. The Scottish nation; or, The surnames, families, literature, honours, and biographical history of the people of Scotland. ablyreceived, brought him a handsome sum. In theyear following he offered to the stage anothertragedy, called Edward and Eleonora,but thedramatic censor withheld his sanction from its re-presentation, in consequence of his connection withthe prince of Wales. In 1740, in conjunction withMallet, he composed l The Masque of Alfred, bycommand of the prince, for the entertainment ofhis royal highness court at liis summer residenceat Cliefden. In this piece appeared the nationa
. The Scottish nation; or, The surnames, families, literature, honours, and biographical history of the people of Scotland. ablyreceived, brought him a handsome sum. In theyear following he offered to the stage anothertragedy, called Edward and Eleonora,but thedramatic censor withheld his sanction from its re-presentation, in consequence of his connection withthe prince of Wales. In 1740, in conjunction withMallet, he composed l The Masque of Alfred, bycommand of the prince, for the entertainment ofhis royal highness court at liis summer residenceat Cliefden. In this piece appeared the national song of Rule, Britannia, written by ThomsonIn 1745 the most successful of all his plays, Tan-cred and Sigismunda, founded on a story in GilBias, was brought out and received with greatapplause. It is still occasionally performed; butnone of his tragedies possesses much dramatic in-terest. His friend, Mr. Lyttleton, being now inoffice, procured for him the situation of surveyor-general of the Leeward Islands, with a salary of£300 a-year, the duties of which were performedby deputy. In 1746 appeared his admirable po-. ^/^rn^-J y^OT^^n em of The Castle of Indolence, which exhibitsthroughout a high degree of moral, poetical, anddescriptive power. While engaged in the prepa-ration of another tragedy for the stage, he wasseized with an illness which proved fatal. Onesummer evening, in his walk from London toRichmond, where he resided, he overheated him-self by the time he had reached Hammersmith,and imprudently taking a boat to go the rest ofthe way by water, he caught cold on the river,and found himself next day in a high fever. Bythe aid of medicine, however, he so far recoveredas to be declared out of danger; but being tempt-ed by fine weather to expose himself once more THOMSON, 559 WILLIAM, to the evening dews, his fever returned with vio-lence, and he died August 22, 1748. He wasburied in the church at Richmond ; and the earlof Buchan afterwards erected a brass plate on
Size: 1350px × 1851px
Photo credit: © The Reading Room / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bo, bookcentury1800, bookdecade1870, bookidscottishnationor03ande
