Thomson and Pollok: containing The seasons, by James Thomson, and The course of time, by Robert Pollok, A. M.

ANALYSIS OF BOOK I.
Invocation is made to the Eternal Spirit of Truth, and the sub.
ject of the Poem is stated.
Long after Time had ceased, and Eternity had rolled on its ages,
two youthful sons of Paradise walk on the hills of immortality,
enjoying holy converse. A stranger spirit from another world
arrives, and is welcomed by them to the abodes of bliss.
The stranger desires them to explain the wonderful things he
had noticed in his flight from his native world to heaven. Having sailed through empty, nameles. regions, where utter nothing
dwelt, he suddenly came to a mountainous wall of fiery adamant, on which were horrid figures, traced in fire, imitating
life. He entered within, and saw a wide lake of burning fire,
and saw most miserable beings walking in the flames, burning
ecntinually, yet unconsumed. Filled with horror, he hastened
from the dismal prison to the world of light, and now desired
to understand this wondrous wretchedness. The Two, unable
to explain it, and having their curiosity awakened, propose to
visit an "ancient Bard of Earth," who often had sung on this
subject to the admiring youth of heaven.
They find the Bard alone, in holy musing, and state to him their
desire. He informs them that the prison described is Hell, and
promises more fully to meet their curiosity by relating to them
the HISTORY OF MAN.

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