evening, undreffing herself, with her maid's affistance, they were alarmed by the loud fnore of a perfon afleep. The lady was surprised and frigh tened. But, her maid's penetration having before discerned the state of the tutor's heart, fhe instantly suspected the fnore to issue from his noftrils. A little obfervation discovered his peeping-hole. And, the inhuman Abigail, by applying the candle to the orifice, roufed the poor lover very abruptly, perhaps from a dream of happiness.—

IN 1727, he published his Summer, which he would have dedicated to Lord Binning, but was by him perfuaded rather to address it to Dodington, afterwards Lord Melcombe Regis; a man poffeffed of a large fortune, with some taste in polite literature, and defirous to enjoy the praise of patronifing genius.-Dodington was the friend of Young, of whofe amicable intercourse with him there remain fome pleasing memorials. He was the patron, too, of Ralph, a poetical scribbler, and one of the heroes of the Dunciad, and, if I remember right, was connected in the fame manner with Paul Whitehead. He was an intriguing politician, and an active member of parliament; but feems not to have been a man of powerful abilities, or extensive information. His Diary has been published, and does no great honour to his memory.

On this fame year, Thomson published his poem on the death of Sir Ifaac Newton, whose merits a poet might be proud to celebrate. His friend Mr Grey (not the poet) furnished him with the scientific information neceffary to enable him to praise, with due intelligence, the philosopher who had first explained the laws of gravitation. This poem has confider

able.

able merit. As Newton was not even perfonally known to the author, it cannot be supposed to have been the effufion of tender regret. It is much inferior to Tickell's elegy on the death of Addison; but as much superior, in my estimation, to Virgil's Daphnis. Newton's discoveries are enumerated in language of warm admiration; the colouring of poetry is communicated to the precision of philosophy; and it is impoffible to give an explanation of the general principles of Newton's Philosophy which shall be correct, yet not fublime. There is, if not strength of reason, at least beauty and force of fentiment, when, after enumerating the discoveries of the philofopher, he asks

-Say, can a foul

Of fuch extensive, deep, tremenduous powers,
Enlarging ftill, be but a finer breath

Of spirits dancing through their tubes awhile,

And then, for ever loft in vacant air?———

TICKELL has discovered greater fublimity and excurfive force of imagination in affigning fuitable employments to the virtuous and enlivened foul of Addison in a state of fainted felicity, than Thomson in fancying characteristic employments for the foul of Newton. Of the general truths of natural philosophy I will venture to observe what has been already affirmed concerning those of theology; that it is difficult to make the decorations of poetry fit easily upon them. In this difficult task, our poet, in celebrating the discoveries of Sir Ifaac Newton, has fucceeded wonderfully well. Had not the Botanic Garden fallen lately into my hands, I should not have known

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known a philosophical poem which I could have preferred to Thomson's eulogy on the pride of British philofophers.

BRITANNIA was likewife published by our author in the year 1727. This poem was, like that to the memory of Sir Ifaac Newton, occafional. It was intended to roufe the national indignation against the Spaniards; against whom the merchants were enraged, in confequence of the feverity with which their smuggling trade to South America had been checked by the vigilance of the Spanish government. It is a fort of declamation between poetry and oratory. I must confess, that I cannot very highly admire it. Yet, it contains fome bold thoughts and lofty images.

SPRING was the production of the next year, and was dedicated to the Countess of Hertford, afterwards, I believe, Dutchefs of Somerset. She was a woman of exemplary piety and virtue, as well as of taste in the fine arts. The amiable Mrs Rowe was her friend; Shenstone addreffed to her one of the best of his compofitions, an ode on Rural Elegance. Thomson, in confequence of his dedication, was invited to spend a fummer at Lord Hertford's country-feat.

THOMSON had, by this time, begun to mingle in a refpectable circle of acquaintance. He was patronized by many ladies of diftinction. He had loft none of his first friends. The amiable Dr Rundle, afterwards bishop of Derry, against whom a fufpicion of herefy was, at one time, I believe, loudly fuggefted, had eagerly fought and cultivated our poet's intimacy. He had been introduced alfo to Pope, who favoured him, although he had,

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by this time, ceased to admire those pieces of his own, in which " smooth description held the place of fenfe."

OUR poet, having now fung Spring, Summer, and Winter, filled up the year by the publication of Autumn in 1730. Autumn was addressed to the patronage of Onflow.

THE expectations of the public were, therefore, high, when it was known that Thomson had finished a tragedy on the story of Sophonisba, which was foon to be brought upon the stage. Numerous companies of persons of rank and fashion affembled at every rehearsal of this play. When it came to be acted, however, it was found deficient in that intereft which roufes the feelings in their keenest fenfibility, and enchains the attention. The fuccefs of Cato had not very many years before, recommended Stoic characters, and sober, moral declamation upon the English stage. The French tragedy of Corneille and Racine was then regarded as the most perfect model of dramatic compofition. And, I am not fure, that the tragedies of Seneca were not then held in a degree of estimation greatly above their merits. Thomson feems to have drawn his ideas of tragic perfection from these models. And, in truth, I am inclined to think, that, having accustomed himself to write of nature, and of the human paffions as a mere fpectator, he could not readily fpeak the language of actual feeling: he could not defert the track of defcription; or tranfport himself, by the magic power of sympathy, into the refpective fituations of the characters of his drama. A wag in the pit, diverted the audience, at the first representation of Sophonisba, by exclaiming,

"Oh!

"Oh! Jamie Thomson, Jamie Thomson, Oh!"

in parody of the line in the play,

"Oh! Sophonisba, Sophonisba, Oh!"

It was, however, acted before decently numerous audiences, for a good many nights; and afforded, I suppose, a reasonable share of profits to the author.

Soon after the publication of Autumn, our poet was, at the recommendation of Rundle, chofen by Lord Chancellor Talbot, to travel with his fon, the Honourable Charles Talbot. To a mind like Thomson's, this was an happy opportunity of improvement. He had received a liberal education; had contemplated, with the eye of a philofopher and a poet, the fcenery of his native country; had mingled in society; and his faculties had thus been matured by the various exercises of reading, conversation, composition, the observation of nature and of life, and the performance of a part on the theatre of the world. He had acquired principles of morality, of religion, of science, and of tafte; he was furnished with general ideas to which he could refer whatever new facts he might obferve; and with particular knowledge with which he might affociate whatever particulars he fhould defire to treasure up in his memory. He was prepared to reap all the advantages of travel, and fortified against its inconveniencies. His young companion was amiable and promifing. The time which Thomson spent in travelling through Europe may, therefore, be fuppofed to have been one of the most agreeable and improving periods of his life.

ON