WORTLEY MONTAGUE, MRS. BARBER, and MISS MARY JONES, will be kind enough to communicate them to the publisher, in order that the selections from thofe poets may be duly arranged and even the births of SIR JOHN HARINGTON, DUKE, SIR SAMUEL GARTH, FENTON, BROOME, and SOMERVILE, may be made ufe of in a future edition, fhould the collection be found to deferve 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 juft 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 distinguished a figure.-Any suggestion, at the fame 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 wifhed, that the collection could have commenced at an earlyer period; but the editor is fufficiently 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 prefent age being ill disposed to make the neceffary allowances for the uncouth diction and homely fentiments of former times. Nor will any perfon be forward to rescue fuch things from oblivion, while the attempt expofes him to the malignant and ruffian-like attacks of fome hackney scribbler or perfonal enemy, through the medium of one or other of two periodical publications, in which the moft illiberal abufe is vented under colour of impartial criticism, and both the literary and moral character of every man who wishes to make his peculiar ftudies 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 fame time, by no means flatters himself, that either the omiffion of what is obfcure and unintelligible, or the insertion of every thing elegant and refined, will be sufficient to protect these volumes from the rancorous malice and envenomed flander of the reviewing critic. He appeals, however, from the partial cenfures of a mercenary and malevolent individual, to the judgement and candour of a generous and difcerning public, whose approbation is proposed as the fole reIward of his difinterested labours. It ought to be mentioned, in justice to the prefent compilation, that it was made many years ago: nor fhould 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 Prifoner in Windfor, be recounteth bis pleasure there paed. By Henry Howard, earl of Surrey. From the fame authority Defcription and praise of his love Geraldine. By the fame. From the fame authority Eclogue. By Edmund Spenfer. From his "Works," 1611 Page 7 On his mistress, the queen of Bohemia. By Sir Henry Wotton, kt. From "Reliquiæ Wottonianæ," 1685 18 The bait. By John Donne, D. D. dean of St. To his fon, Vincent Corbet. By Richard Corbet, 1651 On my lady Ifabella playing on the lute. By the On a tree cut in paper. By the fame. From the adition of 1682, compared with that of 17.30 29 |