the pay of the ministry? Thomson to teaze and vex Dunbar, confirmed him in the belief that it was so, by slightly denying it, or evading the question, and turning the subject."

We now behold Mr. William Thomson an inhabitant of London, an immense capital abounding with riches, inisery, and temptations; and holding out honours, preferment, and advantages of all kinds to successful candidates of every. denomination. But the fame of our future author had not preceded him, from the northern to the southern capital; and, as yet he had not composed any work calculated to attract either the applauses, or the confidence of strangers, so that he was destitute of friends. In short he might have remained here in obscurity for many years, and wasted all his "sweetness in the desert air," had not a circumstance occurred, that at once produced for him, both bread and celebrity. Dr. Robert Watson, late Principal of the United Colleges of St. Andrew's, had died in the year 1780. He had projected a history of Philip III., King of Spain, which of course comprehended the revolt of the provinces of the Netherlands, (including Holland,) from his iron yoke; and as this subject was intimately connected with the insurrection then actually existing in our TransAtlantic provinces; it was expected to become a very popular and interesting work. In order to realise this object, the author had commenced a correspondence with several of his countrymen settled in foreign parts, and particularly with the late Dr. Maclean, and some of the ministers of the Church of Scotland, resident in the United Provinces. Unfortunately, however, this learned divine died at the age of fifty, before he had completed his labours, and the sequel of an unfinished manuscript, remained to be composed by another hand. This became an object of great consideration, both to his fame and his family, for he had left some orphan daughters but scantily provided for, and excited great hopes of gratification on the part of his countrymen. It was a lucky circumstance, both for Mr. Thomson, and the young ladies, that two of their guardians were his friends; for they consisted of the Doctors Robertson and Blair; the venerable Mr. George

Dempster, Ex-M.P. who is the sole survivor of them all; and the late Mr. James Shaw, their uncle, who afterwards became an author himself. These gentlemen selected him to revise, correct, and finish the original sketch. This task, delicate, and difficult as it assuredly proved under the auspices of Mr. Thomson, who was indefatigable both in his labours and researches, advanced rapidly to a conclusion, and finally obtained the commendation of all his employers; while it proved a source of considerable profit and advantage to the family of the deceased historian. It was the opinion of no contemptible judge - Dr. Adam Smith - that the latter was the better portion of the work.

“Dr. Maclean, of the Hague," observes he, "who was writing of those times and affairs, was very much afraid of Dr. Watson, and Dr. Watson was very much afraid of Dr. Maclean; but I could have told them, that they had very little occasion to be afraid of one another. There was one of whom they little thought (Thomson), and who did not possess half of their advantages of leisure and libraries, who was formidable to both."

On this occasion, the continuator's multifarious knowledge, proved of great avail; his generalising habits afforded him ample opportunity for compressing and condensing both his narrative and his arguments; while the hope of fame and the fear of disappointment, contributed not a little to give that neatness and precision to his language, which he afterwards neglected, partly in consequence of the multiplicity of labours assigned to him; and partly from mere inattention.

That the fortunate conclusion of this work, obtained considerable fame for the present, and abundance of future employment to Mr. Thomson cannot be doubted; and it ought not to be forgotten, that the share of the profits assigned him, proved a considerable encouragement to a young man, whose resources were both scanty and pre

*This gentleman, the son of the late Professor Shaw of St. Andrew's, was greatly addicted to the study of natural history; and some years since, wrote and published a work, entitled, "Sketches of the Netherlands," which he had recently visited.

carious. Nor bught it here to be omitted, that his friends, of whom he had then many, obtained for him the unsolicited degree of LL. D. from the University of Glasgow; while a second offer of the doctorate, arrived soon after from Edinburgh.

We are from this moment to consider Dr. Thomson, as a regular London author, not indeed like the literary men of Germany, who annually prepare their works for the express purpose of being sold at the fair of Frankfort; but one always ready and willing to treat for a 4to. 8vo. or 12mo. volume, no matter on what subject, with any eminent or adventurous booksellers of the day. He was also not unfrequently employed either to revise or review the works of living authors; so that he was not inaptly termed by a celebrated lady, whose embrio novels he was supposed to frame, train, and render productive, "a professional critic." In short, he opened a kind of literary Bazaar, in which ware of all sorts and sizes for the library, might be obtained in a finished state, and he must be allowed, indeed, to have been eminently distinguished, in respect to the variety of his labours, employments, and speculations. In consequence of the wants of an encreasing family, he was now obliged literally to write for their support, and consequently, on all possible subjects, connected with the politics, the history, or the passing occurrences of the times in which he lived..

The next employment of any magnitude, in which we find our industrious author employed, was a "Commentary on the Bible;" this was published not in his own name, but in one supposed to be lent for the occasion; that of a reverend divine, then a popular preacher in London. His booksellers, on this occasion, were Messrs. Fielding and Walker of Paternoster-Row, a part of the city in which he soon became not only well known, but eminent and conspicuous in no small degree. Business, and that too of a different and respectable kind, flowed in apace. At the recommendation of the late Dr. Douglas, afterwards Bishop of Salisbury, who had read, and approved of his Magnum Opus*; he was fixed on by Dr. Hol

History of Philip III.

lingberry *, to be both translator and and editor of a history of Great Britain, during an interesting period. This was originally written in Latin, by Alexander Cunningham, born at Ethrick, near Selkirk in Scotland, in 1654, but educated in Holland.

In consequence of this latter circumstance he was induced, while a young man, to accompany William III. then Prince of Orange to England. After a variety of employments and adventures he became English Resident at Venice, in which station he continued during five years. He then repaired to England, and died in London, in 1737. After a lapse of fifty years, in 1787, appeared his "History of Great Britain, from the revolution to the accession of George I. in two volumes, 8vo. translated from the Latin manuscript by Dr. William Thomson." Of the original merits of this production, the writer of the present article has often heard him speak with applause.

Sometime anterior to this, however, he had written a work in which a vigorous fancy was not a little predominant. This was "The Man in the Moon," a whimsical title, calculated to excite attention and attract notice. It abounds with fancy, combined with criticism and learning. The author is at great pains to point out all the objects worthy of research, within the circle of science and philosophy, in this sublunary world. His sketch of the metaphysical philosophers, has been praised by some of his contemporaries; and he is anxious, like Pope, to discriminate between laborious dulness, and spontaneous genius. While he employs the ridicule of Swift against all lovers of vertù; - superficial naturalists, herbalists, and antiquaries, find no favour with him.

In 1782, appeared Travels in Europe, Asia, and Africa, which of course was not an original production; for the work was composed in London, from the communications of others. This was followed, in 1788, by Memoirs of the War in Asia, from 1780 to 1784; an interesting period for all those who were connected with our settlements in the East, either by

Dr. Hollingberry had married Cunningham's grand-daughter.

residence or commerce, and indeed to the whole nation in a general point of view. In the course of this work, he pourtrays with a considerable degree of ability, the disastrous state of our Asiatic possessions, in consequence of our having employed all our forces, and nearly exhausted all our finances, by a long, sanguinary, and unprofitable contest with our American colonies. He exhibits the imminent danger, arising from the power and talents of Hyder Ally, who had entered into a formidable league with France, and rendered himself renowned by his valour, his victories, and his resources. He then reverses the medal, and displays the talents employed against him, both in the cabinet and the field; the means adopted to obtain success, and finally, the termination of the contest by a secure and honourable peace.

Obliged to recur to unceasing labour and continual exertions, in consequence of the res angusta domi, a number of nameless works were revised, edited, or produced by the Doctor, in rapid succession. It was not until 1789, indeed, a period when the minds of other men were principally occupied in political speculations, that he produced another work of fiction, combined with a certain portion of science. His "Mammoth, or Human Nature displayed on a Grand Scale, &c." appeared also, at this important period. In this work, he seems desirous to "justify the ways of God to man," by exhibiting in our nature and destination, certain capabilities, not only of happiness, but also of high intellectual attainments, provided they are but properly and solely directed towards their respective ends. As on a former occasion, he had Swift's "Gulliver" in his eye, so he recurs to the same production on the present; but in express opposition to that satirist of human nature, he displays mankind in an amiable and interesting point of view.

But Dr. William Thomson did not wholly confine his exertions to works connected with history or imagination, with travels, voyages, or romances. There were no species of lite rature in which he did not participate; and in which he was not thought at one time also to excel. In newspapers, maga