an hour he difmiffed Mr Saftres and me; but called me back again, and faid that next Sunday, if he lived, he defigned to take the Sacrament, and wished me, my wife, and fon to be there. We left Mr Langton with him. Saturday, Dec. 4-Called on him about three: he was much the fame, did not fee him, he had much company that day. Called in the even ing with Mr Saftres about eight; found he was not difpofed for company; Mr Langton with him; did not fee him. Sunday, Dec. 5.-Went to Boltcourt with Mrs Hoole after eleven ; found there Sir John Hawkins, Rev. Mr Strahan, Mrs Gardiner, and Mr De Moulins, in the dining-room. After fome time the Doctor came to us from the chamber, and faluted us all, thanking us all for this vifit to him. He faid he found himfelf very bad, but hoped he fhould go well through the duty which he was about to do. The facrament was then adminiftered to all prefent, Frank being of the number. The Doctor repeatedly defired Mr Strahan to speak louder; feeming very anxious not to lose any part of the fervice, in which he joined in very great fervour of devotion. The fervice over, he again thanked us all for attending him on the occafion: he said he had taken fome opium to enable him to support the fatigue: he feemed quite fpent, and lay in his chair fome time in a kind of dofe. He then got up and retired into his chamber. Mr Ryland then called on him. I was with them he said to Mr Ryland, "I have taken my viaticum, I hope I fhall arrive fafe at the end of my journey, and be accepted at laft." He fpoke very defpondingly several times: Mr Ryland comforted him, obferving that "we bad great hopes given us." "Yes (he replied,) we have hopes given us; but they are conditional, and I know not how far I have fulfilled thofe conditions *" He afterwards faid: "However, I think that I have now corrected all bad and vicious habits." Sir Joshua Reynolds called on him: we left them together. Sir Joshua being gone, he called Mr Ryland and me again to him: he continued talking very feriously, and repeated a prayer, or collect, with great fervour, when Mr Ryland took his leave. He eat a tolerable dinner, but retired directly after dinner. My fon came to us from his church: we were at dinner, Dr Johnson, Mrs Gardiner, myfelf, Mrs Hoole, my fon, and Mr De Moulins. He had looked out a fermon of Dr Clarke's, "on the Shortnefs of Life," for me to read to him after dinner, but he was too ill to hear it. After fix o'clock he called us all into his room, when he dismis fed us for that night with a prayer, delivered as he fat in his great chair in the moft fervent and affecting manner; his mind appearing wholly employed with the thoughts of another life. He told Mr Ryland, that he wifhed not to come to God with opium, but that he hoped he had been properly attentive. He faid before us all, that when he recovered the laft fpring, he had only called it a reprieve, but that he did think it was for a longer time; however he hoped the time that had been prolonged to him might be the means of bringing forth fruit meet for repentance. Monday, Dec. 6.-Sent in the morning to make inquiry after him: he was much the fame called in the evening; found Mr Cruikshanks the furgeon with him: he faid he had been that day quarrelling with all his phyficians: he appeared in tolerable fpirits. Tuesday, Dec. 7.-Called at dinner time: faw him eat a very good dinner: he feemed rather better, and in spirits. Wednesday, *See his Letter to Mrs Thrale, Vol. II. p. 350, in Letters published by Mrs Piozzi. Wednesday, Dec. 8.-Went with Mrs Hoole and my fon, by appointment; found him very poorly and low, after a very bad night. Mr Nichols the printer was there. My fon read the Litany, the Doctor feveral times urging him to fpeak louder. After prayers Mr Langton came in much ferious difcourfe: he warned us all to profit by his fituation; and, applying to me who stood next him, exhorted me to lead a better life than he had done. "A better life than you, my dear Sir!" I repeated. He replied warmly," Don't compliment now." He told Mr Langton, that he had the night before enforced on a powerful argument to a powerful objection againft Chriftianity. He had often thought it might feem strange that the Jews, who refufed belief to the doctrine fupported by the miracles of our Saviour, should after his death raise a numerous church; but he faid that they expected fully a temporal prince, and with this idea the multitude was actuated, when they ftrewed his way with palm branches on his entry into Jerufalem; but finding their expectations afterwards difappointed, rejected him, till in procefs of time, comparing all the circumstances and prophecies of the Old Teftament, confirmed in the New, many were converted; that the Apoftles them felves once believed him to be a tem poral prince. He faid that he had always been truck with the refem blance of the Jewish Paffover and the Chriftian doctrine of Redemption. He thanked us all for our attendance, and we left him with Mr Langton. Thursday, Dec. 9.-Called in the evening; did not fee him as he was engaged. Friday, Dec. 10.-Called about eleven in the morning, faw Mr La Trobe there neither of us faw the Doctor, as we understood he wished not to be vifited that day. In the evening I fent him a letter, recom. him this day. Saturday, Dec. 11.-Went to Bolt. court about twelve; met there Dr Burney, Dr Taylor, Sir John Hawkins, Mr Saftres, Mr Paradife, Count Zenobia, and Mr Langton. Mrs Hoole called for me there: we both went to him; he received us very kindly; told me he had my letter, but it was too late for Doctors, regular or irregular." His physicians had been with him that day, but prefcribed nothing. Mr Cruikshanks came: the Doctor was rather chearful with him; he faid, "Come, give me your hand," and fhook him by the hand, adding, "You shall make no other ufe of it now;" meaning he fhould not examine his legs. Mr Cruikshanks wifhed to do it, but the Doctor would not let him; Mr C. faid, he would call in the evening. Sunday, Dec. 12.-Was not at Bolt-court in the forenoon; at St Sepulchre's fchool in the evening with Mrs Hoole, where we faw Mra Gardiner and Lady Rothes; heard. that Dr Johnfon was very bad, and had been fomething delirious. Went to Bolt-court about nine, and found there Mr Wyndham and the Rev. Mr Strahan. The Doctor was then very bad in bed, which I think he had only taken to that day: he had now refused to take any more medicine or food. Mr Cruikshanks came about eleven; he endeavoured to perfuade him to take fome nourishment, but in vain. Mr Wyndham then went again to him, and, by the advice of Mr Cruikshanks, put it upon this footing, that by perfifting to refuse all fuftenence he might probably defeat his own purpose to preserve mind clear, as his weakness might bring on paralytic complaints that his might affect his mental powers. The John Hawkins, Mr Langton, Mrs Doctor, Mr W. faid, heard him pa Gardiner, Rev. Mr Strahan, and Mrs tiently; but when he had heard all, Strahan, Doctors Brocklesby and he defired to be troubled no more. Butter, Mr Steevens, and Mr NiHe then took a most affectionate chols the printer, came; but no one leave of Mr W. who reported to us chofe to disturb him by speaking to the iffue of the converfation, for only him, and he feemed to take no notice Mr De Moulins was with them in of any perfon. While Mrs Gardiner the chamber. I did not fee the Doc- and I were there, before the reft tor that day, being fearful of disturb- came, he took a little warm milk in ing him, and never converfed with a cup, when he said fomething upon him again. I came away about half its not being properly given into his paft eleven with Mr Wyndham. hand he breathed very regular, Monday, Dec. 13.-Went to Bolt. though fhort, appeared to be mostly court at eleven o'clock in the morn. in a calm fleep or dofing. I left him ing; met a young lady coming down in this ftate, and never more saw him ftairs from the Doctor, whom, upon alive. In the evening I fupped with enquiry, I found to be Mifs Morris Mrs Hoole and my fon at Mr Braith(a filter to Mifs Morris*, formerly waite's, and at night my fervant on the stage.) Mrs De Moulins told brought me word that my dearest me that he had feen the Doctor; friend died that evening about feven that by her defire he had been told o'clock; and next morning I went fhe came to ask his bleffing, and that to the house, where I met Mr Sehe faid, "God bless you!" I then ward: we went together into the went up into his chamber, and found chamber, and there faw the most awhim lying very compofed in a kind ful fight of Dr Johnfon laid out in of dofe he spoke to nobody. Sir his bed, without life! : John Hoole. DESCRIPTION OF THE LAKE AT KESWICK, AND THE ADJACENT COUNTRY. [Communicated in a Letter to a Friend, by the late Rev. Dr John Brown, author of the Estimate, &c.] IN my way to the north from Hag. Inftead of the narrow flip of valley which is feen at Dovedale, you have at Kefwick a vaft amphitheatre, in circumference above twenty miles. Inftead of a meagre rivulet, a noble living lake, ten miles round, of an oblong form, adorned with variety of wooded iflands. The rocks in. deed of Dovedale are finely wild, pointed, and irregular; but the hills are both little and unanimated; and the margin of the brook is poorly edged with weeds, morafs, and brushwood. But at Kefwick, you will, on one fide of the lake, fee a rich and beautiful landfcape of cultivated fields, rifing to the eye in fine inequa lities, with noble groves of oak, hap pily As there have been feveral Mifs Morris's on the ftage, it may be proper to mention that the young lady was fifter to Mifs Morris, Covent Garden Nov. 26, 1768, and died May 1, 1759. Morris, Efq. Commiffioner of the Cuftoms. who appeared in Juliet at She was telated to Corbyn pily difperfed; and climbing the fin. The first should throw his deli adjacent hills, fhade above fhade, in the moft various and picturefque forms. On the oppofire fhore, you will find rocks and cliffs of ftupendous height, hanging broken over the lake in horrible grandeur, fome of them a thousand feet high, the woods climbing up their fteep and fhaggy fides, where mortal foot never yet approached. On thefe dreadful heights the eagles build their nefts: A variety of waterfalls are feen pouring from their fummits, and tumbling in vaft sheets from rock to rock in rude and terrible magnificence: While on all fides of this immenfeamphitheatre the lofty moun tains rife round, piercing the clouds in fhapes as fpiry and fantaftic, as the very rocks of Dovedale.-To this I must add the frequent and bold projection of the cliffs into the lake, forming noble bays and promontories: In other parts they finely retire from it, and often open in abrupt chafms or clefts, thro' which at hand, you see rich and cultivated vales, and beyond thefe at various distances, mountain rifing over mountain; among which, new profpects prefent themselves in mift, till the eye is loft in an agreeable perplexity: Where active Fancy travels beyond Senfe, And pictures things unfeen. Were I to analyfe the two places into their conftituent principles, I fhould tell you that the full perfection of Kefwick confifts of three circumftances, Beauty, Horror, and Immensity united; the fecond of which is alone found in Dovedale. Of beauty it hath little: Nature having left it almost a defart: Nei ther its fmall extent, nor the dimi. nutive and lifelefs form of the hills admit magnificence. But to give you a complete idea of these three perfections, as they are joined in Kefwick, would require the united powers of Claude, Salvator, and Pouf. cate funfhine over the cultivated vales, the fcattered cots, the groves, the lake, and wooded islands. The fecond fhould dafh out the horror of the rugged cliffs, the fteeps, the hanging woods, and foaming waterfalls; while the grand pencil of Pouffin fhould crown the whole with the majefty of the impending mountains. So much for what I would call the permanent beauties of this aftonifhing fcene. Were I not afraid of being tirefome, I could now dwell as long on its varying or accidental beauties. I would fail round the lake, anchor in every bay, and land you on every promontory and island. I would point out the perpetual change of profpect: The woods, rocks, cliffs, and mountains, by turns vanishing or rifing into view: Now gaining on the fight, hanging over our heads in their full dimenfions, beautifully dreadful; and now, by a change of fituation, affuming new romantic fhapes, retiring and leffening on the eye, and infenfibly lofing themselves in an azure mift. I would remark the contraft of light and shade, produced by the morning and evening fun; the one gilding the western, and the other the caftern fide of this immenfe amphitheatre; while the vaft fhadow projected by the mountains buries the oppofite part in a deep and purple gloom, which the eye can hardly penetrate the natural variety of colouring which the feveral objects produce is no lefs wonderful and pleafing: The ruling tincts in the valley being thofe of azure, green, and gold, yet ever various, arifing from an intermixture of the lake, the woods, the grafs, and corn fields: These are finely contrafted by the grey rocks and cliffs; and the whole heightened by the yellow ftreams of light, the purple hues, and mifty azure of the mountains. Sometimes a ferene air and clear fky difclofe the tops of the higheft kills: At others, you fee clouds involving involving their fummits, refling on their fides, or defcending to their bafe, and rolling among the vallies, as in a vaft furnace. When the winds are high, they roar among the cliffs and caverns like peals of thunder; then, too, the clouds are feen in vaft bodies fweeping along the hills in gloomy greatnefs, while the lake joins the tumult, and toffes like a fea: But in calm weather the whole fcene becomes new: The lake is a perfect mirror; and the landfcape in all its beauty, iflands, fields, woods, rocks, and mountains, are feen inverted, and floating on its furface. I will now carry you to the top of a cliff, where, if you dare approach the ridge, a new scene of atonishment prefents itself, where the valley, lake, and iflands, feem laying at your feet; where this expanfe of water appears diminished to a little pool amidst the vaft immeafureable objects that furround it; for here the fummits of more diftant hill appear before those you had already feen; and rifing behind each other in fucceffive ranges and azure groups of craggy and broken fteeps, form an immenfe and awful picture, which can only be expreffed by the image of a tempeftuous fea of mountains.-Let me now conduct you down again to the valley, and conclude with one circumftance more; which is, that a walk by ftill moonlight (at which time the diftant water falls are heard in all their variety of found) among thefe inchanting dales, opens a scene of fuch delicate beauty, repofe, and folemnity, as exceeds all defcription. FOR THE EDINBURGH MAGAZINE. ACCOUNT OF JAMES THOMSON, THE KINLEITH POET, WITH A SPECIMEN OF HIS POETRY. A NOTHER poet has been difcovered in this country, as lowly born as Burns, and poffefied of no fmall portion of poetic genius. A, gentleman, who was on a vifit to a friend near Kinleith in the parish of Currie, was informed that there was a poor man who had compofed a vàriety of poems, which were much admired by his ruftic friends. The man's name is James Thomfon, who, though conftantly engaged from morning till night in the laborious employment of a common country weaver, to fupport himfelf, a wife, and fix children, till finds leifure to cultivate the mufefueh is the irrefiftible impulfe of genius, even though borne down by the iron hand of poverty. He has as yet remained almost totally unknown beyond the village where he lives, and his poetical talent has hitherto ferved no other purpose than merely to cheer a life of toil, and to afford amufe Ed. Mag. March 1809. As ment and inftruction to the humble A ftory has gone among the peafants, for a century past, that a gentleman's feat in the neighbourhood of Kinleith is haunted by a ghost, who, to ufe the language of Shakfpere, is faid to revifit the glimpse of the moon,' under the appearance of a lady arrayed in white. Like greater poets, Thomfon has laid hold of the fuperftitions of his country, A a and |