PITT.

CHRISTOPHER PITT, of whom whatever I shall relate, more than has been already publifhed, I owe to the kind communication of Dr. Warton, was born in 1699 at Blandford, the son of a phyfician much efteemed.

He was, in 1714, received as a fcholar into Winchefter College, where he was diftinguished by exercises of uncommon elegance, and, at his removal to New College in 1719, prefented to the electors, as the product of his private and voluntary studies, a complete verfion of Lucan's poem, which he did not then know to have been tranflated by Rowe.

This is an inftance of early diligence which well deferves to be recorded. The fuppreffion of such a work, recommended by fuch uncommon circumftances, is to be regretted. It is indeed culpable to load libraries with fuperfluous books; but incitements to early excellence are never fuperfluous, and from this example the danger is not great of many imitations.

When he had refided at his college three years, he was presented to the rectory of Pimpern in Dorfetfhire (1722), by his relation, Mr. Pitt of Stratfield Say in Hampshire; and, refigning his fellowfhip, continued at Oxford two years longer, till he became Master of Arts (1724).

He probably about this time tranflated "Vida's "Art of Poetry," which Triftram's fplendid edition

had

had then made popular. In this translation he diftinguished himfelf, both by its general elegance, and by the fkilful adaptation of his numbers to the images expreffed; a beauty which Vida has with great ardour enforced and exemplified.

He then retired to his living, a place very pleafing by its fituation, and therefore likely to excite the imagination of a poet; where he paffed the reft of his life, reverenced for his virtue, and beloved for the softness of his temper and the eafinefs of his manners. Before strangers he had fomething of the fcholar's timidity or diftruft; but when he became familiar he was in a very high degree cheerful and entertaining. His general benevolence procured general refpect; and he paffed a life placid and honourable, neither too great for the kindness of the low, nor too low for the notice of the great.

AT what time he compofed his mifcellany, publifhed in 1727, it is not eafy or neceffary to know: thofe which have dates appear to have been very early productions, and I have not observed that rife above mediocrity.

any

The fuccefs of his Vida animated him to a higher undertaking; and in his thirtieth year he published a verfion of the firft book of the Eneid. This being, I fuppofe, commended by his friends, he fome time afterwards added three or four more; with an advertisement, in which he reprefents himfelf as tranflating with great indifference, and with a progrefs of which himself was hardly confcious. This can hardly be true, and, if true, is nothing to the reader.

At laft, without any further contention with his modefty, or any awe of the name of Dryden, he

gave

gave us a complete English Eneid, which I am forry not to fee joined in this publication with his other poems *. It would have been pleafing to have an opportunity of comparing the two beft tranflations that perhaps were ever produced by one nation of the fame author.

Pitt, engaging as a rival with Dryden, naturally obferved his failures, and avoided them; and, as he wrote after Pope's Iliad, he had an example of an exact, equable, and fplendid verfification. With these advantages, feconded by great diligence, he might fuccefsfully labour particular paffages, and escape many errors. If the two verfions are compared, perhaps the refult would be, that Dryden leads the reader forward by his general vigour and sprightliness, and Pitt often ftops him to contemplate the excellence of a fingle couplet; that Dryden's faults are forgotten in the hurry of delight, and that Pitt's beauties are neglected in the langour of a cold and liftless perufal; that Pitt pleases the criticks, and Dryden the people; that Pitt is quoted, and Dryden read.

He did not long enjoy the reputation which this great work deservedly conferred; for he left the world in 1748, and lies buried under a ftone at Blandford, on which is this infcription:

In Memory of

CHR. PITT, clerk, M. A.
Very eminent

for his talents in poetry;

and yet more

for the univerfal candour of

his mind, and the primitive

fimplicity of his manners.

He lived innocent;
and died beloved,

Apr. 13, 1748,

aged 48.

It has fince been added to the collection. R.

THOMSON.

JAMES THOMSON, the son of a minister well efteemed for his piety and diligence, was born September 7, 1700, at Ednam, in the fhire of Roxburgh, of which his father was paftor. His mother, whose name was Hume, inherited as co-heiress a portion of a small eftate. The revenue of a parish in Scotland is feldom large; and it was probably in commiferation of the difficulty with which Mr. Thomson fupported his family, having nine children, that Mr. Riccarton, a neighbouring minister, discovering in James uncommon promifes of future excellence, undertook to fuperintend his education, and provide him books.

He was taught the common rudiments of learning at the school of Jedburg, a place which he delights to recollect in his poem of "Autumn;" but was not confidered by his mafter as fuperior to common boys, though in thofe early days he amufed his patron and his friends with poetical compofitions; with which, however, he fo little pleased himself, that on every new-year's day he threw into the fire all the productions of the foregoing year.

From the school he was removed to Edinburgh, where he had not refided two years when his father

died, and left all his children to the care of their mother, who raised upon her little estate what money a mortgage could afford, and, removing with her family to Edinburgh, lived to see her fon rifing into

eminence.

The defign of Thomfon's friends was to breed him a minifter. He lived at Edinburgh, as at fchool, without distinction or expectation, till, at the usual time, he performed a probationary exercise by explaining a pfalm. His diction was fo poetically fplendid, that Mr. Hamilton, the profeffor of Divinity, reproved him for fpeaking language unintelligible to a popular audience; and he cenfured one of his expreffions as indecent, if not profane.

This rebuke is reported to have repreffed his thoughts of an ecclefiaftical character, and he probably cultivated with new diligence his bloffoms of poetry, which, however, were in fome danger of a blast; for, fubmitting his productions to fome who thought themselves qualified to criticife, he heard of nothing but faults; but, finding other judges more favourable, he did not fuffer himself to fink into defpondence.

He easily discovered that the only stage on which a poet could appear, with any hope of advantage, was London; a place too wide for the operation of petty competition and private malignity, where merit might foon become confpicuous, and would find friends as foon as it became reputable to befriend it. A lady who was acquainted with his mother, advised him to the journey, and promised fome countenance or affiftance, which at last he