was at last finished with great accuracy. The fir canto opens a scene of lazy luxury, that fills the ima gination.

He was now at eafe, but was not long to enjoy it; for, by taking cold on the water between London and Kew, he caught a diforder, which, with fome careless exafperation, ended in a fever that put an end to his life, August 27, 1748. He was buried in the church of Richmond, without an infcription; but a monument has been erected to his memory in Westminsterabbey.

Thomson was of ftature above the middle fize, and more fat than bard befeems, of a dull countenance, and a grofs, unanimated, uninviting appearance; filent in mingled company, but chearful among felect friends, and by his friends very tenderly and warmly beloved.

He left behind him the tragedy of Coriolanus, which was, by the zeal of his patron Sir George Lyttelton, brought upon the ftage for the benefit of his family, and recommended by a Prologue, which Quin, who had long lived with Thomfon in fond intimacy, spoke in such a manner as fhewed him to be, on that occafion, no actor. The commencement of this benevolence is very honourable to Quin; who is reported to have delivered Thomson, then known to him only for his genius, from an arreft, by a very confiderable prefent; and its continuance is honourable to both; for friendship is not always the fequel of obligation. By this tragedy a confiderable fum was raised, of which part discharged his debts, and the reft was remitted to his fifters, whom, however removed from them by place or condition, he regarded with great tendernefs, as will appear by the follow

ing Letter, which I communicate with much pleasure, as it gives me at once an opportunity of recording the fraternal kindness of Thomson, and reflecting on the friendly affistance of Mr. Bofwell, from whom I received it.

"My dear Sifter,

Hagley in Worcestershire, "October the 4th, 1747

"I thought you had known me better than to interpret my filence into a decay of affection, efpecially as your behaviour has always been fuch as ra"ther to increase than diminish it. Don't imagine, "because I am a bad correfpondent, that I can ever

prove an unkind friend and brother. I must do "myself the justice to tell you, that my affections are "naturally very fixed and conftant; and if I had ever "reafon of complaint against you (of which by the

bye I have not the least shadow), I am confcious of "fo many defects in myself, as difpofe me to be not a "little charitable and forgiving.

"It gives me the trueft heart-felt fatisfaction to "hear you have a good kind husband, and are in easy "contented circumftances; but were they otherwife, "that would only awaken and heighten my tender"nefs towards you. As our good and tender-hearted

parents did not live to receive any material testi"monies of that highest human gratitude I owed "them (than which nothing could have given me "equal pleafure), the only return I can make them "now is by kindness to those they left behind them: "would to God poor Lizy had lived longer, to have "been a farther witness of the truth of what I fay, and that I might have had the pleasure of seeing once 66 more

more a fifter, who fo truly deferved my esteem and "love. But she is happy, while we must toil a little "longer here below: let us however do it chearfully "and gratefully, fupported by the pleasing hope of "meeting yet again on a fafer fhore, where to recol"lect the ftorms and difficulties of life will not per"haps be inconfiftent with that blissful ftate. You "did right to call your daughter by-her name; for ' you must needs have had a particular tender friend"fhip for one another, endeared as you were by na"ture, by having paffed the affectionate years of your "youth together; and by that great foftner and engager of hearts, mutual hardship. That it was in my power to ease it a little, I account one of the most "exquifite pleasures of my life. But enough of this "melancholy, though not unpleafing strain,

"I efteem you for your fenfible and difinterested "advice to Mr. Bell, as you will fee by my Letter to him: as I approve entirely of his marrying again, you may readily afk me why I don't marry at all. My circumstances have hitherto been fo variable "and uncertain in this fluctuating world, as induce "to keep me from engaging in fuch a state: and now, "though they are more fettled, and of late (which

you will be glad to hear) confiderably improved, I "begin to think myself too far advanced in life for "fuch youthful undertakings, not to mention fome "other petty reasons that are apt to ftartle the deli"cacy of difficult old batchelors, I am, however, "not a little fufpicious that, was I to pay a vifit to "Scotland (which I have fome thought of doing "foon), I might poffibly be tempted to think of a "thing not cafily repaired if done amifs. I have al66 ways

ways been of opinion that none make better wives "than the ladies of Scotland; and yet, who more for"faken than they, while the gentlemen are conti"nually running abroad all the world over? Some of "them, it is true, are wife enough to return for a "wife. You fee I am beginning to make interest "already with the Scots ladies.-But no more of this infectious fubject.-Pray let me hear from you now "and then; and though I am not a regular correfpondent, yet perhaps I may mend in that refpect. "Remember me kindly to your husband, and believe me to be,

"Your moft affectionate brother,

"JAMES THOMSON."

(Addreffed)" To Mrs. Thomson in Lanark.”

The benevolence of Thomfon was fervid, but not active; he would give, on all occafions, what affiftance his purfe would fupply; but the offices of intervention or folicitation he could not conquer his fluggishness fufficiently to perform. The affairs of others, however, were not more neglected than his own. He had often felt the inconveniences of idleness, but he never cured it; and was fo confcious of his own character, that he talked of writing an Eaftern Tale of the Man who loved to be in Diftrefs.

Among his peculiarities was a very unfkilful and inarticulate manner of pronouncing any lofty or folemn compofition. He was once reading to Dodington, who, being himself a reader eminently elegant, was fo much provoked by his odd utterance, that he fnatched the paper from his hands, and told him that he did not understand his own verfes.

The

The biographer of Thomson has remarked, that an author's life is beft read in his works: his obfervation was not well-timed. Savage, who lived much with Thomson, once told me, how he heard a lady remarking that she could gather from his works three parts of his character, that he was a great Lover, a great Swimmer, and rigorously abflinent; but, faid Savage, he knows not any love but that of the fex; he was pers haps never in cold water in his life; and he indulges himself in all the luxury that comes within his reach. Yet Savage always spoke with the most eager praise of his focial qualities, his warmth and conftancy of friendship, and his adherence to his first acquaintance when the advancement of his reputation had left them behind him.

As a writer, he is entitled to one praife of the highest kind: his mode of thinking, and of expreffing his thoughts, is original. His blank verse is no more the blank verfe of Milton, or of any other poet, than the rhymes of Prior are the rhymes of Cowley. His numbers, his pauses, his diction, are of his own growth, without tranfcription, without imitation, He thinks in a peculiar train, and he thinks always as a man of genius; he looks round on Nature and on Life, with the eye which Nature beftows only on a poet; the eye that distinguishes, in every thing prefented to its view, whatever there is on which imagi nation can delight to be detained, and with a mind that at once comprehends the vast, and attends to the minute. The reader of the Seafons wonders that he never faw before what Thomson fhews him, and that he never yet has felt what Thomson impreffes.

His