Defiderium Lutetiae, from BUCHANAN: An alle- gorical Paftoral, in which he regrets his Abfence PHILANTHES: A Monody: Infcribed to Mifs N a former edition of this little narrative, I complained of want of lights in relation to the perfon who is the fubject of it; but at prefent, there is no occafion for my repeating that complaint: I have fince been favoured not only with feveral letters, but with a kind vifit from him, of fome weeks, when I was in the north of England; which will enable me to give not indeed a much longer account of him (for that is not neceffary), but one much less defective than my former. By the reverend Mr. Spence; late professor of poetry, in the University of Oxford. a MR. MR. Thomas Blacklock was born in the year 1721, at Annan, in Scotland; but of English parents; for both his father and mother were natives of the county of * Cumberland. Before he was fix months old, he was totally deprived of his eye-fight by the fmall-pox. His father (who, by all the accounts of him, was a very good man) had intended to breed him up to his own, or fome other trade? But as this misfortune rendered him incapable of any, all that this worthy parent could do, was to fhew the utmost care and attention that he was able toward him, in fo unfortunate a fituation; and this goodness of his has left fo ftrong an impreffion on the mind of his fon, that he speaks of it with the greatest warmth of gratitude and affection. What was wanting to this poor youth from the lofs of his fight, and the narrowness of his fortune, feems to have been repaid him in the goodness of his heart, and the capacities of his mind. It was very early, that he fhewed a strong inclination toward poetry, in particular. His father, and a few of his other friends, ufed fometimes to read, to divert him: They began with fuch books as are generally read' by children under ten years old, for their diverfion; and when he was turned of that age, the works of Allan Ramfay, Prior's Poems, and the Tatlers, 2 *His paternal ancestors have lived in that county from time immemorial. They generally followed agriculture; and were diftinguished for a knowledge and humanity above their sphere. His father was an honeft and worthy tradefman; had been in good circumftances, but was reduced by a feries of misfortunès. His mother was daughter of Mr. Richard Rae, an extenfive dealer in cattle, a confiderable business in that county; and was equally efteemed as a man of fortune and importance. Spectators, |