truth of what he afferts. And the author who would perfuade that we should bear the ills of life patiently, merely because Solomon felt the fame, has a better ar gument than Lucretius had, when, in his imperious way, he at once convinces and commands, that we ought to submit to Death without repining, because Epicurus died.

The whole Poem is a foliloquy: Solomon is the person that speaks: he is at once the Hero and the Author; but he tells us very often what others say to him. Thofe chiefly introduced are his rabbies and philofophers in the first book; and his women and their attendants in the second: with these the facred history mentions him to have converfed; as likewife with the Angel brought down in the third book, to help him out of his difficulties, or at least to teach him how to Overcome them.

"Nec Deus interfit nifi dignus vindice nodus-"

I prefume this poetical liberty may be very juftly allowed me on fo folemn an occafion.

In my defcription I have endeavoured to keep to the notions and manners of the Jewish nation at the time when Solomon lived: and, where I allude to the cuftoms of the Greeks, I believe I may be justified by the ftricteft chronology; though a Poet is not obliged to the rules that confine an Hiftorian. Virgil has anticipated two hundred years; or the Trojan Hero and Carthaginian Queen could not have been brought together and without the fame anachronifm feveral of

:

the

the finest parts of his Æneis must have been omitted. Our countryman Milton goes yet further. He takes up many of his material images fome thousands of years after the fall of man : nor could he otherwife have written, or we read, one of the fublimeft pieces of invention that was ever yet produced. This likewise takes off the objection, that fome names of countries, terms of art, and notions in natural philosophy, are otherwife expreffed than can be warranted by the geography or aftronomy of Solomon's time. Poets are allowed the fame liberty in their defcriptions and comparisons, as painters in their draperies and ornaments their perfonages may be dreffed, not exactly in the fame habits which they wore, but in fuch as make them appear moft graceful. In this cafe probability must atone for the want of truth. This liberty has indeed been abused by eminent masters in either fcience. Raphael and Taffo have fhewn their diforetion, where Paul Veronefe and Ariofto are to answer for their extravagances. It is the excefs, not the thing itself, that is blameable.

I would fay one word of the measure in which this and most Poems of the age are written. Heroic with continued rhyme, as Donne and his contemporaries, used it, carrying the sense of one verse most commonly into another, was found too diffolute and wild, and came very often too near profe. As Davenant and Waller corrected, and Dryden perfected it; it is too confined: it cuts off the fenfe at the end of every first line, which must always rhyme to the next following;

and

and confequently produces too frequent an identity in the found, and brings every couplet to the point of an epigram. It is indeed too broken and weak, to convey the fentiments and reprefent the images proper for Epic. And, as it tires the writer while he compofes, it must do the fame to the reader while he repeats; efpecially in a Poem of any confiderable length.

If striking out into Blank Verse, as Milton did (and in this kind Mr. Philips, had he lived, would have excelled); or running the thought into Alternate and Stanza, which allows a greater variety, and ftill preferves the dignity of the verfe, as Spenfer and Fairfax have done; if either of thefe, I fay, be a proper remedy for my poetical complaint, or if any other may be found, I dare not determine: I am only enquiring in order to be better informed; without prefuming to direct the judgement of others. And, while I am fpeaking of the verfe itself, I give all just praise to many of my friends now living; who have in Epic carried the harmony of their numbers as far as the nature of this measure will permit. But, once more : he, that writes in rhymes, dances in fetters; and, as his chain is more extended, he may certainly take larger steps.

I need make no apology for the fhort digreffive panegyric upon Great Britain, in the First Book. I am glad to have it obferved, that there appears throughout all my verses a zeal for the honour of my country and I had rather be thought a good Englishman, than the best Poet, or the greatest Scholar, that ever wrote.

VOL. II.

H

And

And now as to the publishing of this piece, though I have in a literal fenfe obferved Horace's "Nonum

66

prematur in annum;" yet have I by no means obeyed our poetical Lawgiver, according to the spirit of the precept. The Poem has indeed been written and laid afide much longer than the term prescribed; but in the mean time I had little leisure, and lefs inclination, to revife or print it. The frequent interruptions I have met with in my private ftudies, and great variety of public life in which I have been employed; my thoughts (fuch as they are) having generally been expreffed in foreign language, and even formed by a habitude very different from what the beauty and elegance of English Poetry requires: all thefe, and fome other circumstances which we had as good pafs by at prefent, do justly contribute to make my excufe in this behalf very plaufible. Far indeed from defigning to print, I had locked up these papers in my fcritoire, there to lie in peace till my executors might have taken them out. What altered this defign, or how my fcritoire came to be unlocked before my coffin was nailed, is the question. The true reafon I take to be the beft: many of my friends of the first quality, finest learning, and greatest understanding, have wrefted the key from my hands by a very kind and irrefiftible violence: and the poem is published, not without my confent indeed, but a little against my opinion; and with an implicit fubmiflion to the partiality of their judgement. As I give up here the fruits of many of my vacant hours to their amusement and pleasure; I fhall always think

myfelf

myfelf happy, if I may dedicate my moft ferious endeavours to their intereft and fervice. And I am proud to finish this preface by faying, that the violence of many enemies, whom I never juftly offended, is abundantly recompenfed by the goodness of more friends, whom I can never fufficiently oblige. And

if I here affume the liberty of mentioning my Lord Harley and Lord Bathurft as the authors of this amicable confederacy, among all those whose names do me great honour at the beginning of iny book*; these two only ought to be angry with me: for I difobey. their pofitive order, whilst I make even this fmall ac-.. knowledgement of their particular kindness.

* As fubfcribers to the edition in folio, 1718.