The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-02-09
TvvO JAMES THOMSONS.
Author Of ''The seasons" and Authsr
Of The city Of Ore adful Might"

To THE EDITOR or THE SuN-SH:
contemporary British writer has com
planned, apropos of the rising generation's
ignorance of what were once considered
classics, that a reference to James Thom-
son is likely to bring to the mind OF the
literary fiedgling not the once famous
author OF "rhe Seasons" but the melan-
choly "B w." who wrote ~The city
Of Dreadful Night" The critic seems
to think the youthful mistake unpardon-
able. on the contrary. he should think
himself fortunate to escape being told that
the poets first name Is Francis and his
surname spelled with "p"i
1t il Just possible, at any rate, that the
nineteenth century James Thomson Will
be remembered as long as his eighteenth
century namesake. notwithstanding the
latter's long start and firmly established
position in q hundred encyclopedias and
anthologies Besides their name the two
poets have only their Scotch birth In com
mon, for their songs could not be pitched
In keys more widely apart The first
James. a fat and lazy person, who led the
conventional life of a literary man of his
time. mixing a certain amount OF bohe-
mianlsm with the pursuit. In his case fairly
successful. OF wealthy patrons has to his
credit An output OF verse still readable.
but which would doubtless be pronounced
by the literary fiedgiinG aforementioned
decidedly dull. To bc sure. Henry Ward
Beecher In the course OF a sermon de-
nounced The Seasons" as containing
amid its rhapsodies on nature descrip-
ton Of youthful passion painted In hues
too warm; but II any Of his hearers was
thereby led to invest In a copy OF the book
II IL improbable that he felt repaid Ger
tainly the correct Lord Lytteiton did not
view the lines through pulpit spectacleS.
for he spoke OF Thomson as ono who had
written
Not one immoral. one corrupted thought.
one line which. dying, he could wish to blot.
The author OF 1.-THE Castle of Incidence"
will continue to be remembered IL only as
he who called forth this panegyric. but 1t
will not outlive some half a dozen familiar
lines from his own works. nor his Rule.
Britannia"--for all John Bulls know the
song. though few know the author--nor
even perhaps that unfortunate line from
his early tragedy which from his own day
down to ours has stood as an example OF
the unintended ridiculous:
O sophonisbaI sophonisba, O!
A very different man was the modern
James Thomson, the constitutionally
gloomy newspaper reporter OF London and
New York. the disciple OF Leopard and
dallier with suicide. whose city or
Dreadful Night" is the apotheosis OF pes
smism. The world dislikes despair. and
this strong poem Is scarcely likely TO
prove immortal. though Rudyard kipling
has done something to make It's title Ia
miliar by borrowing 1t for sketch. But
some OF Thomsons shorter pieces show a
lyrical power that should make them live.
His Cocaney idyls. Sunday Up the River"
and Sunday at Hampstead" for instance.
must appeal TO thousands who would
throw down the other Thomson before
they had read score OF lines. and In
the Room" where the articles OF furniture
talk to each other In the silence OF mid
night while stretched on the bed lies the
| corpse OF n suicide. Is a really remark
| able poem. its sombre fascination culmi-
mating in the last stanza
And while the black night nothing sav'
And Ill the cold morn came at last
! That old bed held the room In awe
/ with tales of its experience vast.
, II thrilled the gloom-it told such tales
/ OF human sorrows and delights.
/ OF fever means and infant walls,
or births and deaths and bridal nights
NEW YORK, February I. r. Z, w.