PREFACE. WHEN a new collection of English Foetry is offered to the public, it will doubtless be inquired what are the deficiencies of preceding collections, which another editor may hope to supply. On referring back to the feveral publications of this kind, which have exercifed the abilities of other perfons, the reader will fee on what ground the editor judged the work, which he now prefents to the world, to be neceffary. English literature is undoubtedly under no small obligations to those who have affociated the scattered productions of our poets in one collection, and by that means have fecured their general preż fervation. Tottell, editor of the "Songes and Sonnettes" of Surrey, Wyat, and of "Uncertain Auctors," 1557, the firft printed Poetical Mifcellany in the English language; Allot, editor of " England's Parnaffus," 1600; Bodenham, editor of “ Belvidere, or the Garden of the Mufes," 16co; and the anonymous editors of the "Paradife of Daintie Devifes," 1578; and " England's Helicon," 100 have preferved many admirable fpecimens of ancient genius, which would have mouldered in manufcript, or perhaps, from their detached and fugitive ftate of existence, their want of length, the capricioulness of tafte, the general depredations of time, inattention, and other accidents, -would never have reached the prefent age. Mrs. Cooper, in her "Mufes Library," 1737; Mr. Hayward, in his "British Mufe," 1738; Mr. Capel in his “ Prolufious," 1740; Dr. Percy in his "Reliques," 1765; Mr. Evans, in his " OldBallads," 1777: Mr. Headley, in his "Beauties of Ancient English Poetry," 1787; and Mr. Ritfon, in his "Ancient Songs," 1789, followed the fame plan, in confequence of which many valualle picces are refcued from oblivion, that, from their brevity and unconnectedness, could not poflibly have furvived for any length of time by themfelves; and many judicious felections are made, from an attentive pernfal of antique and obfolete writers, which exhibit complete and fatisfactory Specimens of their different modes of writing. The collections of a fimilar nature, formed by Davifon, Dryden, Fenton, Steele, Pope, Pemberton, Lintot, C. Tooke, Dodfley, Fawkes, Donaldson, Pearch and Nichols, contain an infinite number of fmall poems, many of which must be allowed to poffefs confiderable merit; being the productions of men of real genius, who, from the brevity, rather than the inferiority of their writings, have been usually styled "Minor Poets.' A degree of praise not much inferior to that which the above compilers have acquired, is due to editors, who, uniting industry with tafte, have prefented the public with uniform and elegant editions of the Works of the British Poets, in the manner of thofe of Italy, Spain, and France. The first collection of English Poetry which appeared in these kingdoms, was formed by Dr. Blair, and printed at Edinburgh, in 42 vols. 12mo, 1773, for Mcfirs. Creech and Balfour, bookfellers, containing the works of Milton, Cowley, Butler, Dryden, Waller, Garth, Prior, Addison, Parnell, Pope, Gay, Swift, Young, Thomfon, Shenflone, Gray, and Lyttleton. The elegance of this edition. is no compenfation for its incompleteness. The contracted lift of authors marked out by Dr. Blais, includes none of those who have juflly obtained the distinction of being denominated our older claffics, except Milton and Cowley. Nor do the contents of the work correspond with its title, many long and valuable pieces of Cowley, Parnell, Swift, and Shenftone, being omitted in the collection of their respect.e works. This mode of publifhing modern works of credit, the contents of |