gave us a complete English Eneid, which I am forry not to fee joined in this publication with his other poems*. It would have been pleafing to have an opportunity of comparing the two beft tranflations that perhaps were ever produced by one nation of the fame author.

Pitt, engaging as a rival with Dryden, naturally obferved his failures, and avoided them; and, as he wrote after Pope's Iliad, he had an example of an exact, equable, and fplendid verfification. With thefe advantages, feconded by great diligence, he might fuccessfully labour particular paffages, and efcape many errors. If the two verfions are compared, perhaps the refult would be, that Dryden leads the reader forward by his general vigour and fprightliness, and Pitt often stops him to contemplate the excellence of a fingle couplet; that Dryden's faults are forgotten in the hurry of delight, and that Pitt's beauties are neglected in the langour of a cold and listless perufal; that Pitt pleases the criticks, and Dryden the people; that Pitt is quoted, and Dryden read.

He did not long enjoy the reputation which this great work defervedly conferred; for he left the world in 1748, and lies buried under a ftone at Blandford, on which is this infcription.

In Memory of

CHR. PITT, clerk, M. A.
Very eminent

for his talents in poetry;
and yet more

for the univerfal candour of

his mind, and the primitive
fimplicity of his manners.
He lived innocent;
and died beloved,

Apr. 13, 1748,
aged 48.

It has fince been added to the collection

THOMSON.

JAMES THOMSON, the fon of a minifter welf

efteemed for his piety and diligence, was born September 7, 1700, at Ednam, in the fhire of Roxburgh, of which his father was paftor. His mother, whofe name was Hume *, inherited as co-heiress a portion of a fmall eftate. The revenue of a parish in Scotland is feldom large; and it was probably in commiferation of the difficulty with which Mr. Thomson fupported his family, having nine children, that Mr. Riccarton, a neighbouring minifter, discovering in James uncommon promifes of future excellence, undertook to fuperintend his education, and provide him books.

He was taught the common rudiments of learning at the school of Jedburg, a place which he delights to recollect in his poem of "Autumn;" but was not confidered by his mafter as fuperior to common boys, though in thofe early days he amufed his patron and his friends with poetical compofitions with which, however, he fo little pleased himself, that on every new-year's day he threw into the fire all the productions of the foregoing year.

* His mother's name was Beatrix Trotter. His grandmother's name was Hume. C.

SI

From

From the fchool he was removed to Edinburgh, where he had not refided two years when his father died, and left all his children to the care of their mother, who raised upon her little eftate what money a mortgage could afford, and, removing with her family to Edinburgh, lived to fee her fon rifing into

eminence.

The defign of Thomson's friends was to breed him a minifter. He lived at Edinburgh, as at fchool, without diftinction or expectation, till, at the ufual time, he performed a probationary exercise by explaining a pfalm. His diction was fo poetically fplendid, that Mr. Hamilton, the profeffor of Di vinity, reproved him for speaking language unintelligible to a popular audience; and he cenfured one of his expreffions as indecent, if not profane.

This rebuke is reported to have repreffed his thoughts of an ecclefiaftical character, and he probably cultivated with new diligence his bloffoms of poetry, which, however, were in fome danger of a blast; for, fubmitting his productions to fome who thought themselves qualified to criticife, he heard of nothing but faults; but, finding other judges more favourable, he did not fuffer himfelf to fink into defpondence.

He easily discovered that the only stage on which · a poet could appear, with any hope of advantage, was London; a place too wide for the operation of petty competition and private malignity, where merit might foon become confpicuous, and would find friends as foon as it became reputable to befriend it. A lady who was acquainted with his mother, advised him to the journey, and promised fome countenance or affiftance, which at last he

never received; however, he justified his adventure by her encouragement, and came to feek in London, patronage and fame.

At his arrival he found his way to Mr. Mallet, then tutor to the fons of the Duke of Montrofe. He had recommendations to several perfons of consequence, which he had tied up carefully in his handkerchief; but as he paffed along the street, with the gaping curiofity of a new-comer, his attention was upon every thing rather than his pocket, and his magazine of credentials was ftolen from him.

His first want was a pair of fhoes. For the fupply of all his neceffities, his whole fund was his Winter, which for a time could find no purchafer; till, at laft, Mr. Millan was perfuaded to buy it at a low price; and this low price he had for fome time reason to regret; but, by accident, Mr. Whatley, a man not wholly unknown among authors, happening to turn his eye upon it, was fo delighted that he ran from place to place celebrating its excellence. Thomson obtained likewife the notice of Aaron Hill, whom, being friendless and indigent, and glad of kindness, he courted with every expreffion of fervile adulation.

Winter was dedicated to Sir Spencer Compton, but attracted no regard from him to the author; till Aaron Hill awakened his attention by fome verfes addreffed to Thomson, and published in one of the newspapers, which cenfured the great for their neglect of ingenious men. Thomson then received a prefent of twenty guineas, of which he gives this. account to Mr. Hill:

"I hinted

"I hinted to you in my laft, that on Saturday "morning I was with Sir Spencer Compton. A "certain gentleman, without my defire, fpoke to "him concerning me: his anfwer was, that I had

never come near him. Then the gentleman put "the queftion, If he defired that I fhould wait on "him? He returned, he did. On this, the gen"tleman gave me an introductory Letter to him. "He received me in what they commonly call a "civil manner; afked me fome common-place queftions; and made me a prefent of twenty "guineas. I am very ready to own that the prefent "was larger than my performance deferved; and "fhall afcribe it to his generofity, or any other "caufe, rather than the merit of the addrefs."

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The poem, which, being of a new kind, few would venture at firft to like, by degrees gained upon the publick; and one edition was very fpeedily fucceeded by another.

Thomfon's credit was now high, and every day. brought him new friends; among others Dr. Rundle, a man afterwards unfortunately famous, fought his acquaintance, and found his qualities fuch, that he recommended him to the Lord Chancellor Talbot.

Winter was accompanied, in many editions, not only with a preface and dedication, but with poetical praises by Mr. Hill, Mr. Mallet (then Malloch), and Mira, the fictitious name of a lady once too well known. Why the dedications are, to Winter and the other Seasons, contrarily to custom,

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