V. And oft' as Ease and Health retire To breezy lawn or forest deep, The friend shall view yon' whitening spire,† 'And mid the varied landscape weep. VI. But thou, who own'st that earthly bed, That mourn beneath the gliding sail! VII. Yet lives there one whose heedless eye VIII. But thou, lorn Stream, whose sullen tide IX. And see the fairy vallies fade, Dun night has veil'd the solemn view! X. The genial meads, assign'd to bless Thy life, shall mourn thy early doom; Their hinds and shepherd girls shall dress, With simple ands, thy rural tomb. Richmond Church. XI. Long, long, thy stone and pointed clay AN ESSAY ON THE PLAN AND CHARACTER OF THOMSON'S SEASONS. WHEN a work of art to masterly execution adds novelty of design, it demands not only a cursory admiration, but such a mature enquiry into the principles upon which it has been formed, as may determine how far it deserves to be received as a model for future attempts in the same walk. Originals are always rare productions. The performances of artists in general, even of those who stand high in their respective classes, are only imitations; which have more or less merit, in proportion to the degree of skill ard judgment with which they copy originals more or less excellent. A good original, therefore, forms an era in the art itself; and the history of every art divides itself into periods comprehending the intervals between the appearance of different approved originals. Sometimes, indeed, various models of a very different cast may exercise the talents of imitators during a single period; and this will more frequently be the case, as arts become more generally known and studied; difference of taste being always the result of liberal and varied pursuit. How strongly these periods are marked in the history of Poetry, both ancient and modern, a cursory view will suffice to shew. The scarcity of originals here is universally acknowledged and lamented, and the present race of poets are thought particularly chargeable with this defect. It ought, however, to be allowed in their favour, that if genius has declined, taste has improved; and that if they imitate more, they choose better models to copy after. That THOMSON'S SEASONS is the original whence our modern descriptive poets have derived that more elegant and correct style of painting natural objects which distinguishes them from their immediate predecessors, will, I think, appear evident to one who examines their several casts and manners. That none of them, however, have yet equalled their master; and that his performance is an exquisite piece, replete with beauties of the most engaging and delightful kind; will be sensibly felt by all of congenial taste....and perhaps no poem was ever composed which addressed itself to the feelings of a greater number of readers. It is, therefore, on every account an object well worthy the attention of criticism; and an enquiry into the peculiar nature of its plan and the manner of its execution may be an agreeable introduction to a re-perusal of it in the elegant edition now offered to the public. The description of such natural objects as by their beauty, grandeur, or novelty, agreeably impress the imagination, has at all times been a principal and favourite occupation of Poetry Varicus have been the methods in which such descriptions have been introduced. They have been made subservient to the purposes of ornament and illustration, in the more elevated and abstracted kinds of Poetry, by being used as objects of similitude. They have constituted a pleasing and necessary part of epic narration, when employed in forming a scenery suitable to the events. The simple tale of pastoral life could scarcely without their aid be rendered in any degree interesting. The precepts of an art, and the systems of philosophers, depend upon the adventitious ornaments afforded by them for almost every thing which can render them fit subjects for poetry. Thus intermixed as they are with almost all, and essential to some pieces of poetry, it was, however, thought that they could not legitimately constitute the whole, or even the principal part, of a capital piece. Something of a more solid nature was required as the ground work of a poetical fabric; pure description was opposed to sense; and, binding together the wild flowers which grew obvious to common sight and touch, was deemed a trifling and unprofitable amusement. Such was the state of critical opinion, when THOMSON published in succession, but not in their present order,* the pieces which compose his SEASONS; the first capital work in which natural description was professedly the principal object. To paint the face of nature as changing through the changing seasons; to mark the approaches, and trace the progress of these vicissitudes, in a series of landscapes all formed upon images of grandeur or beauty; and to give animation and variety to the whole by interspersing manners and incidents suitable to the scenery; appears to be the general design of this Poem. Essentially different from a didactic piece, its business is to describe, and the occupation of its leisure to teach. And as in the Georgics, whenever the poet * They appeared in the following order: Winter, Summer, Spring, Autumn. |