The Seasons Hymns Ode and Songs Author:James Thomson General Books publication date: 2009 Original publication date: 1813 Original Publisher: J. W. H. Payne Notes: This is a black and white OCR reprint of the original. It has no illustrations and there may be typos or missing text. When you buy the General Books edition of this book you get free trial access to Million-Books.com where you can ... more »select from more than a million books for free. Excerpt: AN ACCOUNT THE LIFE AND WRITINGS THOMSON. It la commonly said, that the life of a. good writer is best read in his works ; which can scarce fail to receive a peculiar tincture from his temper, manners, and habits; the distinguishing character of his mind, his ruling passion, at least, will there appear undisguised. But however just this observation may be, and although we might safely rest Thomson's fame, as a good man, as well as a man of genius, on this sole footing; yet the desire which the Public always shew of being more particularly acquainted with the history of an eminent author, ought not to be disappointed; as it proceeds not from mere curiosity, but chiefly from affection and gratitude to those by whom they have been entertained and instructed. - To give some account of a deceased friend is often a piece of justice likewise, which ought nut to be refused to his memory; to prevent or efface the impertinent fictions which officious biographers are so apt to collect and propagate. And we may add, that the circumstances of an author's life will sometimes throw the best light upon his writings; instances whereof we (hall meet with in the following pages. James Thomson was born at Ednam, in the shire of Roxburgh, on the 11th of September, in the year 1700. His father, minister of that place, was but little known beyond the narrow circle of his co-presbyters, and to a few gentlemen in the neighbourhood; but highly respected by them, for his piety, and his diligence in the pastoral duty: as appeared afterwards, in their kind offices to his widow and orphan fa...« less