Suchbegriff: thom
Treffer: 124

1 - Prologue /


For Scenes, whose Author is, alas! no more;

2 - Vorrede [zu Thomsons Trauerspielen] /

Ich komme nicht hierher, Eure Billigkeit in Beurtheilung eines Werks anzuflehen, dessenVerfasser, leider, nicht mehr ist. Er bedarf keines Vorsprechers; ihr werdet von selbst die gütigen Sachwalter des Verstorbnen seyn. Seine Liebe war auf keine Parthey, auf keine Sekte eingeschränkt; sie erstreckte sich über das ganze menschliche Geschlecht. Er liebte seine Freunde — verzeiht der herabrollenden Thräne. Ach! ich fühle es; hier bin ich kein Schauspieler — Er liebte seine Freunde mit einer solchen Inbrunst des Herzens, so rein von allem Eigennutze, so fern von aller Kunst, mit einer so großmüthigenFreyheit, mit einem so standhaften Eifer, daß es mit Worten nicht auszudrücken ist. Unsre Thränen mögen davon sprechen. O unverfälschte Wahrheit, o unbefleckte Treue, o männlich reizende und edel einfältige Sitten, o theilnehmende Liebe an der Wohlfahrt des Nächsten, wo werdet ihr eine andre Brust, wie die seinige, finden? So war der Mensch — den Dichter kennt ihr nur allzuwohl. Oft hat er eure Herzen mit süssem Weh erfüllt, oft habt ihr ihn, in diesem vollen Hause, mit verdientem Beyfalle, die reinsten Gesetze der schönen Tugend predigen hören. Denn seine keusche Muse brauchte ihre himmlische Leyer zu nichts, als zu Einflößung der edelsten Gesinnungen. Kein einziger unsittlicher, verderbter Gedanke, keine einzige Linie, die er sterbend, ausstreichen zu können, hätte wünschen dürfen! O möchte eure günstige Beurtheilung diesen Abend noch einen andern Lorbeer hinzuthun, sein Grab damit zu schmücken! Jetzt, über Lob und Tadel erhaben, vernimmt er die schwache Stimme des menschlichen Ruhms nicht mehr; wenn ihr aber denen, die er auf Erden am meisten liebte, denen, welche seine fromme Vorsorge nunmehr entzogen ist, mit welchen seine freygebige Hand und sein gutwilliges Herz, das wenige, was ihm das Glück zukommen ließ, theilte, wenn ihr diesen Freunden durch eure Gütigkeit dasje-nige verschafft, was sie nicht mehr von ihm empfangen können, so wird auch noch ietzt, in jenen seligen Wohnungen, seine unsterblicheSeele Vergnügen über diese Großmuth empfinden.

3 - Thomson's Agamemnon /

Thomson's Agamemnon.


4 - Thomson's Agamemnon /

And as a Greek rejoic'd me: und als ein Grieche erfreute ich mich darüber, sagt das Original. Wenn der Göttingische Uebersetzer nur gesagt hätte: es schwoll mein treu und griechisch Herz vor Lust, so wäre es sehr wohl und poetisch ausgedrückt gewesen; allein sein Zusatz: und drohet dem überwundnen Troja, ist sehr elend. Der Engländer schildert diesen Griechen als einen Mann, den die Siege seines Volkes erfreuen; der Uebersetzer aber bildet ihn durch diesen Zug als einen Poltron. Denn was soll das für eine Tapferkeit sein, einer überwundnen Stadt zu drohen? — L.

5 - The life of Jacob Thomson /

This celebrated poet, from whom his country has derived the most distinguished honour, was son of the revd. Mr. Thomson, a minister of the church of Scotland, in the Presbytery of Jedburgh.


6 - The life of Jacob Thomson /

While he was improving himself in the Latin and Greek tongues at this country school, he often visited a minister, whose charge lay in the same presbytery with his father's, the revd. Mr. Rickerton, a man of such amazing powers, that many persons of genius, as well as Mr. Thomson, who conversed with him, have been astonished, that such great merit should be buried in an obscure part of the country, where he had no opportunity to display himself, and, except upon periodical meetings of the ministers, seldom an opportunity of conversing with men of learning.


7 - The life of Jacob Thomson /

Though Mr. Thomson's schoolmaster could not discover that he was endowed with a common portion of understanding, yet Mr. Rickerton was not so blind to his genius; he distinguished our author's early propension to poetry, and had once in his hands some of the first attempts Mr. Thomson ever made in that province.


8 - The life of Jacob Thomson /

Though Mr. Thomson's schoolmaster could not discover that he was endowed with a common portion of understanding, yet Mr. Rickerton was not so blind to his genius; he distinguished our author's early propension to poetry, and had once in his hands some of the first attempts Mr. Thomson ever made in that province.


9 - The life of Jacob Thomson /

It is not to be doubted but our young poet greatly improved while he continued to converse with Mr. Rickerton, who, as he was a philosophical man, inspired his mind with a love of the Sciences, nor were the revd. gentleman's endeavours in vain, for Mr. Thomson has shewn in his works how well he was acquainted with natural and moral philosophy, a circumstance which, perhaps, is owing to the early impressions he received from Mr. Rickerton.


10 - The life of Jacob Thomson /

Nature, which delights in diversifying her gifts, does not bestow upon every one a power of displaying the abilities she herself has granted to the best advantage. Though Mr. Rickerton could discover that Mr. lb/> Thomson, so far from being without parts, really possessed a very fine genius, yet he never could have imagined, as he often declared, that there existed in his mind such powers, as even by the best cultivation could have raised him to so high a degree of eminence amongst the poets.


11 - The life of Jacob Thomson /

When Mr. Rickerton first saw Mr. Thomson'sWinter, which was in a Bookseller's shop at Edinburgh, he stood amazed, and after he had read the lines quoted below, he dropt the poem from his hand in the extasy of admiration. The lines are his induction to Winter, than which few poets ever rose to a more sublime height[1].


12 - The life of Jacob Thomson /

After spending the usual time at a country school in the acquisition of the dead languages, Mr. Thomson was removed to the university of Edinburgh, in order to finish his education, and be fitted for the ministry. Here, as at the country school, he made no great figure: his companions thought contemptuously of him, and the masters under whom he studied, had not a higher opinion of our poet's abilities, than their pupils. His course of attendance upon the classes of philosophy being finished, he was entered in the Divinity Hall, as one of the candidates for the ministry, where the students, before they are permitted to enter on their probation, must yield six years attendance.


13 - The life of Jacob Thomson /

It was in the second year of Mr. Thomson's attendance upon this school of divinity, whose professor at that time was the revd. and learned Mr. William Hamilton, a person whom he always mentioned with respect, that our author was appointed by the professor to write a discourse on the Power of the Supreme Being. When his companions heard their task assigned him, they could not but arraign the professor's judgment, for assigning so copious a theme to a young man, from whom nothing equal to the subject could be expected. But when Mr. Thomson delivered the discourse, they had then reason to reproach themselves for want of discernment, and for indulging a contempt of one superior to the brightest genius amongst them. This discourse was so sublimely elevated, that both the professor and the students who heard it delivered, were astonished. It was written in blank verse, for which Mr. Hamilton rebuked him, as being improper upon that occasion. Such of his fellow-students as envied him the success of this discourse, and the admiration it procured him, employed their industry to trace him as a plagiary; for they could not be persuaded that a youth seemingly so much removed from the appearance of genius, could compose a declamation, in which learning, genius, and judgment had a very great share. Their search, however, proved fruitless, and Mr. Thomson continued, while he remained at the university, to possess the honour of that discourse, without any diminution.


14 - The life of Jacob Thomson /

It was in the second year of Mr. Thomson's attendance upon this school of divinity, whose professor at that time was the revd. and learned Mr. William Hamilton, a person whom he always mentioned with respect, that our author was appointed by the professor to write a discourse on the Power of the Supreme Being. When his companions heard their task assigned him, they could not but arraign the professor's judgment, for assigning so copious a theme to a young man, from whom nothing equal to the subject could be expected. But when Mr. Thomson delivered the discourse, they had then reason to reproach themselves for want of discernment, and for indulging a contempt of one superior to the brightest genius amongst them. This discourse was so sublimely elevated, that both the professor and the students who heard it delivered, were astonished. It was written in blank verse, for which Mr. Hamilton rebuked him, as being improper upon that occasion. Such of his fellow-students as envied him the success of this discourse, and the admiration it procured him, employed their industry to trace him as a plagiary; for they could not be persuaded that a youth seemingly so much removed from the appearance of genius, could compose a declamation, in which learning, genius, and judgment had a very great share. Their search, however, proved fruitless, and Mr. Thomson continued, while he remained at the university, to possess the honour of that discourse, without any diminution.


15 - The life of Jacob Thomson /

It was in the second year of Mr. Thomson's attendance upon this school of divinity, whose professor at that time was the revd. and learned Mr. William Hamilton, a person whom he always mentioned with respect, that our author was appointed by the professor to write a discourse on the Power of the Supreme Being. When his companions heard their task assigned him, they could not but arraign the professor's judgment, for assigning so copious a theme to a young man, from whom nothing equal to the subject could be expected. But when Mr. Thomson delivered the discourse, they had then reason to reproach themselves for want of discernment, and for indulging a contempt of one superior to the brightest genius amongst them. This discourse was so sublimely elevated, that both the professor and the students who heard it delivered, were astonished. It was written in blank verse, for which Mr. Hamilton rebuked him, as being improper upon that occasion. Such of his fellow-students as envied him the success of this discourse, and the admiration it procured him, employed their industry to trace him as a plagiary; for they could not be persuaded that a youth seemingly so much removed from the appearance of genius, could compose a declamation, in which learning, genius, and judgment had a very great share. Their search, however, proved fruitless, and Mr. Thomson continued, while he remained at the university, to possess the honour of that discourse, without any diminution.