too well known. Why the dedications are, to Winter and the other feafons, contrarily to cuftom, left out in the collected works, the reader may enquire.

The next year (1727) he distinguished himself by three publications; of Sunmer, in pursuance of his plan; of a Pocm on the Death of Sir Ifaac Newton, which he was enabled to perform as an exact philofopher by the inftruction of Mr. Gray; and of Britannia, a kind of poetical invective against the ministry, whom the nation then thought not forward enough in refenting the depredations of the Spaniards. By this piece he declared himself an adherent to the oppofition,

I

fition, and had therefore no favour to

expect from the Court.

Thomfon, having been fome time entertained in the family of the lord Binning, was defirous of teftifying his gratitude by making him the patron of his Summer; but the fame kindness which had firft difpofed lord Binning to encou rage him, determined him to refuse the dedication, which was by his advice addreffed to Mr. Doddington; a man who had more power to advance the reputation and fortune of a poet.

Spring was published next year, with a dedication to the countess of Hert.ford; whofe practice it was practice it was to invite every Summer fome poet into the coun

try,

try, to hear her verfes, and affift her ftudies. This honour was one Summer conferred on Thomfon, who took more delight in caroufing with lord Hertford and his friends than affifting her ladyfhip's poetical operations, and therefore never received another fummons.

Autumn, the feafon to which the Spring and Summer are preparatory, ftill remained unfung, and was delayed till he published (1730) his works collected.

He produced in 1727 the tragedy of Sophonifba, which raifed fuch expectation, that every rehearfal was dignified with a fplendid audience, collected to anticipate the delight that was preparing for the publick. It was observed

how

however that nobody was much affected, and that the company rofe as from a moral lecture.

It had upon the ftage no unusual degree of fuccefs. Slight accidents will operate upon the taste of pleasure. There was a feeble line in the play;

O Sophonisba, Sophonisba, O!

This gave occafion to a waggish parody;

O, Jemmy Thomson, Jemmy Thom fon, O!

which for a while was echoed through

the town.

I have been told by Savage, that of the Prologue to Sophonisba the first part was written by Pope, who could not be

per

perfuaded to finish it, and that the concluding lines were added by Mallet. Thomson was not long afterwards, by the influence of Dr. Rundle, fent to travel with Mr. Charles Talbot, the eldest fon of the Chancellor. He was yet young enough to receive new impreffions, to have his opinions rectified, and his views enlarged; nor can he be, supposed to have wanted that curiofity which is infeparable from an active and comprehenfive mind. He may therefore now be fuppofed to have revelled in all the joys of intellectual luxury; he was every day feasted with inftructive novelties; he lived fplendidly without expence, and might expect when he returned home a certain establishinent.

At