* P R E F A C E. PREFAC

ofto are to answer for their extravagancies. 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 rhime, as Donne and his contemporaries ufed it, carrying the fenfe of one verse most commonly into another, was found too diffolute and wild, and came very often too near profe. As Davenant and Walder corrected, and Dryden perfected it; it is too confined: it cuts off the fenfe at the end of every first line, which must always rhime to the next following; 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 com poses, it must do the fame to the reader while he repeats; efpecially in a poem of any confiderable length.

If ftriking out into blank verfe, 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 fill preferves the

dignity

dignity of the verfe, as Spencer and Fairfax have done; if either of these, I say, 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 judgment of others. And while I am speaking of the verfe itself, I give all juft 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 verfes a zeal for the honour of my country; and I had rather be thought a good Englishman, than the best poet, or greatest fcholar that ever wrote.

And now as to the publishing of this piece, though I have in a literal fenfe obferved Horace's Nonum prematur in Annum; yet have I by no means obeyed our poetical lawgiver, according to the fpirit of the precept. The poem has indeed been written and laid afide much longer

than

than the term prescribed; but in the mean time I had little leifure, and lefs inclination to revise or print it. The frequent interruptions I have met with in my private ftudies, and great variety of publick 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 present, do justly contribute to make my excufe in this behalf very plaufible. Far indeed from defigning to print I had locked up thefe 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 reason I take to be the best: many of my friends of the first quality, fineft 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 fubmiffion to the partiality of their judgment. As I give up here the fruits of many of my vacant hours to their amufement

amusement and pleafure; I fhall always think myself happy, if I may dedicate my most serious endeavours to their interest and service. And I am proud to finish this preface by saying, that the violence of many enemies, whom I never justly 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 Bathurst as the authors of this amicable confederacy, among all those whofe names do me great honour at the beginning of my book, these two only ought to be angry with me; for I disobey their pofitive order, whilst I make even this small acknowledgment of their particular kindness.

As fubfcribers to the edition in folio, 1718.

TEXTS