Adamson's Reign of Edward II.—
"The Reigns of King Edward II., and so far of King Edward III., as relates to the Lives and Actions of Piers Gaveston, Hugh de Spencer, and Roger Lord Mortimer, with Remarks thereon adapted to the present Time: Humbly addressed to all his Majesty's Subjects of Great Britain, &c., by J. Adamson. Printed for J. Millar, near the Horse Guards, 1732, and sold by the Booksellers of London and Westminster, price One Shilling."
The above is the title-page of a little work of eighty-six pages in my possession, which I am inclined to think is scarce. It appears to be a defence of the Walpole administration from the attacks of the Craftsman, a periodical of the time, conducted by Amhurst, who was supported by Bolinbroke and Pulteney, the leaders of the opposition. Is anything known of J. Adamson, the author?
H.A.E.
Sir Thomas Moore.—Can any of your readers give any account of Sir Thomas Moore, beyond what Victor tells of him in his History of the Theatre, ii. p. 144., "that he was the author of an absurd tragedy called Mangora (played in 1717), and was knighted by George I."
In Pope's "Epistle to Arbuthnot," he writes—
"Arthur, whose giddy son leglects the laws."
on which Warburton notes—
"Arthur Moore, Esq."
Who was Arthur Moore, Esq.? and who was the "giddy son?" Was the latter James Moore Smith a gentleman whose family name was, I think, Moore, and who assumed (perhaps for a fortune) the additional name of Smith? This gentleman Pope seems to call indiscriminately Moore, Moor, and More: and when he says that his good nature towards the dunces was so great that he had even "rhymed for Moor" (Ib. v. 373.), I cannot but suspect that the Moor for whom he had rhymed, was the giddy son whom Arthur accused him of seducing from the law to the Muses. There are many allusions to this Mr. James Moore Smith throughout Pope's satirical works, but all very obscure; and Warburton, though he appears to have known him, affords no explanation as to who or what he was. He was the author of a comedy called The Rival Modes.