early acquaintance with the facred writings. contributed greatly to that fublime, by which his works will be for ever diftinguished. In his first pieces, the Seafons, we fee him at once affume the majestic freedom of an Eastern writer; feizing the grand images as they rife, cloathing them in his own expreffive language, and preferving, throughout, the grace, the variety, and the dignity which belong to a juft compofition; unhurt by the stiffness of formal method.

ABOUT this time, the study of poetry was become general in Scotland, the best English authors being univerfally read, and imitations of them attempted. Addifon had lately difplayed the beauties of Milton's immortal work; and his remarks on it, together with Mr. Pope's celebrated Eay, had opened the way to an acquaintance with the best poets and critics.

Bur the moft learned critic is not always the best Judge of poetry; tafte being a gift of nature, the want of which, Aristotle and Bossu cannot supply; nor even the study of the best originals, when the reader's faculties are not tuned in a certain confonance to those of the poet and this happened to be the cafe with certain learned gentlemen, into whose hands a few of Mr. Thomson's first essays had fallen. Some inaccuracies of ftile, and those luxuriancies which a young writer can hardly avoid, lay open to their cavils and cenfure; fo far indeed they might, be competent judges:

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judges: but the fire and enthusiasm of the poet had entirely escaped their notice. Mr. Thomson, however, confcious of his own ftrength, was not difcouraged by this treatment; efpecially as he had fome friends on whofe judgment he could better rely, and who thought very differently of his performances. Only, from that time, he began to turn his views towards London; where works of genius may always expect a candid reception and due encouragement; and an accident foon after entirely determined him to try his fortune there.

THE divinity chair at Edinburgh was then filled by the reverend and learned Mr. Hamilton; a gentleman, univerfally refpected and beloved; and who had particularly endeared himself to the young divines: under his care, by his kind offices, his candor and affability. Our author had attended his lectures for about a year, when there was prescribed to him for the fubject of an exercise, a Pfalm, in which the.. power and majesty of God are celebrated. Of this pfalm he gave a paraphrase and illuftration, as the nature of the exercise required; but in a ftile fo highly poetical as furprized the whole audience. Mr. Hamilton, as his custom was, complimented the orator upon his performance, and pointed out to the ftudents the most masterly striking parts of it; but at laft, turning to Mr. Thomson, he told him, fmiling, that if he thought of being useful in the ministry, he

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must keep a stricter rein upon his imagination, and exprefs 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 ferved for the prefent 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 his merit did not long lye concealed. 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 fome of his friends: particularly to Mr. Aikman, who lived in great intimacy with many perfons of diftinguifhed rank and worth. This gentleman, from a connoiffeur in painting, was become a profess'd painter; and his taste being no less just and delicate in the kindred art of descriptive 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. Thomfin was affected by his friend's premature death, appears in the copy of verfes which he wrote on that occafion.

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In the mean time, our author's reception, whereever he was introduced, emboldened him to rifque the publication of his Winter: in which, as himfelf was a mere novice in fuch 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, so well known afterwards as an able and gallant fea officer. To Mr. Mallet he likewife owed his firft acquaintance with feveral of the wits of that time; an exact information of their cha'racters, perfonal and poetical, and how they stood 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 fmart antithefis richly trimmed with rhime, or the softness of an elegiac complaint. To fuch his manly claffical spirit could not readily recommend itself; till after a more attentive perufal, 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 be

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fore 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 feemed 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, charm'd the reader no lefs; leaving him in doubt, whether he fhould more admire the Poet, or love the Man.

FROM that time Mr. Themfon's acquaintance was courted by all men of taste; and several ladies of high rank and diftinction became his declared patroneffes: the Countess of Hertford, Mifs Dyelincour', afterwards Viscountess Primrofe, 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 those of a poet, 'received him into his intimate confidence and friendfhip; promoted his character every where; introduced him to his great friend the Lord Chancellor Talbot; and, fome years after, when the eldest fon of that nobleman was to make his tour of travel

ling,