He fo interested himself in his own drama, that, if I remember right, as he fat in the upper gallery, he accompanied the players by audible recitation, till a friendly hint frighted him to filence. Pope countenanced "Agamemnon," by coming to it the first night, and was welcomed to the theatre by a general clap; he had much regard for Thomson, and once expreffed it in a poetical Epiftle sent to Italy, of which however he abated the value, by tranfplanting fome of the lines into his Epiftle to " Arbuthnot."

About this time the Act was paffed for licenfing plays, of which the first operation was the prohibition of "Guftavus Vafa," a tragedy of Mr. Brooke, whom the publick recompenfed by a very liberal fubfcription; the next was the refufal of "Edward "and Eleonora," offered by Thomfon. It is hard to discover why either play fhould have been obftructed. Thomson likewise endeavoured to repair his lofs by a subscription, of which I cannot now tell the fuccefs.

When the publick murmured at the unkind treatment of Thomfon, one of the minifterial writers remarked, that "he had taken a Liberty which was "not agreeable to Britannia in any Seafon."

He was foon after employed, in conjunction with Mr. Mallet, to write the mafque of "Alfred," which was acted before the Prince at Cliefden-house,

His next work (1745) was "Tancred and Sigif"munda," the moft fuccefsful of all his tragedies; for it still keeps its turn upon the ftage. It may be doubted whether he was, either by the bent of nature or habits of study, much qualified for tragedy. It does not appear that he had much sense of the pathetick;

Q 3

thetick; and his diffufive and defcriptive ftyle produced declamation rather than dialogue.

His friend Mr. Lyttelton was now in power, and conferred upon him the office of furveyor-general of the Leeward Iflands; from which, when his deputy was paid, he received about three hundred pounds a year.

The laft piece that he lived to publifh was the "Caftle of Indolence," which was many years under his hand, but was at last finished with great accuracy. The first canto opens a scene of lazy luxury that fills the imagination.

He was now at ease, 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 Westminster-abbey.

Thomfon 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 warmily 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, fpoke in fuch a manner as fhewed him "to be," on that occafion, "no actor." The com. mencement

mencement 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 raifed, of which part difcharged his debts, and the reft was remitted to his fifters, whom, however removed from them by place or condition, he regarded with great tenderness, as will appear by the following 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.

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"My dear Sifter,

"Hagley in Worcestershire, "October the 4th, 1747.

Don't

"I thought you had known me better than to <6 interpret my filence into a decay of affection, "efpecially as your behaviour has always been fuch "as rather to increase than diminish it, ❝ imagine, because I am a bad correfpondent, that "I can ever prove an unkind friend and brother. "I must do myself the juftice to tell you, that my "affections are naturally very fixed and conftant; " and if I had ever reafon of complaint against you 66 (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

eafy,

"easy, contented circumftances; but were they "otherwise, that would only awaken and heighten "my tenderness towards you. As our good and "tender-hearted parents did not live to receive

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any material teftimonies of that highest human "gratitude I owed them (than which nothing "could have given me equal pleasure), the "only return I can make them now is by kind"nefs 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 more a fifter who fo truly deserved my esteem "and love! But fhe is happy, while we must toil "a little longer here below: let us however do it "chearfully and gratefully, fupported by the pleaf

ing hope of meeting you again on a fafer fhore, "where to recollect the ftorms and difficulties "of life will not perhaps be inconfiftent with "that blissful state. You did right to call your "daughter by her name; for you must needs have

had a particular tender friendship for one ano"ther, endeared as you were by nature, by hav"ing paffed the affectionate years of your youth "together; and by that great foftener and engager "of hearts, mutual hardship. That it was in my power to ease it a little, I account one of the "moft exquifite pleasures of my life.-But enough ❝of this melancholy, though not unpleafing strain.

"I esteem 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,

66 you may readily afk me why I don't marry at all. "My circumstances have hitherto been so variable "and uncertain in this fluctuating world, as induce "to keep me from engaging in fuch a ftate: and "now, though they are more fettled, and of late "(which you will be glad to hear) confiderably im66 proved, I begin to think myself too far advanced "in life for fuch youthful undertakings, not to men❝tion fome other petty reasons that are apt to startle "the delicacy of difficult old batchelors. I am, how"ever, not a little fufpicious that, was I to pay a "vifit to Scotland (which I have fome thought of 66 doing foon), I might poffibly be tempted to think "of a thing not eafily repaired if done amifs. I have "always been of opinion that none make better "wives than the ladies of Scotland; and yet, who "more forfaken than they, while the gentlemen are "continually running abroad all the world over? "Some of them, it is true, are wife enough to re"turn for a wife. You fee I am beginning to make "intereft 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 regu "lar correfpondent, yet perhaps I may mend in that "refpect. Remember me kindly to your husband, and believe me to be,

"Your most affectionate brother,

"JAMES THOMSON."

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

The