pleasantry, termed the grotto FAIRY HALL, and faid with a fiile, that "none "but a poet could have made fuch a garden." 66 But whatever might be the merit of these gardens, confidered as planned by one who had never seen other improved grounds, it is very certain that the taste of Scott, afterwards more cultivated, would not fuffer him always to view them with the fame complacency. In his laft publication, he has with great precision and candour, delivered his sentiments on the occafion. For me, my groves not oft my steps invite, The The short curv'd paths, that twist beneath the trees, After fo long an interval from the writing of his Elegy in 1768, Scott was now preparing, about the year 1774, his third avowed poetical production, in which he meant to celebrate the village of Amwell, the sketch of which poem I had seen in the year 1761. The face of the country here is very picturesque, but perhaps it will be found, that local defcription, though it may afford room for ftrong painting, apt allufions, and fictitious or historical incidents, yet is far more adapted to the powers of the pencil than the pen. Thofe marking and peculiar features which the painter gives with a few strokes, to the eye, will lofe almost all their discrimination in the words of the poet a hill, a vale, a foreft, a rivulet, and a cataract, can be defcribed only by *See Poetical Works. d 2 general The general terms: the hill muft fwell, the vale fink, the foreft extend its fhade, the rivulet murmur, and the cataract foam ; and hence it arifes, that he who has perused one defcriptive poem of this kind, is often ftruck with a feeming repetition of ideas, and more sensibly so, where the places described have no previous feat in his own imagination. poet, who defcribes, or the reader, who perufes descriptions of scenes familiar to him, will eafily find the distinct images awakened by general terms; but he, who is to imprefs a local picture on his fancy, merely from the combination of words, will find little novelty in these reiterated defcriptions of country prospects, and will, probably, be frequently apt to exclaim, "All this I have read before." The Windfor Forest of Pope, with all its beauties, has fo little exclufively adapted to the place it profeffes to celebrate, that the far greater part may be equally defcriptive of any scene of ruftic imagery. imagery. The defcriptions of Thomfon feldom apply to any particular spot, but please by exhibiting the general views and effects of nature. Pope and Scott may likewife please, but they please on the fame principles; though their poems are local, they feldom raise any ideas of locality. On the great defect of words to difcriminate material objects, Dr. Johnson once obferved to me, that no description, however accurately given, could imprefs any determinate idea of the different shapes of animals on the mind of one, who had never seen thofe animals. Hence it must be concluded, that the appearance of nature at large may be the province of poetry; but that the form of particular objects must belong to the painter. Scott, however, ftrongly impreffed with the beauties of his favourite village, d 3 had had long determined to prove his powers in defcriptive poetry. He greatly enlarged the first plan of his piece, and rendered it interesting by the introduction of hiftorical allufions and moral reflections, with the addition of explanatory notes. He bestowed much attention on this poem; the alterations and corrections were very frequent, and I have feveral letters, wherein he mentions the affiftance which he received from two or three friends, particularly his friend Frogley. In the year 1776, he published his performance, under the title of, AMWELL, A DESCRIPTIVE POEM, with his name. Its reception by the critics in general, and by poetical readers, was fuch, as from its merit might be expected. The authors of the Monthly Review fpeak of it in very high terms of approbation. This poem is written in blank verfe, the genius of which Scott profeffsed to have |