Among the most inulame (dads of Mr Home at ' this time were Lord Mask, them residing at Bed lancrieff, Dr R.bertsom, then :minister of Gads mair, Dr Carlyle at Inveresk, and Mr George Logan at Oratiston, a yawn clergyman of great promise, who died soon after hawing been induced, by the solicitation of his ablest cootemparsens, to undertake the refstatioo of David Hanes sceptical writings.
From his earliest years, Mr Home had been a passionate admirer of the tragic muse, and about the time of his establishment in the thatch, it was known to his familiar friends that be was engaged in the composition of a tragedy founded on the account of the death of A gis, as given in Plutarch's Lives. The play, when completed, was highly approved by his friends Blair, Carlyle, and George Logan.
In 1749, he went with this play to London, hew ing obtained strong recommendations to the :dea den of several leaders of the republic of letter: ; bat his reception was very discouraging, except among his own countrymen. Some objected to the bioodi nese of the catastrophe, and to the irregular sequence of the scenes ; others to the Scoticions or vulgarians of the style. Lord Lyttletam was then reputed the chief arbiter of taste; bat no importunity could prevail upon him to read the play, because be did not like to express disapprobation, and if be hap pened to be pleased, he did not wish to have the trouble of supporting it; as be had lately found al most insuperable difficulty in carrying through one of Thomson's tragedies which be had warmly patron ised. One Englishman of some note remarked, that the author had formed himself too moth on Thom son's Seasons and Lee's Plays. " I could not have been more surprised," said Mr Home to a correspond ent, " if he had told me that I had formed myself upon Euclid's Ekosessts and Madaarin's Fissions." He bad not a very esaked opinion of the English intellect. " I sometimes hearken to the coffee house conversations upon poetry and politics, where there are such fellows authors whose wigs are worth L.3 Sterling, that it is ready to make a man of moderate patience curse his better angd from his side, and fall to r " When Garrick refus ed to bring the y upon the stage, the author, after giving vent to his mortified feelings M an ad dress to the shade of Shakespeare,composed in Westminster Abbey, returned to Scotland, and re sumed the labours of his pastoral office, not without devoting a large share of his time to the society of his literary acquaintances, and to the pursuit of his favourite study.
He continued assiduously to cultivate the friend ship of Mr Hepburn, from whose sister-in-law, Mrs Janet Denoon. he first heard the old song of Gil Mor
rice. This ballad furnished the hint on which he con structed the Tragedy of Douglas, in the composi tion of which he amused himself occasionally the next five years, submitting the successive scenes to the revision of a few friends. His own hand-writ ing was scarcely legible, and the play was repeated ly transcribed by Dr Carlyle. From this circum stance, and from the warm interest which that gentle man took in the success of the piece, he was com monly supposed to have had a principal share in the composition. Sir Gilbert Erases erideims woe acknowledged to be perticnhady virile, ad he' also was not unfrequendry Idaawhar. February 1755, Mr Home ad am fir Luadsn horseback, with his dandy pecket, ad same dean linen in the other ; was ancompsneal eon Nortamberiand by a euvsieade of clerical friends, two of whom, Carlyle and Caliphs, proceeded with him a stage or two bey Dewhans. This piny, as well as Agis, was rejoined by Ganick, not se mach, perhaps, owing In any defect in his own taste, bat because it did not contain such of that rump and circumstance which seemed to be the chief aid:Ra tions of the tragedies which were at this time & rewrites with the public.
While Mr Home was engaged in the cempasi. don of this play, he had nst been inattentive to other affairs more nearly connected with the clerical profession. In 1752 he took an active pm in the de liberations of the General Amembly, when Mr Gd leispie was deposed- The yew before, be had rale the motion to suspend Mr Adams of fun disobeying an order of the General Amembly, astsi was seconded by Dr Robertson, the (Est tae either bad spoken in that hawse- They were not members next year, but both spoke at the bar with great eft feet. About this time Mr acme's support was strongly @elicited by Dr Casing, the harks of whet was then called the moderate party ; but he reedy ed to act an independent part- He had become a great favourite of Lord Milton, nephew of the fa mous Andrew Fletcher of Soho. ; and, as his Lord ship managed the political affairs of Scott cad, under the direction of Ardialtald Duke of Argyle, be took an opportunity of introdisciag Mr Home to his Grace, who was much delighted with his cheerful and fascinating manners, and continued to befriend him ever afterwards. Mr Home paid a visit to the Duke, at Inverary, in October 1756, and was most kindly received. He was at this time dowdy con nected in friendship with the members of the Sled Society, established at Edinburgh in 1754.