fence in a letter in the fame magazine, for March following, to which he figned his name, and received the Doctor's acknowledgments upon the occafion.

In 1778 he favoured the public with a work of great labour and extenfive utility, entitled, A DIGEST OF THE HIGHWAY AND GENERAL TURNPIKE LAWS. In this compilation all the Acts of Parliament in force are collected together, and placed in one point of view; their contents are arranged under diftin&t heads, with the addition of many notes, and an appendix on the construction and prefervation of public roads, probably the only scientific treatise on the subject.

Scott had frequently fignified his intention of publishing a volume of poems, in which he meant to include what he had already given to the world, his FOUR ELEGIES, AMWELL, and the ELEGY written, but not published, in 1768. Amongst

the

the several pieces defigned for this volume, were four moral eclogues, in which he profeffed to have endeavoured to exhibit a fpecimen of genuine and fimple pastoral. These were first published feparately, without a name, in 1778: but it was now no time for pastoral poetry to attract curiofity, when probably the merits of Theocritus and Virgil, infused into an English mufe, would have been little attended to. The Latin motto from Virgil, prefixed to these eclogues, was given him by Dr. Beattie, who, in one of his letters, fpeaks highly of the eclogue, entitled, "ARMYN," which he appears to have seen in manufcript, and expreffes himself in the following words, relative to the variety of Scott's publications.

"I am astonished, my dear Sir, at the activity of your mind, and the versatility of your genius. It is truly amazing that one and the fame perfon fhould, in one

and

and the fame year, publish the most elegant poems, and, A DIGEST OF THE LAWS RELATING ΤΟ HIGHWAYS. Go on, Sir, in your laudable resolution of delighting and inftructing mankind; of patronifing the poor; and promoting the publick weal."

These Eclogues undoubtedly deferve praise for easy verfification and good painting, and for feveral natural obfervations of the poet, among which may be given the following.

Thin mifts hung hovering o'er the diftant trees, Or roll'd from off the fields before the breeze.

Eclog. I.

Bright fleecy clouds flew scattering o'er the sky.

Calm as clear evenings after vernal rains,
When all the air a rich perfume retains.

Eclog. II.

Several new images may be collected

from these

poems.

Sweet

Sweet as the nightingale's love foothing ftrain,
Heard by still waters on the moon-light plain.

Eclog. III.

Rich hills and vales, and pleasant village scenes
Of oaks, whose wide arms ftretch o'er daizied greens
And wind-mill fails flow circling in the breeze,

And cottage walls invelop'd half with trees.

Ibid.

Slow down the tide before the finking breeze,
Albino's white fail gleam'd among the trees.

'Twas filence all-fave where along the road, The flow wain grating bore its cumb'rous load.

Ibid.

Eclog. IV.

In fome places the poet has not unskilfully introduced the names of wild plants and flowers, which, when they are marked with picturesque epithets, have a good effect.

A heath's green wild lay open to his view,

With fhrubs and field flowers deck'd of varied hue.
There hawthorns all their richer bloom disclos'd,
Here flexile broom's bright yellow interpos'd:
There purple orchis, here pale daifies spread,
And sweet May lillies richest odour shed.

Eclog. I.

Sweet

Sweet was the covert where the swains reclin'd,
There spread the wild rofe, there the woodbine twin'd;
There flood green fern, there o'er the graffy ground
Sweet camomile and ale-hoof spread around;
And centaury red, and yellow cinquefoil grew,
And scarlet campion and cyanus blue;

And tufted thyme, and marjoram's purple bloom,
And ruddy ftrawberries yielding rich perfume.
Gay flies their wings on each fair flower display'd,
And labouring bees a lulling murmur made.

Eclog. II.

I am fenfible that fome perfons have affected to hold mere descriptive poetry in little estimation; but, furely, not to mention that description must neceffarily make great part of every narrative poem, and has ever been confidered as a material talent in the poet; a poem confifting of rural painting, may, at least, to the ear have the fame merit that landskip painting has to the But few poems eye. of this kind were ever known to come from the pen of a good writer without a mixture of moral reflections; and in this, the poetry of Scott is entitled to no little approbation.