Dr. J. Evans's Visit to the House of Thomson, the Poet. Being called "Lindsay's New Testament," it may have imposed latterly on some unlettered persons as a work of Mr. Lindsey's, of Essex Street, or even of Dr. Lindsay's, of Monkwell Street. It fell into my hands through such a mistake of the owner's. DASSING my summer vacation at in quest of the spot where THOMSON, breathing out his soul into the bosom of his Creator, quitted this sublunary sphere for a better world. We bent our way to Kew-foot Lane, in the vicinity of Richmond. It is a row of cottages, with occasionally a house of larger dimensions. Inquiring of a servant-maid where THOMSON lived and died-she asked, whether I meant “the poet writer ?” I answered, "Yes"-when she directed me further up to a large handsome brick mansion, Rosdale-House, the residence of the COUNTESS of SHAFTESBURY. On ringing the bell, a woman appeared, of whom I inquired, whether THOмSON had lived and died there; she replied in the affirmative. I then asked respecting any relics of the poet which were to be inspected by strangers. She said, there were a few and many called to see them. Begging to be similarly indulged, she withdrew to ask the Countess, and immediately returned with leave of admission. On entering the house you are shewn two small rooms on the ground floor connected by an arch-way, and thrown into a kind of hall. On the left is the room in which THOMSON breathed his last, being his bed-chamber; and on the right is his sitting-room, where he passed his time, with brass hooks fixed round, upon which he hung his hat and cane; also the table on which he wrote, and, lastly, the very fireplace, before which he no doubt sat in musings deep, when Winter reigned tremendous o'er the conquer'd year! It is a neat round mahogany table, letting itself down on its stand, with a delineation of a white scroll in the centre, having this inscription in imitation of hand-writing : 531 "On this table JAMES THOMSON constantly wrote; it was therefore purchased of his servant, who also gave these brass hooks on which his hat and cane were hung in this his sitting-room. F. B." These initials, F. B., signify Frances Boscawen, the Hon. Mrs. Boscawen, widow of Admiral Boscawen, who here ended her days. She is said to have been the immediate successor of the poet, and with whose merits she apyoung woman who shewed us these rooms informed us, that in THOMSON'S time, these were the only apartments. Since that period, two wings had been added, as well as two stories, so that it is the most handsome house in Kewfoot Lane. It is much to the praise of the present noble owner that this portion of the original cottage should have been thus sacredly preserved amidst a profusion of modern improvements. Too often have the proprietors of an edifice of this kind, with a barbarous vandalism, levelled it to the dust. The villa of Pope, as to the interior, is said to have undergone such a demolition. Its gardens and grotto alone remain to satiate the gaze of posterity. With respect to THOMSON it should be added, that over the fire-place, the carved ornaments are after the fashion of former times, whilst at the opposite end of the sitting-room, between the windows, may be seen a bust of the Bard, which imparts to the relics an air of classic celebrity. Stepping into the garden, you are conducted by a neat gravel walk through a serpentine avenue of shady trees to an alcove, painted green, on whose front are these words, emblazoned: "Here THOMSON sung the Seasons and their change." In the alcove is a rustic table, and suspended over the back seat is a board with this inscription: "JAMES THOMSON died at this place August 27th, 1748.” On the reverse of the board, when taken down, I read the following sylvan memorial · "Within this pleasing retirement, allured by the music of the nightingale, which warbled in soft unison to the melody of his soul in unaffected cheerfulness and genial, though simple elegance, lived JAMES THOMSON. Sensibly alive to all the beauties of nature, he painted their images as they rose in review, and poured the whole profusion of them into his inimitable Seasons. Warmed with intense devotion to the Sovereign of the universe, its flame glowing through all his compositions, animated with unbounded benevolence, with the tenderest social sensibility, he never gave one moment's pain to any of his fellow-creatures, save by his death, which happened at this place on the 22d of August, 1748." From this haunt of the Muses the gardener took us to a large summerhouse, in a corner of which was another table belonging to THOMSON, on which he is said to have finished the Seasons. It had a capacious drawer, but the whole was old and decayed, having been formerly in the open alcove, and of course was affected by the humidity of the atmosphere. It was small and oblong in form, like a chamber dressing-table,having nothing either in its construction or workmanship that entitled it to attention. On opening the drawer, our servant, looking at the table with curious eyes, asked whether THOMSON had left any of his writings there? Such relics would have been precious. Were this the case, assuredly no traces would be found at nearly the termination of a revolving century. The grounds, though not large, are kept in admirable order, enriched and adorned with curious trees from the most distant parts of the world. Amongst other choice exotics, the acacia and sassafras trees, with the silver cedar and the lofty cedars of Lebanon, excited our admiration. It is a paradisiacal spot. The poet is said to have here listened by the hour to the song of the nightingales in Richmond gardens. Delicious indeed were our recollections of the Bard. Being a fine summer's morning, when every object is beauty to the eye, and every sound music to the ear, his conclusion of the Hymn to the Seasons rushed upon my mind: I cannot go Where Universal Love smiles not around, Sustaining all you orbs and all their suns From seeming evil, still educing good, At this distance of time, seventyfour years ago, it is impossible to ascertain the particulars of THOMSON'S dissolution. All now known is, that the poet, walking from London to Kew, took boat at Hammersmith, and caught cold, when a fever produced a fatal termination. He lies buried in Richmond Church, where the Earl of Buchan has fixed up a small brass plate, with a glowing eulogium to his memory. It is remarkable that GILBERT WAKEFIELD, who is also interred here, came by his death in a similar manner, during the autumn of 1801. Having been to visit his brother, the Vicar of Richmond, he was returning to his house at Hackney, when the heat, combined with the fatigue of the walk, induced a fever, which ended in his dissolution. Neither Thomson nor Wakefield had attained the fiftieth year of their age. Both possessed classic minds; the one smitten with the love of ancient, the other of modern song, whilst in their writings they both advocated the liberties of mankind. What a delightful spot is Richmond! The window of our cottage looked down to the silver Thames flowing at the foot of the garden : Strong without rage-without o'erflowing, fuli! Along its surface every day rushes the bustling steam-boat, speeding away under a dingy canopy of smoke to its assigned destination, with innumerable pleasure-parties flitting to and fro in every direction, whose bands of music reverberate throughout the surrounding scenery. The stately City Barge, (the Maria Wood, so called out of compliment to the Lady of Alderman Wood, for it was built during his Mayoralty,) passes and repasses twice or thrice a-week, its gay streamers waving in the air, freighted with a motley group of citizens in their holyday dress, dancing merrily with every symptom of gaiety. In front of the room where I sat, are spread out the Eichhorn's Account of the Book of Genesis. verdant Cambridge meadows; beyond P.S. The death of THOMSON was sudden and unexpected. In Johnson's Lives of the Poets appears a Letter 533 addressed to his sister, dated 1747, the year previous to his decease, in which he meditates a visit to his friends in Scotland; and alluding to the loss of a beloved relative, he thus expresses himself in a manner equally creditable to his feelings and piety: "She is happy, while we must toil a little longer here below. Let us, however, do it cheerfully and gratefully, supported by the pleasing hope of meeting yet again on a safer shore, where to recollect the storms and difficulties of life will not perhaps be inconsistent with that blissful state." Far different was the devout author of the Seasons from some of the poets of the present day. His superior genius did not spurn at the consolations of Christianity. Vermiculus will accept my thanks for his interesting remarks on the Works of THOMSON, recently communicated to the Repository. Eichhorn on the Book of Genesis. II. The greatest Part of the Book of Genesis consists of Fragments from two distinct Historical Works, as may be proved by the Repetitions contained in it, its want of Uniformity in Style, and the Peculiarities which characterize each Record. 1. Of the Repetitions which occur in the Book of Genesis. NEW portions of the book of Ge scribed; on the contrary, its general internal structure bespeaks it to be a work compiled from two historical records, fragments of which are variously introduced, being sometimes blended together, and at other times following in regular succession, and being, upon the whole, but rarely interrupted by the insertion of unconnected pieces of the stamp above alluded to. On different occasions the same things are related twice. Thus, in the accounts of the flood, (Gen. vi. vii. viii, ix.,) God remarks twice I. Record bearing the Name of Jehovah, on the wickedness of mankind, for struction: Noah's innocence and in- II. .5 .vi וירא יהוה כי רבה רעת .12 .vi וירא אלהים את הארץ והנה נשחתה כי האדם בארץ וכל יצר מחשבת השחית כל בשר את דרכו על לבו רק רע כל היום :.... .13 ויאמר אלהים .7 ויאמר יהוה אמחה את הארץ : לנח קץ כל בשר בא לפני האדם אשר בראתי מעל פני כי מלאה הארץ חמס מפניהם האדמה מאדם עד בהמה עד והנני משחיתם את הארץ: רמש ועד עוף השמים כי נחמתי כי עשיתם: .9 .vi........נח איש צדיק .1 .vii ויאמר יהוה לנח.... תמים היה בדרתיו את אלהים אותך ראיתי צדיק לפני כדור התהלך נח : הזה : .19 .vi ומכל החי מכל בשר .2 .vii מכל הבהמה הטהרה שנים מכל תביא אל התבה תקח לך שבעה שבעה איש להחית אתך זכר ונקבה ואשתו ומן הבהמה אשר לא טהרה הוא שנים איש ואשתו: יהיו : .20 מהעוף למינהו ומן .3 גם מעוף השמים שבעה הבהמה למינה מכל רמש שבעה זכר ונקבה לחיות זרע האדמה למינהו שנים מכל על פני כל הארץ : יבאו אליך להחיות : .17 .vi ואני הנני מביא את .4 .vii כי לימים עוד שבעה המבול מים על הארץ לשחת אנכי ממטיר על הארץ כל בשר אשר בו רוח חיים ארבעים יום וארבעים לילה מתחת השמים כל אשר ומחיתי את כל היקום אשר בארץ יגוע: עשיתי מעל פני האדמה : .22 .vi ויעש נח ככל אשר .5 .vii ויעש נח ככל אשר צוה אתו אלהים כן עשה : צוהו יהוה : .18 .vi......ובאת אל התבה .1 .vii ויאמר יהוה לנח אתה ובניך ואשתך ונשי בניך בא אתה וכל ביתך אל התבה ...... אתך : .11 .vii בשנת שש מאות .6 .vii ונח בן שש מאות שנה לחיי נח בחדש השני שנה והמבול היה מים על בשבעה עשר יום לחדש ביום הארץ: הזה נבקעו כל מעינות תהום וארבת השמים רב נפתחו : .12 ויהי הגשם על הארץ ארבעים יום וארבעים לילה': .13 .vii בעצם היום הזה בא .7 .vii ויבא נח ובניו ואשתו נח ושם וחם ויפת בני נח ונשי בניו אתו אל התבה ואשת נח ושלשת נשי בניו מפני מי המבול : אתם אל התבה : .14 המה .8 ומן הבהמה הטהרה ומן וכל החיה למינה וכל הבהמה הבהמה אשר איננה טהרה למינה וכל הרמש הרמש על ומן העוף וכל אשר על הארץ למינו וכל צפו כל כנף: האדמה : .15 ויבאו אל נח אל התבה .9 שנים שנים באו אל נח שנים שנים מכל הבשר אשר אל התבה זכר ונקבה כאשר בו רוח חיים: 16 והבאים זכר צוה אלהים את נח : ונקבה מכל בשר באו כאשר צוה אתו אלהים:...... .18 ויגברו המים וירבו מאד .17 .vii ויהי המבול ארבעים Eichhorn's Account of the Book of Genesis. 535 על הארץ ותלך התבה על יום על הארץ וירבו המים וישאו התבה ותרם מעל פני המים : הארץ : .23 .vii וימח את כל היקום .21 .vii ויגוע כל בשר הרמש על הארץ, בעוף ובהמה אשר על פני האדמה מאדם ובחיה ובכל השרץ השרץ עד בהמה עד רמש ועד עוף על הארץ וכל האדם: השמים וימחו מן הארץ .22 כל אשר נשמת רוח חיים וישאר אך נח ואשר אתו באפיו מכל אשר בחרבה בתבה : מתו : .21 .viii......ויאמר יהוה אל .8 .ix ויאמר אלהים אל נח ואל בניו אתו לאמר: .9 ואני לבו לא אסף לקלל עור את הנני מקים את בריתי אתכם האדמה בעבור האדם כי יצר ואת זרעכם אחריכם: .10 ואת לב האדם רע מנעריו ולא כל נפש החיה אשר אתכם אסף עוד להכות את כל חי בעוף ובבהמה ובכל חית כאשר עשיתי .22 עד כל ימי הארץ אתכם מכל יצאי הארץ זרע וקציר וקר וחם התבה לכל חית הארץ: .11 וקיץ וחרף ויום ולילה לא והקימתי את בריתי אתכם ישבתו : ולא יכרת כל בשר עוד ממי המבול ולא יהיה עוד מבול לשחת הארץ: These repetitions cannot well owe their existence to mere chance, neither are they to be attributed to any want of experience in the art of writing. It is doubtless possible, and examples from ancient and modern historians may be adduced in proof thereof, that, in the narrative of any particular event, circumstances connected therewith may be accidentally twice alluded to; but the question here to be asked, is, if we are fully warranted to attribute to mere accident a series of repetitions not occurring in a few solitary instances only, but almost perpetually, and in some cases in so striking a manner, that, of large portions, in which events are related twice, one series may be very conveniently excluded without the smallest injury to the general narrative,-is it not far more natural in a case so manifest as the present is, to infer at once the existence of two distinct narratives of one and the same occurrence ? Nor can the repetitions in question be attributed to any inexperience in the art of writing, for they occur too frequently, and are far too methodical to admit of such an origin. From want of due experience an author may not, perhaps, make the most suitable arrangements in individual portions of his work; but is it not something very uncommon to be suddenly interrupted in the midst of our investigation of any particular subject, for the purpose of being made attentive to occurrences which the writer may have omitted in their although the sequel of his narrative proper places, shall perhaps be materially dependent on them? Still, even granting that the inexperience here alluded to may be productive at times of repetitions, it cannot well be admitted as the cause of them in a narrative like the present, in which all the leading subjects are twice, and that, too, very methodically related. In both cases, the repetitions exhibit a correct arrangement, and a very fair and natural succession of ideas. At times, their order is precisely the same in each; at other times, it is somewhat changed, or even totally reversed; but on every occasion it will be found that in the repetition it is not only perfectly natural, but equally as suitable as in the original |