NOTES то THE SEASONS O F THOMSON. PERHAPS no Poems have been read more generally, or with more pleasure than the Seasons of THOMSON. This was a natural consequence of the objects which they present, and of the genius which they display. In descriptive poetry, or as a poetical painter, I do not know an equal to THOMSON. The pictures of other poets, comparatively with his, often want precision, colour, and expression: because they are more copies from books than originals; rather secondary descriptions, than transcripts made immediately from the living volume of NATURE. With Her THOMSON was intimately acquainted: and as his judgement, his sentiment, his taste are equal to his diligent observation, the whole groupe of objects in his descriptions is always peculiarly striking, or affecting, from their natural and happy relation to one another.-Hence, peculiarly in this Poet, a little natural object, apparently insignificant of itself, takes consequence, from its association to others, and very much heightens and enforces the awful or beautiful assemblage. THOMSON's poetry is still more nobly recommended to his readers, by a most amiable morality, and religion; by a rational, and sublime adoration of God; and by a tender, ardent, and universal love of man. His powers in exhibiting natural objects, often strongly inculcate his morality, and religion;—the Painter, and the Sage are very fortunate auxiliaries to each other. The structure of his verse is, characteristically, his own;-true genius disdains all mechanical, and servile imitation: that verse is always perspicuous, energetick;-fully, and clearly expressive of his ideas;-not so easy, always, and flowing in its close, as we could wish.-The favourite objects of his mind did not captivate his imagination alone; they actuated and marked his manners, and his life. He was a most benevolent, as well as a great man :—he was a Poet of the first class;-he was an honour to SCOT LAND; to EUROPE; to MANKIND. SPRING. Verse 5th." O HARTFORD," &c. This lady well merited THOMSON'S poetical encomium. She was equally distinguished by the graces of the person, and those of the mind. Her humanity, and her generous application to queen CAROLINE saved the life of the unfortunate SAVAGE; when, without that interposition he would have fallen a victim to a mistaken Jury, misled by an unfeeling judge ;— "Hard words, and hanging, if your judge is PAGE."-See JOHNSON'S excellent life of SAVAGE. I by no means think that inhumanity is a characteristick of Mr. BOSWELL;-therefore I was surprised to find, by some bold, and ill-grounded conjectures of this biographer, that the fate of SAVAGE has been singularly calamitous;—the injuries which he suffered, while living, were horrible ;-repose is not allowed to his ashes; they are cruelly violated; and the charge of imposture is dragged into the society of his more venial faults, and vices. See BosWELL'S life of JOHNSON, where he makes a particular mention of SAVAGE. That he was really the son of Lord RIVERS, and the Countess of MACCLESFIELD, we have no solid foundation to doubt: indeed, from some arguments which Mr. BOSWELL feels himself obliged to introduce, and which, of themselves, confirm the fact, that gentleman seems half to recant the charge which he had brought against the memory of SAVAGE. We might have expected, that from his implicit submission to every AUTOS Qn of his great ARISTOTLE, he would have been more tender (I should have said more just) to the philosopher's departed friend. Verse 17th. "The mountains lift," &c.-The apparent, and gradual elevation of the verdure of the mountains is, in some degree exemplified in the monosyllables of this line. V. ΙΟΙ. "Now from the town"-The objects and properties of the capital, and of the country, are, here, finely contrasted in sentiment, and in poetical perspective, and description. V. 143. "The north east spends his rage:"-In this vernal shower, and in the imagery which relates to it, our Poet's descriptive fertility, and art, are in all their strength, and beauty. "man "man superiour walks, "Amid the glad creation; musing praise; "And looking lively gratitude." This charming, moral, and pious picture, is a just and severe reproof to those unfeeling souls who pay not a tribute of ardent gratitude, and praise, to the goodness, and greatness of their Creator, The many-twinkling leaves is an expression in this description. Mr. GRAY applies the same epithet to a different image. Poets, while they wish to be strong, should not forget to be elegant, and easy. A fault in the great authour of the Seasons, is, sometimes a stiffness, a harshness of style:-compound epithets should be frugally used; otherwise it will be evident that they glide not naturally into the genius of our language; THOMSON uses them too freely. V. 266. "The lion's horrid heart-was meekened:" a word happily made by THOMSON;-agreeably to the analogy of our language; and expressively, in sound, of the disposition which it con veys. V. 279. "Reason, half-extinct, "Or impotent, or else approving, sees "The foul disorder." That foul disorder can never, surely, be seen by reason, with ap probation. V. 349. "But man whom nature formed" &c.—This pathetick passage from a muse who was eminent for humanity, if it cannot make us Pythagoreans, or Gentoos, should, at least, make us the merciful protectors of the animal creation, while we suffer them to live. "There let the classic page thy fancy lead V. 453. "Through rural scenes; such as the Mantuan sage "Or catch, thyself, the landscape, gliding swift This is a remarkably beautiful passage, which closes with line 464. -we should not only be led by the classic page, through rural scenes; but, like THOMSON, we should be attentive to catch the landscapes, ourselves. V. 484. "Those looks demure;"—an epithet which is never now used (and perhaps should not have been used by our poet) in pure praise. V. 591. "Call up the tuneful nations" The har mony of the poetical cadence, here, corresponds with the melody to which it alludes. V. 677% V. 677. "Even so a gentle pair," &c. How can the rich and powerful read this most affecting simile, without determining to enquire into, and relieve the distresses of their obscure, and poor, but patient and virtuous neighbours! The process of the feathered tribes, in the continuation, and care of their species, was never described in so just, and captivating a manner as it is by THOMSON. V. 846 "What is this mighty breath, ye curious say," &c. "Inspiring God!" If the wretch who denies the Existence of the Deity, without having absolutely lost his reasoning faculty, attentively surveys the works of the creation, and attentively reads the Seasons of THOMSON;-if this wretch can possibly still be an atheist, we must not impute the monstrous opinion to a weakness of understanding; but to a mind totally darkened by vice, and despair. V. 900. "These are the sacred feelings of, thy heart, "Thy heart, informed by Reason's purer ray, This whole passage is fraught with the generous enthusiasm of poetry, and friendship. Its picturesque parts are likewise admirable. The nobleman, here celebrated, well deserved the panegyrick of THOMSON. He was a mild, and benevolent man, an elegant scholar; a diftinguished orator; an eminent writer both in verse and prose. JOHNSON is grossly unjust to his literary merit. But what attention is to be payed to the hypercritick, who tells us, that AKENSIDE'S Odes will never be read? V. 959. "Flushed by the spirit of the genial year," &c. In his descriptions of love, too; of its effects on the animal world; and on the human species; of the effects of the unfortunate, and the successful; of the licentious, and the lawful passion, our Poet is without a rival. These descriptions are very particular; they are circumstantial; yet they never flag; they are every where characterized with fine painting, with a constant, and warm attention to nature; with poetical tenderness, ardour, and elevation. The concluding passage of the Spring, which begins with this line, "But happy they, the happiest of their kind !" presents to the mind of the reader two connubial examples, which are forcible enough to affect a Dutchman, and to reclaim a profligate. I am unavoidably limited in the extent of my Notes on the Seasons; otherwise I should have paid to one of the most amiable, and great est |