The Poetical Works of James Thomson, James Beattie, Gilbert West and John Bampfylde ... New edition

Front matter

THE POETICAL WORKS OF JAMES THOMSON. LONDON t PRINTED BY J. OGDEN AND CO., 172, ST, JOHN STREET, E.C. THE POETICAL WORKS OF JAMES THOMSON. LONDON: WARD, LOCK, & CO., WARWICK HOUSE, DORSET BUILDINGS, SALISBURY SQUARE, E.C. CONTENTS. PAGE The Seasons — Spring ....... I Summer . . .... 43 Autumn ...... 107 Winter . . . . . • . 155 Liberty — Ancient and Modem Italy compared . . 20b Greece ...... 222 Rome . ... . . . .241 Britain ...... 263 The Prospect ...... 309 Castle of Indolence ..... 335 Miscellaneous — A Poetical Epistle to Sir Wm. Bennet, Bart., of Grubbat 397 Psalm CIV. paraphrased .... 4°° On a Country Life ..... 4°4 On Happiness ..... 4°8 Verses on receiving a Flower from his Mistress . VI CONTENTS. PAGE Miscellaneous, continued — An Elegy on Parting ..... 4'4 To Seraphina . . . . ■ 4J5 On the Hoop ...... 4l6 On May ...... 4l6 The Morning in the Country . . . .417 Lines on Marlefield . . . . .418 On Beauty ...... 419 An Elegy upon James Therburn . . . 422 On the Death of his Mother .... 424 To the Memory of Sir Isaac Newton . . . 427 A Paraphrase on the latter part of the Sixth Chapter of St. Matthew ..... 434 The Happy Man ..... 436 The Incomparable Soporific Doctor . . . 437 Hymn on Solitude ..... 438 Britannia ...... 440 On the Death of Mr. Aikman . . . 451 On Mrs. Mendez' Birthday .... 453 On the Report that a Wooden Bridge was to be built at Westminster .... 453 To his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales . . , 454 To the Memory of the Right Hon. Lord Talbot . 455 On Æolus's Harp ..... 468 Hymn to God's Power .... 469 A Complaint on the Miseries of Life . . 470 To the Rev. Patrick Murdoch . . .471 Epitaph on Miss Stanley . . • 472 Stanzas .... . 47 j CONTENTS.

VII Pastorals — A Pastoral betwixt David, Thirsis, and the Angel Gabriel, upon the Birth of our Saviour . . 477 A Pastoral between Thirsis and Corydon, upon the Death of Damon, by whom is meant Mr. W. Riddell 479 A Pastoral Entertainment . . . . 4S1 Songs — A Nuptial Song .... * 484 To Her I Love ..... 4^5 To the God of Fond Desire .... 486 The Lover's Fate ..... 4^7 To the Nightingale ..... 4$S To Myra ...... 488 Song ....... 4^9 Amanda — To Love ...... 49° To Amanda ...... 491 Verses addressed to Amanda .... 492 To the Same ...... 492 To Fortune ...... 493 Come, Gentle God . 494 Songs in the Masque of Alfred — To Peace . . • 495 To Alfred ....-• 495 Sweet Valley, Say 49<5 From those Eternal Regions .... 497 Contentment ....•• 497 Rule, Britannia ...... 49^ CONTENTS. PAGE Prologues and Epilogues — Epilogue to ' ( Agamemnon " Prologue to Mallet's " Mustapha " .

Prologue to "Tancred and Sigismunda" Epilogue to " Tancred and Sigismunda " 5°3 5°4 5°5 THOMSON'S POETICAL WORKS THE SEASONS. SPRING. DEDICATIO->ei TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE THE COUNTESS OF HERTFORD. Madam, — I have always observed that, in addresses of this nature, the general taste of the world demands ingenious turns of wit, and disguised artful periods, instead of an open sincerity of sentiment flowing in a plain expression. From what secret im patience of the justest praise, when bestowed on others, this often proceeds, rather than a pretended delicacy, is beyond my purpose here to inquire. But as nothing is more foreign to the disposition of a soul sincerely pleased with the contemplation of what is beautiful, and excellent, than wit and turn ; I have too much respect for your ladyship's character, either to touch it in that gay, trifling manner, or venture on a particular detail of those truly amiable qualities of which it is composed.