15. Address to the Bishops, 1790.

16. Observations on the Homilies, 1790.

17. Arranged Catalogue of publications on Toleration, Corporation, and Test Acts, 8vo. 1790.

18. Letter to the Students of Divinity, in the Diocese of Chester, 8vo. 1790.

19. Memoirs of the Life and Writings of Dr. Jortin, 8vo. 1792.

20. The Book of Common Prayer Reformed, for the use of Unitarian Congregations, 1792.

21. Letters to the Rev. Vicesimus Knox, D. D. 1792. 22. Short Memoir of Bishop Edmund Law, 1800.

23. Short Memoir of the Life of Michael Dodson, Esq.

1800.

24. Book of Common Prayer Reformed, with a Book of Psalms, and a collection of Hymns, 1802.

25. Memoirs of Thomas Brand Hollis, Esq. 4to. 1808. 26. Sermons, 4 vols. 8vo. 1793 and 1816.

27. Six Letters occasioned by the institution of an Auxiliary British and Foreign Bible-Society, 8vo. 1812.

28. Remarks on Dr. Tomlin's (Bishop of Lincoln's) Charge, 1812.

29. The Great Importance of a Religious Life Considered, 1812. N. B. This was formerly published under the title of "A Religious Life Considered; to which are added some Morning and Evening Prayers." The Editor in the 2d edition observes, "that he has made certain omissions; and has deemed it right, in justification to the original author, to accompany the publication with an explicit statement of the fact." 30. Short Memoir of the Rev. R. E. Garnham, 1814.

31. Short Memoir of the Rev. William Hopkins, B.A.

1815.

32. Dr. Disney also compiled an unpublished Index to the 2 vols. of Mr. Thomas Hollis's Life.

[With an Account of some of his Friends and Contemporaries.]

THIS is one of the most extraordinary men of letters of the present age. His name with an exception to poetry, is connected with almost every species of composition, and it would be impossible to write the history of the literature of the reign of George III. without assigning him a place, if not very elevated, at least somewhat conspicuous among the authors of that period. Had his life and adventures been regularly drawn up by himself; and had he favoured the world, like J. J. Rousseau, with "confessions," communicated fairly, honestly, and without reserve, at the close of his life, it

would have been a work truly curious and original. He had been connected with the English press, during a period not far distant from half a century; he was acquainted with a number of renowned veterans in the various branches of science and philosophy, in the southern as well as the northern portion of the United Kingdom, and he had taken by the hand, and conducted towards the temple of fame, a variety of unskilful tyros who were desirous by his means to attain the name of authors, and acquire without any previous labours the applause and approbation of their countrymen.

William Thomson, a native of Scotland, was born in the year 1746, just after the battle of Culloden, which concluded the civil war occasioned by the landing of the Young Chevalier, as he was then termed, much in the same manner that the ever memorable battle of Waterloo has terminated the long, portentous, and sanguinary strife on the Continent. The place of his birth was a cottage in the parish of Forteviot in Strathern. This obscure spot is situate six miles from Perth, a place which had largely participated in the then recent disturbances, and about thirty from Edinburgh, the capital, which with an exception to the castle had readily yielded to the power and the pretensions of an adventurous descendant of James II.

The character of the Swiss is said to be tinctured by that of their deep valleys and majestic mountains; and the minds of men, perhaps assume somewhat of the hue of those scenes which are familiar to their early infancy. In this point of view, therefore, it may not be improper to observe, that the subject of the present memoir first drew his breath on the banks of the Erne, which, during the floods that frequently occur in spring, autumn, and winter, descends in torrents, and while it exhibits several fine natural cascades, not unfrequently commits great damage in the adjacent strath or valley. Some of the stateliest of the Orchil hills too, whence this river derives its source, closely adjoin; and while they terminate this district by means of an immense barrier, they at the same time lift

clouds, now enveloped in snow. At other periods, they exhibit a pleasing variety of sheep, goats, and black cattle, sent thither to graze on their steep and rugged sides.

Matthew Thomson, the father, like the generality of his countrymen, was an industrious and ingenious man, who endeavoured to obtain support for himself and family by the junction of two or three distinct professions; for in the first place he united the trade of a carpenter to that of a builder; while he occasionally appeared in the character of a husbandman, having rented a small farm, from a neighbouring nobleman, whose name will be mentioned hereafter with no common degree of praise. By means of these various avocations, he contrived to bring up a family of thirteen children. His wife was daughter of a neighbouring schoolmaster of the name of Miller, who resided at Airntully, near Dunkeld. To this worthy mother William was indebted for his early proficiency in the rudiments of acquired knowledge. From her he learned to spell and to read English; and perhaps it was no small advantage to his intellects, that he was not born a few miles further among the highlands of Perthshire, as his talents might have been clogged, and his ideas encumbered by means of an additional language. To this same parent he was indebted also, for a religious education, as she instilled into his mind not only the first principles of ethics, but also all the tenets of, superadded to all the respect so commonly attached in this portion of the empire to, the kirk of Scotland. Another fortunate event, perhaps, for it is not meant to be concealed, that his father's circumstances were far more narrow and contracted than his heart - was his being born in Scotland; for to persons of such a condition in England, all hopes of liberal acquirements are too frequently precluded by their station and finances. But the parochial schools of the north, at a mere nominal expence *, readily admit the youthful and ambitious student to a knowledge of the various branches of

*The sum then paid to a country schoolmaster in Scotland, could not probably have exceeded one shilling and sixpence per quarter. A salary is wisely attached, in onder to supply the deficiency.

education, such as arithmetic and Latin; and the writer of this article, has known mathematics, and even Greek taught there, with no small degree of ability. Into one of these, this young man was accordingly admitted; and under Mr. Young, for that was the name of the obscure, but meritorious schoolmaster, he was initiated in the rudiments of all the various kinds of knowledge that he himself had acquired. His pupil's early promise must have soon developed itself, for this gentleman, having been advanced to a more profitable establish. ment at Inch Ture, on the banks of the Tay, within the rich district of the Carse of Gowrie, the boy at his special request was suffered to remove along with him. Although but a few miles distance from the paternal cottage, yet this change appears to have been accompanied with some considerable expence, or at least, an addition to the former, such as the father of a very numerous family could not easily support. But here fortune kindly interposed: for the Rev. Mr. Randall who lived in the adjoining manse, and had a son about the same age, being charmed with the promising talents of the youth, came forward with equal zeal and success, and it has been said, that an aged branch of the family, cheered with the reputation of his grandson, contributed something on this occasion.

William fully realised all the hopes that had been entertained of him, and in addition to his scholastic improvements, soon discovered a degree of discrimination, as well as knowledge of the world, seldom to be met with at such an early period of life; and it is not a little remarkable, that after he had addicted himself entirely to books, he was eminently deficient in this very quality. The late Dr. Bisset, who knew him well, has given the following example of it, in respect to the clergyman whose name and good offices have been already enumerated.

"Even when a boy, William Thomson was a penetrating and sagacious observer of men. He very readily discovered the character of his friend Mr. Randall, which was both strongly marked, and peculiar. The Rev. Thomas Randall was a man