Nature in which it abounds, "one of the most captivating and amusing in our language; and "which, as its beauties are not of a fugacious kind, as depend"ing on particular customs and manners, will ever be perused "with delight. The frenes of Thomfon are frequently as wild "and romantic as those of Salvator Rofa, pleasingly varied with "precipices, and torrents, and caffled cliffs, and deep vallies, "with piny mountains, and the gloomieft caverns. Innume"rable are the little circumstances in his defcriptions, totally