WORTLEY MONTAGUE, MRS. BARBER, and MISS MARY JONES, will be kind enough to communicate them to the publisher, in order that the selections from those poets may be duly arranged: and even the births of SIR JOHN HARINGTON, DUKE, SIR SAMUEL GARTH, FENTON, BROOME, and SOMERVILE, may be made use of in a future edition, should the collection be found to deserve it. One should indeed have naturally concluded that these important facts, for such the birth and death of a man of merit or eminence undoubtedly are, would be found in the lives that have been written of almost all the perfons just named; but, in short, many of these lives, even in the excellent biographical prefaces of Dr. Johnson, may be carefully perused without betraying even the century in which the author made so diftinguished a figure.-Any fuggeftion, at the same time, for the improvement of the work, in matter, method, accuracy, or elegance, will be gratefully received, and properly attended to. It were, perhaps, to be wished, that the collection could have commenced at an earlyer period; but the editor is sufficiently familiar with the poetical productions of preceding centuries to pronounce with confidence, that no compofition of a moderate length is to be found, prior to the year 1500, which would be thought to deserve a place in these volumes; the nicety of the present age being ill disposed to make the necessary allowances for the uncouth diction and homely sentiments of former times. Nor will any person be forward to rescue such things from oblivion, while the attempt exposes him to the malignant and ruffian-like attacks of some hackney scribbler or personal enemy, through the medium of one or other of two periodical publications, in which the most illiberal abuse is vented under colour of impartial criticism, and both the literary and moral character of every man who wishes to make his peculiar studies contribute to the information or amusement of society are at the mercy of a conceited pedant, or dark and cowardly affaffin. The editor, at the same time, by no means flatters himself, that either the omission of what is obscure and unintelligible, or the insertion of every thing elegant and refined, will be sufficient to protect these volumes from the rancorous malice and envenomed slander of the reviewing critic. He appeals, however, from the partial censures of a mercenary and malevolent individual, to the judgement and candour of a generous and discerning public, whose approbation is proposed as the fole reward of his disinterested labours. It ought to be mentioned, in justice to the present compilation, that it was made many years ago: nor should it, perhaps, if it could, be concealed that the idea originated from a fight of the elegant French fong-book, intitled L'ANTHOLOGIE FRANÇOISE. CONTENTS, AND AUTHORITIES. THE lover complaineth of the unkindness of bis love. By Sir Thomas Wyatt. From "Poems of Henry Howard, earl of Surrey, &c." 1717 Prisoner in Windsor, be recounteth bis pleasure there Description and praise of his love Geraldine. By the same. From the same authority Eclogue. By Edmund Spenser. From his "Works," 1611 On his mistress, the queen of Bohemia. By Sir Henry Wotton, kt. From "Reliquiæ Wottoniana," 1685 18 Upon the death of Sir Albert Mortons wife. By - The bait. By John Donne, D. D. dean of St. To his fon, Vincent Corbet. By Richard Corbet, Songs. By Thomas Carew, esq. From his “ Poems," The Aory of Phœbus and Daphne applied. By On my lady Isabella playing on the lute. By the fame. From the fame authorities 31 |