frain from drinking heartily of it; after which, however, and that a keg of it had been filled, it was found to be as brackish as the water alongfide. They stood on thro' thefe ftreights, which they named God's Mercy. In the afternoon Mr Carter's wound became very painful; and on Mr Hafkett's opening it to wash it as ufual with falt water, he found three pieces of the fkull had worked out; which circumftance, however, he did

not communicate to Mr Carter, but, on the contrary, gave him every affurance of its doing well.

Mr Carter having been very weak from the opening of the wound, the throat of the remaining bird was cut » and applied to Mr Carter's mouth, and, yielding a few drops of blood, gave him great relief. They divided the bird in the fame manner as they had done the other.

(To be continued.)

LETTER FROM J. THOMSON, AUTHOR OF “ THE SEASONS," TO DR. CRANSTON From the first Number of a Newspaper called the Kelfo Mail, published at Kelfo.

"D Sr

(COPY.)

dence; but, having blamed you wrongeously last time, I fhall fay "I WOULD chide you for the nothing, 'till I hear from you, which flackness of your correfpon- I hope will be foon.

3 L 2

"Ther's

*Doctor Cranston, to whom this letter is addreffed, appears to have been the companion of the early youth, and the confident of the mature life, of Thomfon, He was fon of the Gentleman who was then Minifter of Ancrum, on whose death Mr John Cranfton, another of his fons, fucceeded to that office. Dr. Cranfton having died foon after his father, all his papers fell into the hands of his brother, who lived to an advanced age in the paftoral charge of Ancrum; and at his death, which happened a few years ago, both his own and his brother's manuscripts came into the poffeffion of his furviving family. From this period, the prefent letter lay unnoticed among ft lumber till lately, when it was taken out by a maid-servant, and devoted by her to the purpose of packing up fome candle flicks, which were fent to Kelfo to be exchanged. The perfon into whofe hands it thus fel! (Mr William Muir, junior, copperfmith, Kelfo) fortunately difcovered its value; and has obligingly furnifhed us with it on the prefent occafion. The copy we have taken, and which is now fubjoined, is exact and literal; the spelling, punctuation, and even the errors of the original, being fcrupulously preferved.

The Public will perceive, that this interefting epiftle is without date, and is figned only with initials*. But, independent of the fimple narrative of the means by which it has been rescued from oblivion, it seems to carry in it fuch intrinfic marks of authenticity, that no one who is in the leaft acquainted with the peculiar character of the productions of Thomson, can hesitate a moment in afcribing it to him. Befides gratifying that laudable curiofity which the Public naturally feel to become acquainted with the most minute circumftances in the lives of eminent men, we confider this letter as peculiarly interefting in many other points of view. It appears to have been written at a most critical period of the author's life, being foon after his arrival in England, whether he went upon the death of his mother. It exhibits the interefting fpectacle of an elegant and inexperienced mind, labouring under the prefure of pecuniary embarraffments, and ftruggling with thofe feelings of conscious dignity by which he had long been prevented from foliciting affiftance, and which the horrors of impending indigence alone enabled him to overcome. But the account he then proceeds to give of the origin and partial progress of " The Seafons" more nearly concerns the Public, and merits the attention not only of the Biogra pher, whom it enables to throw light on an obfcure part of the hiftory of this work ; but also of the Philofopher, whom it muft torcibly imprefs with the reflection, that

* From the Poft-mark it seems to have been written from Barnet.

the

"Ther's a little bufinefs I would to add, that, when I first fell upon communicate to you, before I come to the more entertaining part of our correspondence.

"I'm going (hard task!) to complain, and beg your affistance-When I came here, I brought very little money along wt. me; expecting fome more, upon the felling of Widehope, which was to have been fold that day my mother was buried, now 'tis unfold yet: : but will be difpofed of, as foon, as it can be conveniently done: tho indeed, 'tis perplex'd wt. fome difficulties. I was a long time here living att my own charges, and you know how expenfive that is: this, together with the furnishing of my felf wt. cloaths, linnens, one thing with another, to fit me for any business, of this nature here, neceffarly oblidg'd me to contract fome debt. being a ftranger here, 'tis a wonder how I got any credit; but, I cant expect 'twill be long fuftain'd, unless I immediately clear it, even, now, I believe it is at a crifis. my friends have no money to fend me, till the land is fold and my creditors will not wait till then-you know what the confequences would be-now the affiftance I would beg of you, and which I know, if in your power, you won't refuse me, is, a letter of credit, on fome merchant, banker, or fuch like perfon in London, for the matter of twelve pound; till I get money, upon the felling of the land, which I'm, att laft, certain off. if you could either give it me yourself, or procure it; tho you dont owe it to my merit, yet, you owe it to your own nature, which I know fo well as to fay no more on the subject; only allow me

fuch a project (the only thing I have for it in my prefent circumftances) knowing the selfish inhumane temper of the generality, of the world; you were the first perfon that offer'd to my thoughts, as one, to whom I had the confidence to make fuch an addrefs.

"Now, I imagine you feized wt. a fine romantic, kind of melancholy, on the fading of the year. now I figure you wandering, philofophical, and penfive, amidst the brown, wither'd groves: while the leaves ruftle under your feet. the fun gives a farewell parting gleam and the birds

Stir the faint note, and but attempt to sing.

then again, when the heavns wear a more gloomy afpect, the winds whif tle, and the waters fpout, I fee you in the well known Cleugh, beneath the folemn arch of tall, thick, embowring trees, liftening to the amufing lull of the many fteep, mofsgrown cafcades; while deep, divine contemplation, the genius of the place, prompts each fwelling awful thought. I'm fure, you would not refign your part in that fcene att an eafy rate. none e'er enjoy'd it to the height you do, and you're worthy of it. ther I walk in fpirit, and disport in its beloved gloom. this country, I am in, is not very entertaining. no variety but that of woods, and them we have in abundance. but where is the living stream the airy mountain? and the hanging rock? with twenty other things that elegantly pleafe the lover of nature --Nature delights me in every form, I am just now painting

the most trivial circumstances sometimes affect the whole tenor of a man's life, and that, by caufes apparently the most inefficient, his fame and fortune may be for ever decided, as well as the nature and extent of his influence on mankind. Had not Mr Riccleton, a man who is now altogether unknown as a poet, compofed a small production on Winter, the immortal" Seafons" might never have exifted; and thus, not only might Scotland have derived comparatively fmall luftre from the genius of her Thomfon, but the world might never have been delighted with the enchanting imagery and glowing defcription of the Poet of the Year.

Then terrible floods, and high winds, that ufually happen about this time of year, and have already happen'd here, (I with you have not felt them too dreadfully) the first produced the enclosed lines; the laft are not completed. Mr Rickleton's poem on winter, which I ftill have, firft put the defign into my head. in it are fome masterly ftrokes that awaken'd me-being only a prefent amufement, 'tis ten to one but I drop it in when e'er another fancy comes acrofs.

for

:

"I was in London lately a night; and in the old playhouse faw a comedy acted, called, Love makes a Man, or the Fop's Fortune, where I beheld Miller and Cibber fhine to my infinite entertainment. in and about London this month of Sept: near a hundred people have dy'd by accident and fuicide. ther was one blacksmith, tyr'd of the hammer, who hang'd himself, and left written behind him this concife epitaph I Joe Pope

liv'd wt out hope And dy'd by a rope. or elfe fome epigrammatic mufe has bely'd him.

Mr Muir has ample fund for politicks, in the prefent pofture of affairs, as you'll find by the public news. I should be glad to know that great minister's frame juft now. -Keep it to yourself.-you may whisper it too in Mis John's ear.-far otherwife, is his lately myfterious Br. Mr Tait employed.-Started a fuperannuated fortune, and just now upon the full scent.-'tis comical enough to fee him from amongst the rubbish of his controverfial divinity and politicks furbishing up his antient rufty gallantry.

"I believe it had been much more your entertainment, if in this letter I had cited other people instead of myself but I must refer that 'till another time. If you have not feen it already, I have just now in my hands an original of Sr Alexander Brands (the craz❜d Scots Knight wt the wo"Yours fincerely, J. T. ful countenance) you would relish. "Remember me to all friends. Mr I belive it might make Mis John Rickle, Mis John, Br. John, &c." The paffages printed in Italics are written on the margin of the original letter.

BOOKS AND PAMPHLETS PUBLISHED IN LONDON, MAY 1797.

By G. Croft, D. D. 8vo. 5s. Riving

tons.

Letter to Mr Wilberforce on his late

- Medical Facts and Obfervations. Vol. Fugitive Pieces. By F. Greenfted. 8vo.