PREFACE.

Ir might reasonably be supposed that poems, such as THE SEASONS, which have retained a favourable hold upon popular opinion, and braved the judgments of criticism for upwards of a century, would require no annotations. Edition after edition is still published; the poems are purchased, and read, and admired, and they will continue to be so whilst good taste remains.

The great attribute of the poet of the Seasons is his minute observation of Nature, and the faculty of displaying her in her most graceful forms. He leads us back, in imagination, to those scenes that captivated us when young; and which, even in the noonday and evening of life, possess such a magic charm over our minds, that we fly to them when wearied and disgusted with the bustle, dissipation, and constraints of crowded cities; and when we long for repose, or desire a temporary oblivion of the artifices, cares, and anxieties of ordinary life. But besides their fascinations in the description of natural scenery, in their

faithful representation of domestic life, their allusions to the habits of ancient times, their paintings of feelings and situations in the general construction of society, delineated with a softness of pencilling, and an exquisite tenderness, which are still relished by the over-excited taste of the present day, and which never fail to win their way to hearts open to natural emotions, the Seasons embody a large portion of the philosophy of the period of their composition, and contain numerous references to Natural History, and to classical and historical events. They also contain eulogies on many of those celebrated individuals who have shed a lustre over the past, whether in arms, in arts, literature, science, or government.

These peculiarities of the Seasons may lead some to allege that, as the primary object of poetry is to please, any attempt to instruct mankind in a poem is an encroachment on the province of the philosopher. But, in such cases, the poet addresses the understanding chiefly, as one method of enhancing the power of those means by which he intends to communicate pleasure. That philosophy, thus employed, is consistent with the spirit of poetry, is admitted by many perfectly capable of forming a correct judgment upon the subject. Voltaire, in a letter to Lord Lyttelton, several years after the death of Thomson, eulogizing him as a true philosophical poet, adds, "I think, without a good stock of such philosophy, a poet is just above a fiddler, who amuses our

ears, but does not go to our souls."* And, assuredly, without concurring altogether in this opinion, if instruction can be conveyed in the graceful language of poetry, so as to enlighten the understanding while it delights the imagination, no poems are better fitted than the Seasons to accomplish such an object; and to point out to the young and inquiring mind those obvious indications of design, both in the animal and vegetable kingdoms, which exhibit the finger of the Creator himself impressed upon this our abiding spot in his magnificent universe.

The necessity for cultivating not only a taste for the beauties of Nature, but inquiring into the secrets of her works, cannot be doubted. In early life it is a source of exalted gratification; and, besides, it adds to our happiness in every step of our mortal progress. Without the previous acquisition of such a taste, the mind may be justly pronounced incomplete. With it, to borrow the language of the most eloquent of our writers on ethics†, "the intellectual eye is purged of its film, and things the most familiar and unnoticed disclose beauties invisible before. The same objects and events which were lately beheld with indifference, occupy now all the powers and capacities of the soul, the contrast between the present and the past serving only to enhance and to endear

* Phillimore's Mem. and Correspondence of George Lord Lyttelton, vol. i. p. 323.

† Dugald Stewart.

so unlooked for an acquisition." * It is true, that the volume of Nature is open to every one, although every eye which looks upon it is not fitted to profit by the perusal of its pages; but when aided, to even a moderate degree, by the light of science, everything appears in a new and interesting point of view. Each passing cloud varying its form, its colour, and its altitude; the pendent drops upon the blades of grass, radiant of every hue in the morning beam; weeds trodden under foot and passed unnoticed; the insect tribes filling the noonday air with their drowsy hum; the simple notes from every sheltering copse; the habits of the larger animals; the earth, the air, the morn and even,—all afford objects of interest to the mind enlarged by education, which, blending with the pleasures of imagination, not only exalt the character, but heighten the moral feeling. It is to afford this assistance to the readers of the Seasons, that I have ventured to lay the annotations appended to this edition before the public. The want of such guides for the complete understanding of the poem was seriously felt by myself in my early years; and I am disposed to hope that my notes will be found to prevent any similar regrets of future readers.

In my attempts to elucidate the scientific parts of the poems, I have endeavoured to convey my explanations in simple and intelligible language, so that the information contained in the notes may prove

* Philosophical Essays, p. 508.

not only acceptable, but useful, to many who would never think of acquiring it from any other source. Our poet was only moderately acquainted with philosophy, but he was deeply read in natural history, voyages, and travels; he had also successfully cultivated a taste for the fine arts and architecture; and, although he did not perform on any instrument, yet, he was passionately fond of music. With his attention directed to such a variety of subjects, it is not surprising that he should have implicitly adopted several erroneous theories of natural phenomena. We must admit, however, that those he adopted were generally received as correct at the time when he wrote. They have, since, been altogether rejected for others more consonant with truth; the result of the advancement of philosophical and scientific research in the present period. These errors, consequently, required to be pointed out, and the opinions which have superseded them placed before the reader; and, assuredly, it is of the greatest importance that the prejudices of one age should not be perpetuated in that which succeeds it.

The details explanatory of the numerous objects of natural history mentioned in the poem are intended for those who would not search for them elsewhere; and to impress the youthful reader with a desire to obtain further information on subjects which, when understood, never fail to add an additional charm to existence. The doctrines promulgated are those which are now most generally adopted. I venture, also, to trust that the historical sketches, connected with the