This gentleman was born at Hertford, in the year 1734, and was removed to Ware at about three years old, where he received the rudiments of his education. He feems firft to have been introduced to Scott by Frogley, in 1753 or 1754. At about fixteen years of age, he was fent to London to continue his ftudies, at a diffenting academy, under the care of Dr. Jennings. In one of his letters to Scott, he regrets their late acquaintance, by which he lost so much time, which might have been spent in the company of one, who had improved his mind by reading and reflection; a companion that he had long fought for in vain at Ware.

Turner, however, made occafional vifits to his friends at Ware, and neglected no opportunity of improving his intimacy with Scott. He paffed many hours with him and Frogley; and dur

ing

ing his abfence continued to correfpond with him by letter. He fupplied his friend with books from time to time, among which are particularly mentioned, Glover's Leonidas, Thomfon's Seafons, and Pope's original works and tranflations. He likewise sent him a telescope, with directions to use it; for the curiofity and defire of knowledge in Scott now grew every day more general.

It has been afferted by fome, that his early poetical essays were made in confequence of a tender paffion, and that love first taught him to cultivate the muses ; which opinion may not only have some countenance from the fmaller poems at the end of his poetical volume, but may be further ftrengthened from the correfpondence between him and his friend Turner, during the refidence of the latter in London and Devonshire.

In the company of Frogley, who was accustomed to vifit him when the bufinefs of the day was over, Scott paffed moft of his evenings; and to him, from time to time, he imparted the occafional fallies of his genius, receiving from him fuch advice as tended greatly to ripen his judgment, and improve his powers that were now gradually expanding. He likewife communicated his performances to his friend Turner, then at London: but he was always diffuaded from too early publication, and indeed his own good fenfe, and cautious difpofition, preferved him from that rock on which others have split-the eager defire of attracting publick notice; a natural paffion indeed, but, by indulging which, many have precluded themselves from that reputation which they might otherwife have obtained.

In the year 1754 his elder brother Samuel, who till then had made one of

the family at Amwell, was married, and went to fettle at Hertford, in which town he now refides, beloved and esteemed by all for his manly fenfe, unbiaffed integrity, and universal philanthropy; and I cannot difmifs the character of Mr. Samuel Scott without paying this tribute of regard to the worthy brother of my deceased friend.

The first poetical effays of John Scott were given in the Gentleman's Magazine, at that time the great receptacle for the ebullitions of youthful genius; but it has not been in my power to discover all the pieces inferted by him in that periodical work; his first infertion however is faid to have been in December 1753, as follows.

Mr. URBAN,

"Mr. URBAN,

Accidentally looking over your magazines for July and August 1752, I was agreeably entertained with a critical differtation on that beautiful defcription in the 12th chapter of Ecclefiaftes. I thought your correspondent's explication was juft, and having a mind to fee how the paffage would look in a modern poetical drefs, I attempted the following verfion of it, on his plan; to which if you please to allow a place in your next magazine, you will extremely oblige,