I take this occafion to thank my good friend and school-fellow Mr. DIBBEN, for his excellent verfion of the Carmen Seculare, though my gratitude may justly carry little envy with it; for I believe the most accurate judges will find the translation exceed the original. I must likewife own myself obliged to Mrs. SINGER, who has given me leave to print a pastoral of her writing; that poem having produced the verfes immediately following it. I wish the might be prevailed with to publifh fome other pieces of that kind, in which the softness of her fex, and the fineness of her genius, confpire to give her a very diftinguishing character. I POST-SCRIPT Must help my preface by a postscript to tell the reader, that there is ten years distance between my writing one and the other; and that (whatever I thought then, and have somewhere faid, that I would publish no more poetry) he will find several copies of verfes fcattered through this edition, which were not printed in the first. those relating to the public stand in the order they did before, and according to the feveral years, in which they were written; however the difpofition of our national affairs, the actions, or the fortunes of fome men, and the opinions of others may have changed. profe and other human things may take what turn they can; but poetry, which pretends to have something of divinity in it, is to be more permanent. odes once printed cannot well be altered, when the author has already said that he expects his works fhould live for ever. and it had been very foolifh in my friend HORACE, if fome years after his Exegi Monumentum, he should have defired to see his building taken down again. The dedication likewise is reprinted to the Earl of DORSET, in the foregoing leaves, without any alteration; though I had the fairest opportunity, and the strongest inclination to have added a great deal to it. the blooming hopes, which I said the world expected from my then very young patron, have been confirmed by most noble and diftinguished first-fruits; and his life is going on towards a plentiful harvest of all accumulated virtues. he has, in fact, exceeded whatever the fondness of my wishes could invent in his favour: his equally good and beautiful lady enjoys in him an indulgent and obliging husband; his children, a kind and careful father; and his acquaintance, a faithful, generous, and polite friend, his fellowpeers have attended to the perfuafion of his eloquence; and have been convinced by the folidity of his reasoning. he has, long fince, deferved and attained the honour of the garter. he has managed fome of the charges of the kingdom with known ability; and laid them down with entire difinteressment. and as he continues the exercises of these eminent virtues (which that he may to a very old age, fhall be my perpetual wish) he may be one of the greatest men that our age, or poffibly our nation has bred; and leave materials for a panegyric, not unworthy the pen of fome future PLINY. From fo noble a subject as the Earl of DORSET, to fo mean a one as myself, is (I confess) a very Pindaric transition. I fhall only fay one word, and trouble the reader no further. I published my poems formerly, as Monfieur JOURDAIN fold his filk: he would not be thought a tradef man; but ordered fome pieces to be measured out to his particular friends. now I give up my fhop, and difpofe of all my poetical goods at once: 1 must therefore defire,that the public would please to take them in the grofs; and that every body would turn over what he does not like. POE ΟΝ M S SEVERAL OCCASIONS. ནྟི ཝཱ On Exodus iii. 14. I am that I am. A N O D E. Written 1688, as an Exercife at St. JOHN's College, AN! foolish man! MA Scarce know'st thou how thyself began; Scarce haft thou thought enough to prove thou art; Yet fteel'd with study'd boldness, thou dar’st try Vain are thy thoughts, while thou thyself are duft. Let wit her fails, her oars let wisdom lend; Yet cease to hope thy fhort-liv'd bark shall ride 24 What, tho' ftill it farther tend? Still 'tis farther from its end; And, in the bofom of that boundless sea, III. With daring pride and infolent delight Your doubts refolv'd you boast, your labours crown'd; And, "ETPHKA! your God, forfooth is found Incomprehenfible and infinite. But is he therefore found? vain fearcher! no: Let your imperfect definition show, That nothing you, the weak definer, know. IV. Say, why fhould the collected main Why to its caverns fhou'd it sometimes creep, 'Till winds and tides exert their high command? Why do the rifing furges fpread Their op'ning ranks o'er earth's fubmiffive head, V. Why does the constant fun With measur'd steps his radiant journeys run? |