THOMSON, James (1700-1748). Autograph letter to [David] Mallet, London, 8 October 1726, writing of their friendship, 'My proud happiness will yield to no Man's in having such a friend as you ... I am intimately conscious of, not only the many bright, evident Beauties of your Writings, but also of those fine, secret ones, that are not obvious to every vulgar Eye', discussing in detail passages of Mallet's poetry, 'It will prove both disagreeable, and difficult to find Fault with what you write ... You make a very amusing choice I think of the Desarts betwixt Russia and Tartary ... Think ... of the vast Loneliness, Silence, and Deformity of this unfinished Half of Nature. Here is nothing almost but bare, unadorned Existence', criticising the last line of the description 'Abode of slumbering Dragons and of Owls', adding 'Your hellish Mixture too I think may be much heightened ... Fancy should be arroused, and natural Philosophy and superstitious Tradition particularly consulted', and referring to mutual friends, 3 pages, 4to, (seal tears, one corner repaired).Cf. the earliest surviving letter by Thomson to Mallet of 10 July 1725 (Collection: John Murray), illustrated in P.J. Croft, Autograph Poetry in the English Language, I, pp.73-5.David Mallet, poet and playwright, and James Thomson were fellow students at Edinburgh University in the early 1720's. Johnson told Goldsmith that Mallet 'had talent enough to keep his literary reputation alive as long as he himself lived'.In the winter of 1725-6 Thomson paid a visit to Mallet in Hampshire where Mallet was tutoring the sons of the Duke of Montrose. Thomson was in financial straits and he and Mallet induced the bookseller John Millan to provide an advance of ¨3 on the manuscript of Thomson's 'Winter' which was published in March 1726, followed by 'Summer' in 1727, 'Spring' in 1728, and 'Autumn' which was included with the other three poems in The Seasons, of 1730. 'Rule Britannia' which appeared in 'The Masque of Alfred' composed by Thomas Arne and written by Thomson and Mallet was first performed in 1740.

THOMSON, James (1700-1748). Autograph letter to [David] Mallet, London, 8 October 1726, writing of their friendship, 'My proud happiness will yield to no Man's in having such a friend as you ... I am intimately conscious of, not only the many bright, evident Beauties of your Writings, but also of those fine, secret ones, that are not obvious to every vulgar Eye', discussing in detail passages of Mallet's poetry, 'It will prove both disagreeable, and difficult to find Fault with what you write ... You make a very amusing choice I think of the Desarts betwixt Russia and Tartary ... Think ... of the vast Loneliness, Silence, and Deformity of this unfinished Half of Nature. Here is nothing almost but bare, unadorned Existence', criticising the last line of the description 'Abode of slumbering Dragons and of Owls', adding 'Your hellish Mixture too I think may be much heightened ... Fancy should be arroused, and natural Philosophy and superstitious Tradition particularly consulted', and referring to mutual friends, 3 pages, 4to, (seal tears, one corner repaired). Cf. the earliest surviving letter by Thomson to Mallet of 10 July 1725 (Collection: John Murray), illustrated in P.J. Croft, Autograph Poetry in the English Language, I, pp.73-5. David Mallet, poet and playwright, and James Thomson were fellow students at Edinburgh University in the early 1720's. Johnson told Goldsmith that Mallet 'had talent enough to keep his literary reputation alive as long as he himself lived'. In the winter of 1725-6 Thomson paid a visit to Mallet in Hampshire where Mallet was tutoring the sons of the Duke of Montrose. Thomson was in financial straits and he and Mallet induced the bookseller John Millan to provide an advance of ¨3 on the manuscript of Thomson's 'Winter' which was published in March 1726, followed by 'Summer' in 1727, 'Spring' in 1728, and 'Autumn' which was included with the other three poems in The Seasons, of 1730. 'Rule Britannia' which appeared in 'The Masque of Alfred' composed by Thomas Arne and written by Thomson and Mallet was first performed in 1740.

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THOMSON, James (1700-1748). Autograph letter to [David] Mallet, London, 8 October 1726, writing of their friendship, 'My proud happiness will yield to no Man's in having such a friend as you ... I am intimately conscious of, not only the many bright, evident Beauties of your Writings, but also of those fine, secret ones, that are not obvious to every vulgar Eye', discussing in detail passages of Mallet's poetry, 'It will prove both disagreeable, and difficult to find Fault with what you write ... You make a very amusing choice I think of the Desarts betwixt Russia and Tartary ... Think ... of the vast Loneliness, Silence, and Deformity of this unfinished Half of Nature. Here is nothing almost but bare, unadorned Existence', criticising the last line of the description 'Abode of slumbering Dragons and of Owls', adding 'Your hellish Mixture too I think may be much heightened ... Fancy should be arroused, and natural Philosophy and superstitious Tradition particularly consulted', and referring to mutual friends, 3 pages, 4to, (seal tears, one corner repaired).

Cf. the earliest surviving letter by Thomson to Mallet of 10 July 1725 (Collection: John Murray), illustrated in P.J. Croft, Autograph Poetry in the English Language, I, pp.73-5.

David Mallet, poet and playwright, and James Thomson were fellow students at Edinburgh University in the early 1720's. Johnson told Goldsmith that Mallet 'had talent enough to keep his literary reputation alive as long as he himself lived'.

In the winter of 1725-6 Thomson paid a visit to Mallet in Hampshire where Mallet was tutoring the sons of the Duke of Montrose. Thomson was in financial straits and he and Mallet induced the bookseller John Millan to provide an advance of ¨3 on the manuscript of Thomson's 'Winter' which was published in March 1726, followed by 'Summer' in 1727, 'Spring' in 1728, and 'Autumn' which was included with the other three poems in The Seasons, of 1730. 'Rule Britannia' which appeared in 'The Masque of Alfred' composed by Thomas Arne and written by Thomson and Mallet was first performed in 1740.

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