I have rejected the ideas of men who are its most distinguished ornaments. To confefs the real truth, upon examination and experiment, I foon discovered their mode of treating my subject, plaufible as it is, and brilliant in theory, to be attended with difficulties, and inconveniencies, and productive of embaraffment both to the reader and the writer. Like other ingenious fyftems, it facrificed much useful intelligence to the observance of arrangement; and in the place of that fatisfaction which refults from a clearness and a fulness of information, seemed only to substitute the merit of difpofition, and the praise of contrivance. The cónftraint imposed by a mechanical attention to this distribution, appeared to me to destroy that free exertion of research with which fuch a history ought to be executed, and not eafily reconcileable with that complication, variety, and extent of materials, which it ought to comprehend. The method I have purfued, on one account at least, seems preferable to all others. My performance,' in its present form, exhibits without transposition the gradual improvements of our poetry, at the same time that it uniformly represents the progreffion of our language. Vol. I. * B Some Some perhaps will be of opinion, that these annals ought to have commenced with a view of the Saxon poetry. But befides that a legitimate illustration of that jejune and intricate fubject would have almost doubled my labour, that the Saxon language is familiar only to a few learned antiquaries, that our Saxon poems are for the most part little more than religious rhapsodies, and that scarce any compofitions remain marked with the native images of that people in their pagan ftate, every reader that reflects but for a moment on our political establishment muft perceive, that the Saxon poetry has no connection with the nature and purpose of my present undertaking. Before the Norman acceffion, which fucceeded to the Saxon government, we were an unformed and an unfettled race. That mighty revolution obliterated almost all relation' to the former inhabitants of this ifland; and produced that fignal change in our policy, conftitution, and public manners, the effects: of which have reached modern times. The beginning of these annals feems therefore to be most properly dated from that era, when our national character began to dawn. It was recommended to me, by a perfon eminent in the republic of letters, totally to exclude from thefe I these volumes any mention of the English drama. am very fenfible that a just history of our Stage is alone fufficient to form an entire and extenfive work; and this argument, which is by no means precluded by the attempt here offered to the public, ftill remains separately to be difcuffed, at large, and in form. But as it was profeffedly my intention to comprise every species of English Poetry, this, among the rest, of course claimed a place in these annals, and neceffarily fell into my general defign. At the fame time, as in this fituation it could only become a fubordinate object, it was impoffible I fhould examine it with that critical precision and particularity, which so large, so curious, and so important an article of our poetical literature demands and deferves. To have confidered it in its full extent, would have produced the unwieldy excrefcence of a difproportionate epifode: not to have confidered it at all, had been an omission, which muft detract from the integrity of my intended plan. I flatter myself however, that from evidences hitherto unexplored, I have recovered hints which may facilitate the labours of thofe, who fhall hereafter be inclined to investigate the antient state of dramatic exhibition in this country, with due comprehenfion and accuracy. * B 2 It It will probably be remarked, that the citations in the first volume are numerous, and sometimes very prolix. But it should be remembered, that most of thefe are extracted from antient manuscript poems never before printed, and hitherto but little known. Nor was it easy to illuftrate the darker and more distant periods of our poetry, without producing ample fpecimens. In the mean time, I hope to merit the thanks of the antiquarian, for enriching the stock of our early literature by these new acceffions: and I trust I shall gratify the reader of taste, in having so fre- quently rescued from oblivion the rude inventions and irregular beauties of the heroic tale, or the romantic The defign of the DISSERTATIONS is to prepare the CONTENTS CONTENTS OF THE STATE of Language. Prevalence of the French language Satirical ballad in the thirteenth century. The king's poet. Effects of the increase of tales of chivalry. Rife of chivalry. Crufades. Rife and improvements of Romance. View of the rife of metrical romances. Their currency about the end of the |