Page:Scotish Descriptive Poems - Leyden (1803).djvu/30

 Paraphrases for the psalmody of the Scotish church, to request his assistance "to metre some piece of Scripture, in the plainest and most simple manner, observing as much as possible the language, but particularly the sentiments of the portion," in order that he might "contribute to public worship for many succeeding ages." To this proposal Mr. Wilson seems not to have acceded, being probably deterred by his engagement with the Magistrates of Greenock. The collection of Paraphrases, though very unequal in merit, has been completed with some credit to the committee. The most poetical versions are the composition of the late Mr. Logan of Leith; but in his poems, where psalmody is not the immediate object, some of them appear in a more perfect form. A satirical poem intitled, "A Panegyric on the Town of Paisley," was likewise attributed to the pen of Wilson; but it is uncertain if he ever fully acknowledged it.

The destruction of his manuscripts, and his total dereliction of poetry, are much to be regretted, as his mind seems to have been of that improving kind, which, gradually retracing its own steps with multiplied, and reiterated efforts, corrects, polishes, and refines; adds where the texture of the composition is abrupt, compresses where it is redundant, removes what offends taste, and thus evolves a beauty in its due form and proportion.